"He returned to his western Canadian roots, captained the team that won the Olympic gold medal in the sport his country invented and marveled at how Vancouver trembled in the wake of it all.

After the final game, Scott Niedermayer met the prime minister of Canada. He received in excess of 50 text messages. He shook Wayne Gretzky's hand, which, for a Canadian hockey player, is like shaking the hand of the Stanley Cup itself.

So what's the one thing the Ducks' captain always will remember from his latest Olympiad?

"I never knew people could be so into a curling game, or match," Niedermayer said. "Just watching TV and seeing how the fans were going crazy was amazing. I've never seen Vancouver like that."

Who has? Faster, higher, stronger? Absolutely, and that was just the blood pressure of most Canadians, particularly when their boys beat ours to make hockey history.

The Ducks reunited Tuesday at Honda Center, the first time the team has been intact since splintering for the Games. Although "Hello, My Name Is…" stickers weren't required, it had to seem like a lengthy break in a sport where even game days feature morning workouts."