This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
T.J. Oshie and Jonathan Quick, who enabled the U.S. men's hockey team to emerge from a dramatic shootout with a 3-2 victory over Russia in a preliminary game Saturday, have ties to some prominent Utah sports figures. Oshie plays for the St. Louis Blues and was a cornerstone of former team owner and Bountiful native Dave Checketts' plan to build the team around young players. In a 2011 interview with The Tribune in St. Louis, Oshie said the Blues players felt both support and a sense of urgency from the owner. "He demands a certain standard from us," Oshie said.Having built the team through the draft, Checketts hoped the Blues would "grow into something special," before funding issues led him to sell the popular franchise. At the time, Checketts also owned the Real Salt Lake soccer team, prior to being bought out in January 2013.Quick is the goaltender for the Los Angeles Kings, with Salt Lake City's Trevor Lewis among his teammates. Quick led the Kings to the 2012 Stanley Cup, receiving the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP. Lewis also had an outstanding postseason, scoring two goals in the final game vs. New Jersey.