Hockey night in Afghanistan

As North America prepares for tonight's Olympic showdown between the United States and Canada, troops serving in Afghanistan decided to get a head start. The Canadian Press reports that soldiers decided to stage the ball hockey event for fun, ignoring Kandahar's unrelenting heat.

They crowded around the boards and stood on the bleachers. Some sat atop two sand-coloured armoured trucks that had a giant Canadian flag tethered between their antennas. Others sat on a pair of yellow cherry pickers bedecked with familiar red-and-white flags, or on a white sea container where the players store their gear.

The fans were so into the game that, for once, there wasn't a line at Tim Hortons. The only other time people aren't waiting for their double-doubles is when the shop is closed.

The Canadian troops won easily, 16-2. Hopefully, the results in Afghanistan will give solace to our northern neighbors tonight after the ice version of Team USA pulls off the upset in Vancouver.