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36 // JANUARY 2020 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM above Rice-Eccles Stadium in downtown Salt Lake City was extinguished on the night of Feb. 24, 2002, it marked the end of one of the most successful Winter Games in history. For the residents of Utah's capital city and those living along the Wasatch Mountain Range, it also ignited a spark that still smolders with the continued growth of youth hockey in the area. Over the course of 17 glorious days, the world's greatest male and female hockey players skated under their countries' respective colors. Local fans were treated to some of the most entertaining hockey ever played, including a pair of gold-medal games that pitted the United States against Canada. Having a front row seat, so to speak, to the action captivated a new generation of local hockey fans that helped to bolster the ranks of long-time followers of the Salt Lake Golden Eagles, and more recently, the Utah Grizzlies. " We always had that niche of hockey fans, but that niche expanded thanks to hosting the Olympics," said Dave Soutter, a long-time area hockey fan who grew up playing hockey in the 1970s. As his passion grew with the years, he became a score- keeper for local pro teams, which in turn paved the way for him to hold a similar position during the Salt Lake Games. Shortly after the Olympics, Soutter g ot tog ether with other local parents to form the Davis County Youth Hockey Association. Prior to that, families of this Salt Lake suburb had to drive into the city or Ogden to practice and play. " We kind of helped spread the enthusiasm, not only at younger youth levels but at the high school level as well," he said. "I don't think there's any doubt that what we have today is attributable to the Olympics." Soutter saw that growth firsthand as his son, Alex, was bitten by the hockey bug and began a career in the game that contin- ues today as both an adult player and a local coach. Alex was one of thousands of young boys and girls from a l l a r o u n d t h e st a t e w h o has taken advantage of the new rinks that were built shortly after Salt Lake was announced as the host city d u r i n g t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l O l y m p i c C o m m i t t e e ' s Congress on June 17, 1995 and continued to be built after the Olympic flame went dark. With An Eye Toward Launching Another Olympic Bid, Salt Lake City Looks Back At The Success Of The 2002 Winter Games PHOTOS BY Getty Images; USA Hockey Magazine Archives W H E N T H E O LY M P I C F L A M E B U R N I N G H I G H CHARTING THE GROWTH k Since the International Olympic Committee awarded the 2002 Olympic Winter Games to Salt Lake City in 1995, the number of players registered with USA Hockey has more than doubled. 1,908 players 1995-96 A L A S T I N By Harry Thompson