Regarding the response to my post about Landon Wilson and Nick Naumenko
playing the in the Olympic Festival.....there seemed to be some confusion as to
what the U.S. Olympic Festival actually is.
 
First of all, it is not just a hockey event.  It is an annual (except in
Olympic years, I believe) amateur athletic festival, much like the Olympics,
that features competition between many of the best amateur athletes in the US.
It features track and field, swimming, gymnastics, hockey, etc. -- the Olympic
sports -- and basically serves (in some ways I guess) as a "tryout" for the
U.S. Olympic team.  Medals are awarded at the Olympic Festival, which was
started (I think) in 1979 as a tool to allow the best Olympic hopefuls in the
U.S. to compete against one another in an Olympic-style setting.  As far as
hockey goes, I don't know how the teams are actually divided up, but I do know
that you must be invited in order to participate.
 
Regrettably, I've never been to an Olympic Festival -- maybe some day.  Many of
my SID friends have worked at Olympic Festivals and tell me it is an absolutely
worthwhile experience.
 
Justin