Ottawa

Breaking: Canadian politician demonstrates fondness for hockey

This is so not important. But it so sort of is, isn’t it? Because Michael Ignatieff wants to be prime minister he so has to do things like this, doesn’t he?

For Immediate Release
January 5, 2009

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff to Attend the Gold Medal Game of the 2009 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship Between Canada and Sweden

Date: January 5, 2009
Time: 7:30 PM
Location: Scotiabank Place
1000 Palladium Dr.
Kanata, Ontario 

Please note that all details are subject to change. All times are local.

Update. Lest you fear he’s less a Canadian than Mr. Ignatieff, the Prime Minister is at the game and provided a little pre-game analysis for TSN. As the Prime Minister sees it, Canada will win because “Canada knows how to win.” (This, of course, starkly differentiates our 18-year-old hockey players from those of Sweden—life in socialist Europe being, as it is, completely bereft of competition.)

In other news, one of the TSN hosts, James Duthie, happily noted that Mr. Harper is working on a book about hockey and also has a son who plays hockey. Mr. Duthie should be in the Senate by Spring.

In still other news, the Prime Minister confessed that he can’t actually skate that well. 

Stephen Harper: Not a skater.

Update II. Rough night for the Prime Minister. His reviews (well, review) are in and they’re not kind. Indeed, no less than his parental attitude is called into question.

From the Globe’s William Houston.

At times, Harper’s answers to questions by host James Duthie were as fascinating as the play on the ice.

When Duthie asked Harper which was “bigger” — watching his son, Ben, score the winning goal in a kids’ hockey tournament or Monday night’s junior game — he said, “As Prime Minister, I’d have to say the game [Monday night].”

Harper did note that Ben’s goal was a “thrill.” Still, the guess here is that many and perhaps most fathers would have said: “Nothing beats watching my son play hockey.”

Ouchie.

The Globe was nice enough to run a picture of Harper posing with two men in silly hats. So that’s, uh, something.

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