Dennis Grall Sports Editor

ESCANABA — Sunday was a glorious day for hockey fans as the gold medal game at the Olympics showcased a sport that is beautiful to watch when it is played at that level. Canada beat USA 3-2 in overtime when relentless Sid Crosby slipped a shot past Ryan Miller, a former Michigan State goalie. The finale demonstrated what hockey should be, not the farce perpetuated in the NHL that is marred by too many fights. There were no fights Sunday and only three or four penalties, allowing the most skilled players in the world to show their skills at the highest level. If NHL players can perform that way — and all of them are members of NHL teams — in the Olympics, why not all the time? Speaking of the Olympics, Mike Zuidema of Escanaba had a bigger interest in the hockey games than most area people. Detroit defenseman Brian Rafalski, one of the Team USA standouts, played for Zuidema for six days at a USA hockey camp at Michigan Tech when he was 1.