'I Hope They Win'

They’re best of friends on and off the ice.

But Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost will take a turn as friendly rivals Sunday, with all eyes on Milan for the Olympic gold medal game between Canada and the United States.

Two North American nations, facing off, for all the glory in the first best-on-best Olympic tourney in a dozen years.

Frost is a proud member of the Flames’ Canadian contingent, while Farabee is one of several American-born players on the roster.

For Frost, the entire tournament has seen a steady build-up, and the natural rivalry with the U.S. makes Sunday’s showdown all the better.

“I think just as we're watching, it kind of grows and you really feel the national pride,” he said after the Flames took the ice for practice Saturday at the Scotiabank Saddledome. “Especially, you know, two of my best buddies are American, and I hang out with them all day.

“It’s been fun, all the games have been close, like that quarterfinal day where they all went to overtime was awesome. I hope they win.”

Farabee, meanwhile, told reporters Saturday he’s been teammates with a few of the U.S. Olympians along the way - the Hughes brothers, goaltender Jake Oettinger and defenceman Zach Werenski to name a few - and he’ll be cheering them on, along the rest of the team in Stars and Stripes, come Sunday morning.

“It's friendly banter in the room and stuff like that, but at the end of the day, you want your country to win,” Farabee said. “It's a big deal.

“Obviously Canada got us at the Four Nations, so, you know, we're looking to get a little revenge here.”

But as friendly as the banter has been inside the Flames dressing room, both Frost and Farabee acknowledged one European player in particular has been doing his best to stir the pot, and stoke that rivalry on.

“We were watching the last game, you know, everyone's watching closely and and I think it was mostly Canadian guys and they were wanting them to win,” Frost recalled with a grin. “And then, it was just Sharky (Yegor Sharangovich) in there, so I don't know how to explain that.

“You're gonna have to ask him if he can explain it.”

“Sharky's been stirring the pot because he's a neutral right now,” Farabee added about his Belarusian teammate. “It's been some fun banter, and we have guys from all over, so it's cool just to see everyone's country playing against each other.”

As for that start time, though?

Both Frost and Farabee agree, they might not be up and at ‘em as soon as the puck drops, just after 6 a.m. MT Sunday.

“I don't know if I'll wake up for puck drop,” Farabee admitted. “I’ll probably try to wake up a little early just to catch the end of it.”

“Some guys have regimented sleep schedules, I try to keep mine,” Frost added. “We’ll see. I might set the set the alarm and, I don't know, the snooze button might get hit a couple times.

“Hopefully at least catch the second half of the game.”