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The Canadian hockey teams may not have had the advantage of a lucky loonie at centre ice for the Turino Olympics, but word is out that the country's curlers and speed skaters certainly had Lady Luck's assistance with their performances.

Canadian icemaker Mark Messer, who was hired to help with the ice in Turin, buried several Canadian mementoes in the ice at the Oval Lingotto, including Molson Canadian caps and a 14-karat gold maple leaf that was dug up and presented to Clara Hughes after she won gold in the women's 5,000 metres on Saturday.

"There was a little bit of subterfuge here, I had to do it at night with nobody else around," Messer told CBC. "There are a couple of mementoes buried in the ice, the maple leaf is what the team knew about. Hopefully it inspired them."

The Canadian athletes who competed at the enchanted venues went on to win eight medals in long track speed skating and two medals in curling, thus continuing the legend of the lucky loonie.


Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. - Seneca