It might seem that we’re fans of the House of Switzerland, which we totally are, but I was invited to come spend the evening watching the Canada vs. Switzerland men’s hockey game from their location on Granville Island.
Now as you can imagine, the atmosphere to watch this game is exactly how you would picture it. All Canadian hospitality was thrown out the window when it came to this game.
It was pretty cool when representatives from the Swiss House came around with free hats for everyone in the bar area, which no one argued about putting on because everyone loves free stuff. However, when the Swiss scored their first goal, the Canada fans were quick to start throwing their free hats at anyone cheering for the Swiss.
And then the moment when Switzerland tied up the game at 2-2.
This place was pumped up for the game from the start. I shot a little video from the inside to capture at least a little bit of the chanting wars that really never stopped by for a handful of minutes at a time. It’s a little shaky and dark, but it was the crowd that I was really trying to capture.
As the story goes, the game went all the way to a shootout, and to say people were holding their breath is an understatement. In fact, they were putting their heads in their hands, biting their napkins, and sipping furiously from their glasses of beer.
And that’s just the Swiss fans. I don’t think my own mother would like it if I told you what the Canada fans were saying. At least the 3-2 win made them happier, and the Swiss fans took it all in stride.
Many thanks to Jennifer from the House of Switzerland for making this experience another one of my many highlights of these Olympics in Vancouver. If you haven’t had a chance to stop by the Swiss House, of course I suggest you check it out!