Team USA has been training in Lake Placid since last Sunday. We were allowed to go home for a few days after the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on September 11. It was really great to go home to see my family after all that. Actually, we flew to Portland after coming back from China on the 10th so we could visit the headquarters of Nike, which is one of Team USA's principal sponsors. We wanted to get a chance to see and meet the Nike staff and visit their campus. Unfortunately, when all U.S. air travel was grounded in the wake of the terrorist attacks, we couldn't get flights home or visit and were all stranded on the West Coast.

About two thirds of the team rented cars and drove cross country to New York, New Hampshire, Minnesota, and Massachusetts so they could be home with their families. I waited things out in Portland for a flight that did not end up departing until the following Monday. Lots of time in a hotel suite to think about September 11. Our team really acted as a family during this tough time. The feeling of closeness during a time of sadness gave me a great deal of comfort, especially because many of my teammates were directly affected by the tragedy

We are back into a routine, finally. I think it is really good for us to get back working towards our goal. Each and every day I think about what happened on September 11 and take a little time to mourn for all those affected. But, at the same time, I am filled with a deep sense of pride for our country. Tomorrow, we will have our first game since the tragedy, and I know that putting on the Red, White and Blue jersey will have an entirely new meaning and feeling. I am so proud to be an American, and I am so happy to see the amazing spirit that Americans have displayed - a spirit that lifted the country up and helped us all get through these dark days. I hope we can turn tragedy into something positive.

So, we are back at the training center in Lake Placid, New York, getting up for breakfast at 7:30 a.m., skating from 9 to 11 a.m., lifting weights from 2 to 3:30 p.m., meditating or visualizing from 4 to 4:30, and then taking the rest of the afternoon off. Right now, we are working on our special teams (power play and penalty-killing units), forechecks, passing and shooting. Lots and lots of basics. Believe it or not, even at this level, being able to do the basics is the key to success. They always have to be sharp, and, after a couple of weeks off, it is critical to work on them over and over.

For now, we are just taking it one day at a time, one pass at a time, one moment of silence at a time - small steps to recovery and to success.

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