Bolts' Malone going for the golden goal

For a good portion of his youth while growing up in Pittsburgh, Lightning left wing Ryan Malone found himself in the company of hockey royalty. He just never realized the company he kept.

Malone's father, Greg, spent 16 years as head scout for the Pittsburgh Penguins after his playing days were over in 1987. During that time there were trips to Mellon Arena for practice, watching the likes of Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and Paul Coffey take to the ice.

During team functions, Malone would hang out with other kids his age or head to their houses for get-togethers. Among the other kids Malone would hook up with were those of Penguins general manager Craig Patrick.

A pre-teen Malone didn't quite know Patrick's place in hockey history as one of the key architects of the "Miracle on Ice" 1980 USA hockey team that knocked off the heavily favored Russians in Lake Placid, N.Y.

Patrick served as general manager and assistant coach of the team that pulled off what Sports Illustrated called the greatest sports upset of the 20th century. The game was immortalized in the 2004 movie "Miracle."

"I think my dad told me (Patrick) played a part in (the 1980 team), but at the time I don't think I really thought too much of it," Malone said. "Then I watched the movie, I was like, 'that is Craig Patrick.'"

Starting today, Malone will try to accomplish something no other USA hockey team has since Coach Herb Brooks led a team full of American college players to glory 30 years ago - capture a gold medal.

Malone will take to the ice representing Team USA as the Olympic hockey tourney begins pool play with the Americans facing Switzerland. Malone is one of four Lightning players battling for gold in Vancouver, joining defensemen Mattias Ohlund (Sweden) and Andrej Meszaros (Slovakia) and goaltender Antero Niittymaki (Finland).

The U.S. is grouped with Norway and Canada in qualifying play with the quarterfinals set to begin Feb. 24.

By the time the gold medal game is held on Feb. 28, Malone hopes to replicate - on a bit of a smaller historical scale - what Patrick and Brooks accomplished 30 years ago.

"As you look back at what Herb Brooks and Craig Patrick did, you see the documentary and the movie about it, it was amazing," Malone said. "And knowing Herbie personally and Craig Patrick personally, to go over there and pull that sweater on means a lot."

While the circumstances are much different than 30 years ago when Olympic teams were made up primarily of amateurs, well before the NHL started to shut down its season beginning in 1998 to allow the top players in the world to participate, a similar end result would hold just as special of a meaning to Malone.

"Now you get a chance to go over there and represent your country, you want to make your country proud," he said.

While Malone continues to remodel his basement, where he intends to display his three Team USA jerseys from the 2004 and 2006 World Championship team along with his Olympic sweater, he hopes there will be a spot to put a medal on display, as well.

"I'm looking forward to the opportunity to see what we can do as a team," he said. "Hopefully we can come back with something around our neck."