The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver officially kicked off Friday evening with opening ceremonies, but the occasion was marred earlier in the day by the tragic death of Georgian Luge athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili, who was killed in a violent crash during a training run for the men's luge singles.

The opening ceremony went on as scheduled with 60,600 witnessing the first-ever indoor opening ceremony at BC Place, but not without a hitch.There was much speculation leading up to the ceremony about who would light the Olympic cauldron, and that person turned out to be Canadian hockey great Wayne Gretzky. Gretzky, NBA star Steve Nash, speed-skater Catriona LeMay Doan and skier Nancy Greene each carried  torches that were supposed to touch  four pillars rising to a central cauldron at the center of the arena. However, only three pillars rose, a

technical glitch that prevented the ceremony from being performed as rehearsed. Once lighted, Gretzky then carried the official flame to a waiting pickup truck that carried him to an outdoor display where he lit the Olympic cauldron and fireworks erupted, bringing the ceremony to a close.

Chris Mason made 30 saves for his second shutout of the season, as the St. Louis Blues took a 4-0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.The shutout is the 20th of Mason's career. With the win, the Blues improved to 11-16-5 at home this season. T.J. Oshie and  Alexander Steen both had goals for the Blues, who have now won two in a row. Andy McDonald and B.J. Crombeen also scored in the victory. Jean-Sebastien Giguere allowed all four goals on 33 shots for the Maple Leafs, who have lost two in a row and played their last game before the Olympic break. Friday's game was the only meeting between the teams this season. St. Louis hosts Washington on Saturday.

NFL owners have unanimously voted to extend the contract of commissioner Roger Goodell  through the 2015 season. Goodell's original deal was set to expire in September  2011, and the new five-year deal, which was voted on at a league meeting  in  December, has no change in his annual compensation, according to   Arthur Blank, the chairman of the NFL's Compensation Committee.