[Drake]

In Vancouver, on Feb. 28, 2010, in the final event of the Winter Olympics, the matchup most everyone at the Games wanted came to fruition: United States facing host Canada for gold in men's hockey. Here, retold to ESPN.com in their own words, are the remembrances of the players, coaches, officials and outside observers of that tension-filled day few in the hockey world will soon forget.

BEFORE THE GAME

A week earlier, Canada had lost 5-2 to the upstart Americans, who would ultimately go undefeated in the preliminary round. The rematch, with the gold medal on the line, was scheduled for noon PT at Canada Hockey Place (known as GM Place when Olympic sponsors aren't involved). In the athletes village, where the players were rooming together in a dorm-like setting, thoughts upon waking turned immediately to the game.

Jonathan Toews, Team Canada: "You couldn't bear the time before the game. You just needed the game to start and you couldn't wait any longer. It was a long, restless night the night before, a million thoughts running through your head. You're just trying to stay calm and worry about the game when you come to. It's impossible not to think about the game on that stage, I guess. U.S. versus Canada on home soil, it doesn't get any better than that."

Sidney Crosby, Team Canada: "I was with Bergy [Patrice Bergeron] and Shea Weber. I want to say there were six guys total, it might have been nine. I can't remember. But there was a little common area and it had like a couch, no TV or anything, just a couch there and a table. And there were rooms to each side and one room had three beds in it and a bathroom.

"I just remember even the fact that it was a little bit earlier, it was nice. Kind of leading up to it, I don't remember a lot being that much different. Just try and go about your normal routine. I think having played in the finals a couple of times, playing in a Game 7, you just try and treat as much as you can like another game, even though it's not. That's kind of why you have your routine, is for those days you want to make sure you're ready to play mentally and physically."

David Backes, Team USA: "It was one of those things where you woke up and said, 'I'm going to play for a gold medal today.' Those types of emotions don't come that often. You try and harness that and try to get a good breakfast in you to make sure you're giving everything you can to make your team successful. Butterflies and nerves, but knowing that we've done a lot of great work already in that tournament and we've got a chance to be the best team in the world at the Olympic level."

Zach Parise, Team USA: "Really, I slept well, if I remember right. But I woke up with butterflies right away. They didn't go away all the way until the puck dropped.

"I stuck with everything the same. I guess as a hockey player, we kind of fall victim to that superstition stuff. I always ate in the village. I always had the same thing in the morning for breakfast. I tried to do the same thing at the same time."

Read the rest here: http://espn.go.com/olympics/winter/2...old-medal-game