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C Ryan Kesler (Anaheim Ducks, 2011 Selke Trophy, All Star)

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Ohio State alumnus strives for Olympic gold
By Travis Rockhold
[email protected]
Updated: Tuesday, January 12, 2010

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Former Buckeye Ryan Kesler will attempt to win a gold medal with the U.S. men?s ice hockey team in February.

Winning championships for a professional franchise in sports is often an athlete?s ultimate goal, but a select few get a chance to achieve even more.

Come February, former Buckeye Ryan Kesler will attempt to win a gold medal with the U.S. men?s ice hockey team.

Even though Kesler was only at Ohio State for one year, he left a mark on the program.
Ohio State men?s hockey coach John Markell knows exactly what men?s basketball coach Thad Matta has had to deal with over the years.

?We knew Ryan was going to be one year and done,? Markell said.

Kesler earned an honorable mention for the Central Collegiate Hockey Association All-Rookie team and was awarded OSU?s George Burke Most Valuable Freshman award.

Markell felt Kesler was a winner because of his passion for the game and the skills he had.

After his freshman year at OSU, Kesler entered the 2003 NHL Early Entry Draft, where he was drafted 23rd overall by the Vancouver Canucks.

In his first couple of seasons playing professionally, Kesler spent time moving between the Canucks and the Manitoba Moose, a lower-level AHL team associated with the Canucks.

Now, however, he has cemented himself on the Canucks roster, and is one of three players to be an alternate captain on the team.

The ?08-?09 season was by far his best. He was named the Canucks? MVP and was a finalist for the Frank J. Selke award, given to the person who demonstrates the most skill on the defensive side of the game. Kesler lost to Pavel Datsyuk, who won the award for the second consecutive year.
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The Lantern - Ohio State alumnus strives for Olympic gold
 
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VANCOUVER - Ryan Kesler calmly spit out the words and, a few minutes later, tried to grab them back. Well, sort of.

"I hate them," said the American winger of Team Canada, the two teams meeting Sunday night in their final preliminary-round game of the Olympic hockey tournament.

"Well, I wouldn't say I hate them. You have respect for the other team.

"But the Canadians expect to win the gold and anything less is not enough. It's going to be fun to try and knock them off."
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vancouver now
 
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Sun Feb 21, 2010 1
Ryan Kesler follows through on his 'beat Canada' guarantee
By Greg Wyshynski

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- "I guarantee that we'll beat the Canadians."

That was forward Ryan Kesler on this blog in August 2009, before the U.S. Olympic hockey team had even been formally named. Over six months later, he fulfilled the promise with an outstanding game that personified the speed, grit and tenacity that the U.S. used to upset Canada, 5-3, on Sunday night.

He played 17:18, and in several critical situations. His blocked shot during a three-shot sequence by Canada in the third period saved a goal. "It was a reaction more than anything," he said.

"I thought I was going to take it in the teeth there."
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Ryan Kesler follows through on his 'beat Canada' guarantee - Fourth-Place Medal - 2010 Olympics Blog - Yahoo! Sports

Kesler enjoys role of enemy at home
Vancouver Canuck changes allegiance to play centre for "underdog'' Team USA , scoring empty netter in win over Canada
By Elliott Pap, Vancouver SunFebruary 22, 2010
This Yankee didn't have to go home, he was already home.

Ryan Kesler, Vancouver Canuck and Team USA centre, was an integral part Sunday of a stirring American victory over Canada, scoring an empty-netter to put an exclamation point on a 5-3 U.S. win.

Kesler was still playing the underdog card in the aftermath.

"The energy in the building was amazing," Kesler said. "It was definitely a playoff atmosphere out there. The fans were into it and for us to come out on top is pretty special. It's a game where we came in as the underdogs and I think all the pressure was on Canada to win this game.

"There are only so many games you get to play like this and to beat Canada on their own soil is special."
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Kesler enjoys role of enemy at home

Video | Kesler seals game with empty net goal | NBC Olympics
 
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Despite not scoring, Kesler has big impact on U.S. win
Wednesday, 02.24.2010
All-Access Vancouver
By Shawn P. Roarke -
NHL.com Managing Editor

VANCOUVER -- As is his habit, American forward Ryan Kesler left his imprint all over Team USA's 2-0 win against Switzerland in Wednesday's Olympic quarterfinal at Canada Hockey Place.

Despite not registering a point, he was the focal point of much of the 60-minute session of trench warfare that sent the Americans into an unexpected berth into a semifinal against Finland on Friday.
American GM Brian Burke knew that Kesler would be an integral part of any success his team would have in this tournament. The Vancouver Canucks forward did not make the final roster as a hometown courtesy.

On Monday, Burke was effusive in his praise of Kesler, who had scored an empty-net goal the night before against Canada in pool play to settle that game in favor of the United States and give the Americans the top seed in the quarterfinals.

"Ryan Kesler was a warrior," Burke said. "He competed in all areas. He was physical and used his foot speed. He was a pain in the ass to play against. I thought he was great."
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Despite not scoring, Ryan Kesler has big impact on U.S. win - NHL.com - All-Access Vancouver
 
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Updated: February 26, 2010
Kesler's personality defines Team USA
By Scott Burnside
ESPN.com

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- At some point, David Backes and U.S. teammate Ryan Kesler are going to have a chat about some of the things Kesler has whispered in his ears during the National Hockey League season.

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Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
Ryan Kesler has embraced becoming public enemy No. 1.

Just not now.

Not with a semifinal match with Finland on Friday and the prospect of a trip to the gold-medal game Sunday in the offing.

But it is a measure of Kesler's considerable abilities to annoy and disrupt opposing players that Backes isn't joking about hashing out an incident that took place during the playoffs last year when Kesler brought Backes' wife into some end of period trash-talking.

"I think it was just 'Tell Kelly I say hi' or something like that at the end of a period. To me, he can tell me I'm stupid or slow or bad hockey player, but bring my wife into it and now we get personal. As I said then, if he wants to pick a fight with my wife, he's better off picking a fight with me," he said.

"We haven't had to discuss that quite yet, but I think maybe after the tournament is over, if we get one night to have a few drinks together, we'll have to get into that a little bit," Backes said.

In some ways, Kesler symbolizes the identity of this U.S. team as it continues to plow further into this Olympic tournament than many believed would be possible. When the Americans have been at their best in this tournament, they have crashed and banged and showed incredible patience and more than a little resilience.

A little sand, a little swagger.

A lot like Kesler himself.
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2010 Winter Olympics -- U.S. finds success with Ryan Kesler - ESPN
Trash-talking Kesler backs it up on the ice
Craig Custance
Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- There's trash talk, and then there's crossing the line. In David Backes' opinion, Ryan Kesler crossed the line.

It was during the first-round of last year's playoffs between Backes' St. Louis Blues and Kesler's Vancouver Canucks, and the two players were jawing as a scrum broke up at the end of the first period.

Kesler pointed to Backes and said, "Tell Kelly I said hi."

Kelly is Backes' wife. Maybe in the Sean Avery book of trash talk, it was a little tame -- but it didn't sit well with Backes.

"He can tell me I am stupid, slow or a bad hockey player, but bring my wife into it and then we get personal," Backes said. "Like I said then, if he wants to pick a fight with my wife, he's better off picking a fight with me."

So yeah, Backes wasn't too crazy about Kesler when the two were brought together as Team USA teammates for the Olympics.

"No, not so much," he said. "That's a very, very good conclusion."
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Trash-talking Kesler backs it up on the ice - Craig Custance - NHL - Sporting News
 
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Posted: Monday March 8, 2010
Olympic rivals Kesler, Luongo are teammates again

NEW YORK (AP) -Ryan Kesler is proud of the silver medal he and the upstart Americans won at the Vancouver Olympics, but don't ask to see it. Kesler's prize isn't making the rounds the way Vancouver Canucks teammate Roberto Luongo is toting around his gold.

"My silver medal is in Michigan, and his is in his pocket at all times,'' Kesler said Monday. "I'm proud of him. He's a great goaltender and he won a gold for his country.''

Kesler, a two-way forward who scored on Luongo during the Americans' 3-2 overtime loss in the gold-medal game, has gone from no-name hockey player to newfound celebrity.

Some comments Kesler made about Canada and Luongo's perceived shakiness during the gold-medal game made Kesler a bit of a villain in his hockey home. He downplayed any rift with Luongo now that they are back as teammates and trying to hold onto first place in the Northwest Division.

He insists all is well with him and Luongo and Canada and the city of Vancouver. Several teammates have also come to the defense of the noted on-ice agitator.

"That was overblown. It's one of those things where they're trying to make a story out of nothing,'' Kesler said. "Me and Roberto are good, good friends. For me, there is no mending fences.''
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Read More: Olympic rivals Kesler, Luongo are teammates again - nhl - SI.com
 
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Canucks' Ryan Kesler named face of NHL 2K11 video game

Not Ovechkin. Not Crosby. Ryan Kesler.
The Vancouver Canucks' two-way forward will be the cover model and spokesman for hockey video game NHL 2K11. Game-maker 2K Sports announced today it signed Kesler after his "electrifying" play for Team USA at the Vancouver Olympics. Kesler is from Livonia, Mich.
"Having the opportunity to participate in the Olympics and play in front of my home crowd was one of the best experiences of my life," Kesler said in a 2K Sports press release. "To now be chosen as the next cover athlete for NHL 2K11 is another dream come true."
2K Sports, which hired Kesler last year as a motion-capture model for NHL 2K10, will release its updated edition for the Wii game system next fall.
Kesler is with the Canucks in Denver for tonight's National Hockey League game against the Colorado Avalanche. Preparing for their 13th straight road game, the Canucks cancelled their morning skate.
? Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
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Kesler feels pain and hurt
Plays through shoulder injury, goes out on shield
By Gordon McIntyre, The Province May 12, 2010

For the second time in 10 weeks, Ryan Kesler was experiencing the bitter pain of defeat at GM Place -- the first an overtime gold-medal loss to Team Canada at the Olympics and now a repeat playoff ouster by the hated Chicago Blackhawks, a year to the day they eliminated the Canucks in Round 2 the first time.

Kesler has lots to be proud of this season -- a rich new contract, a second-straight Selke nomination, a team-leading 12 power-play goals -- but those are thoughts for the barbecue season back in Michigan, which again begins too soon for Kesler's liking.

On Tuesday, nothing but the pain of elimination and the pain in his right shoulder were to be felt.

"It's tough," Kesler said. "Words can't describe how I feel right now."
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Read more: Kesler feels pain and hurt
 
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