Halifax bars open early to host Team Canada fans
Posted Jan 3, 2013 07:03:27 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
In a rare move, several Halifax bars and restaurants opened early this morning to host die-hard hockey fans who woke up in time for the 5 a.m. AT puck drop to see Canada’s World Junior team take on their old rival the United States.
The Canadians earned a bye after finishing first in their pool, while the Americans advanced with a 7-0 victory over the Czech Republic Wednesday.
But as play got underway early Thursday morning, it was clear the Canadians weren’t playing at the same tempo they had been. Each time Canada got the puck, the U.S. team overwhelmed them.
By the time the third period started, the U.S. was leading Canada 4-0.
Matt O’Keefe, one of about a dozen fans gathered at Bubba Ray’s sports bar on Spring Garden Road was still clinging to optimism.
“Not looking too great, that’s for sure, but there’s still lots of time left, so anything can happen,” O’Keefe told News 95.7.
The U.S. would go on to beat Canada 5-1, advancing to the gold medal game.
Sweden will meet Russia in the other semifinal. Canada will play the loser of that match-up on Saturday.
Canada beat the U-S 2-1 in the round-robin portion of the tournament.
