ITHACA -- Thousands of athletes' paths have crisscrossed the globe on the way to Vancouver for the Winter Olympics, which begins Friday with opening ceremonies. At one point or another, many of those treks have passed through Ithaca.

None of the stories with ties to Ithaca is closer than native Dustin Brown's. Brown, who plays in the National Hockey League for the Los Angeles Kings, will compete for the U.S men's hockey team and serve as an alternate captain.

"Being named was a huge honor and something I will never forget," Brown wrote via text message from Los Angeles on Thursday before a game against the Anaheim Ducks. "Being named alternate was something I take a lot of pride in being held in that regard."

Rebecca Johnston, who took the school year off from Cornell University to focus on making the Olympics, will play on the Canadian women's hockey team.

Other known medal hopefuls with connections to the region are former Cornell men's hockey player Douglas Murray (Swedish men's hockey team), former Cornell football player Jamie Moriarty (U.S. bobsledding) and former Cornell women's hockey coach Melody Davidson (coach of the Canadian women's hockey team).

Additionally, the brother of Cornell sophomore hockey defenseman Sean Whitney, Ryan Whitney, was named Thursday to the U.S. men's hockey team. Cornell sophomore lacrosse player Chris Langton's brother, Steve Langton, joins Moriarty on the bobsledding team.

And while he won't be competing, Ithaca lawyer Matt Van Houten will serve an important role as the chairman of the U.S. Olympic Committee athletes' advisory council.

Starting a dream

When Brown thinks back to his playing days in Ithaca, the images at the forefront are his squirt 10- and 11-year-old state championship and the two years he played for Ithaca High School, one of which ended in 2000 with a state title. Those experiences, combined with the community support and coaching he's received, are in part what he credits for his success.

"That's where my hockey roots started. If not for playing (in Ithaca) I would not be here today," Brown said.

Brown's Olympic quest began at places such as Ithaca's Cass Park. The announcement naming him to Team USA came on New Year's Day at Fenway Park in Boston.

His advice to the youngsters who spend countless hours each winter, just like he did, is simple.

"Ultimately the sport is fun, so have fun," Brown said. "Getting to this level is about work and dedication, no doubt about it, but in the end, it's about having fun."

As alternate captain, Brown, 25, will help lead a youthful team searching for its first gold medal since the "Miracle on Ice" team of 1980.

"Obviously that's what we are going there to do, but to bring it home would be unbelievable," Brown said. "Only two other U.S. hockey teams have done it, so to be included in that group would be very special."

Brown's schedule is crammed before, during and after the Olympics. The Kings have games Monday, Thursday and Feb. 13. Brown arrives in Vancouver Feb. 14, practices with his new teammates the next day and then opens Olympic play Feb. 16 against Switzerland.

He'll be joined on Team USA's roster by L.A. Kings teammates Jonathan Quick and Jack Johnson.

"It's awesome. It always makes it more fun," he said.

Vancouver won't be Brown's first international experience. Twice, he played for the U.S. junior national team. And in 2004, he represented the U.S. at the world championships, winning a bronze medal. That medal is tucked away with some other memorabilia, he said.

Should the United States grab gold, it's sure to be displayed more prominently.

Coming through

Without a pre-eminent women's professional league, the Olympics are unquestionably the biggest stage for women's hockey. So for Johnston, 20, representing the host country serves as an even bigger honor.

"I was almost shocked a little bit. I was just so excited, and I couldn't talk really," Johnston said about being named to the team. "My mom was almost in tears. It was really a great feeling."

Johnston was a world-class sprinter in high school in Sudbury, Ontario, until the running nearly derailed her hockey career. The perpetual pounding resulted in Johnston fracturing her L-5 vertebra the year before entering college. She still battles pain.

"That's probably the biggest struggle I've had to go through," she said.

Canada's women have won gold at each of the past two Olympics. This year's home-ice advantage shouldn't hurt.

"Well I wouldn't say we're the favorite," Johnston said. "We're on our home soil and have a large fan base, but I think there are quite a few teams that will give us a run for our money. We have to come out strong. It's not going to be easy, that's for sure."

To even have a chance at qualifying for the Olympic team, Johnston had to put her education -- and Cornell playing career -- on hold for a year to join the Canadian team's centralized training efforts in Calgary. The dream that began when Johnston was 4 is now a reality.

"It'd just be a dream come true," Johnston said. "It being in Canada is even more special. To have the fanfare and my family cheering me on and sharing the moment is probably the best feeling. Winning gold would definitely be a dream come."

Ensuring rights

Van Houten, who was at one time a team handball player on the U.S. men's national team, was elected as the chairman of the United States Olympic Committee's athletes council in 2008. His role in Vancouver is essentially to advocate for and protect American athletes.

For example, if American athletes are found to have violated the anti-doping agreement, Van Houten is there to make sure their procedural rights are followed. He's also there to minimize distractions, such as ensuring athletes have the right food and getting tickets for family members.

"I'm there to take care of things so they can just worry about their performance," he said.

Van Houten leaves Monday for Vancouver. He's unsure of the issues or challenges he'll face in the coming weeks. At the Beijing Olympics in 2008, two unexpected issues that had to be dealt with was the controversy surrounding cyclists wearing masks and the murder of the father of a former volleyball team member.

Therefore, the potential issues he may deal with "could range the whole gamut."