Vanek on the World Stage

by Anne

Today in my usual Monday-Wednesday-Friday routine at 10:00, I hopped on a computer in the school lab to kill some time between classes. However, its really nice out so I may not be back for hour #2 at 12:00.

This routine usually entails checking email and blogs and then hitting NHL.com or TSN or Sabres.com. Nowadays it entails IIHF.com. This morning I was greeted by an article about Austria's hottest export since Arnold Schwarzenegger, our very own Thomas Vanek.

There's a brief interview with TV about Team Austria playing in the big show and hoping to avoid relegation. Last year, Tommy Boy helped the team move back to the top division and he hopes to help keep them there. Unfortunately he's got a huge target on his head because he is the only NHL player on Team Austria and he, ya know, scores a lot, and has that crazy face shield. Basically he hasn't been productive because his opponents have been mainly focusing on containing him.

He (humbly) admits that the main reason he's playing is because he knows he's the best Austrian hockey player out there. He doesn't use those exact words, but he says that if there were 10 NHL players he'd probably sit it out, but he's the only one so he wants to help keep his country proud

I hope Team Austria can stay up in the top division, but I hope they have to fight to stay there without Thomas next year.

Team USA v. Team Austria is about to start. Drew, don't pick on Thomas too much, he seems to know about what you guys have been doing in Berne... ;)