|
 |
Utah connections
Tommy Salo won a gold medal as the goaltender for Sweden in the 1994 Games in one of the more memorable endings in Olympic hockey history. He was minding the net and withheld Team Canada in a shootout to secure the first-place finish. The following year he guided the Denver Grizzlies to the 1994-95 International Hockey League championship, and he lifted the relocated Grizzlies to a Turner Cup title the next season (1995-96) in Utah. The Swedish star was amicably referred to as "Super Salo" — and was accompanied by theme music from Superman after good saves — while playing for the Grizzlies before moving on to the NHL. Salo's NHL career began with the New York Islanders, and it has blossomed since he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in spring of 1999. He was among a group of 10 players chosen in March 2001 to represent Sweden in the 2002 Games.
Doug Palazzari is a name familiar to old-time Utah hockey fans and with those currently associated with USA Hockey. Palazzari played for the Salt Lake Golden Eagles from 1977-82 and is now the executive director of USA Hockey.
Steve Konowalchuk isn't guaranteed a spot on the U.S. Olympic team by any means, but he has been invited to participate in the U.S. Olympic Orientation Camp to be held in Colorado Springs from Sept. 4-7. The standout forward from the Washington Capitals was born and bred in Salt Lake City until he was 15 years old. At that time, his parents opted to move back East to help further his hockey career chances.
Andreas Johannson was a teammate of Salo's in Utah and is a candidate to be on Sweden's national team as well.
|
|
|
