from the Sunday Globe hockey column: "Wrentham's Garth Snow, now tending net for St. Petersburg (Russia) with Andrei Mezin, last week to the Toronto Star: "I don't walk around with the US flag on my chest. When I'm walking home, I just put a big frown on and I don't look up." The former US Olympian figures low profile is the best way to go, given worldwide turmoil, including the two suicide bombers who recently downed commercial jets in Russia. Much is being made of Snow, an NHL netminder (most recently with the Islanders), suiting up in the former CCCP. But there is a precedent. Ex-Bruin backstop Vincent Riendeau, last seen in the Hub of Hockey in 1994-95 (his last NHL action), played 16 games with Lada Togliatti (600 miles west of Moscow) across two seasons (1998-2000). Riendeau on Russian life: "I'd say there are a lot less crazy people. With communism, everyone's the same. A lot of crimes in North America are because of TV and not having as much as the neighbor." Speaking of that, UVM rink has banners for their players who were Olympians...might be a nice touch for the Alfond ?