The 2012 IIHF World Championships are underway in Sweden and Finland, with the U.S. defeating France, 7-2, in a game Bobby Ryan said "was closer than people might realize" (humility… our nation's greatest export!); Canada surviving a scare against Slovakia, 3-2, thanks to goals by Jordan Eberle and Andrew Ladd; and Germany's first win over Italy since 1992.
And why wouldn't the German's excel in this tournament? Have you seen how they practice?
Somewhere, Johan Hedberg weeps …
Writes reader Aubrey Nelson: "I don't speak the first bit of German so I can't be sure, but I get the feeling that's supposed to represent Canada." Let's go with that.
UPDATE: Via friend of the blog Rouven Dorn, some info. The coach is Swiss, by the way, and says:
"OK guys, you're warmed up now. Exercise as planned. Important: high intensity, skate hard, push it, let's go!"
(After the player checks the moose, it reads)
"Ready for the moose test!"
(This is a word almost every German knows by now since Mercedes A-Class famously failed the so-called "moose test" by a Swedish magazine)
After that, *whistle* and "change!"
In the end it's just "Ice Hockey World Cup in Sweden and Finland live on blah blah blah …"
By the way, the moose clearly represents Sweden/Finalnd in the commercial; Canada isn't even mentioned in the clip.