Rep. Mike Quigley, a tormented hockey fan

An avid hockey player (with the stitches to prove it), Quigley paid congressional tribute this week to two hometown Olympic ice heroes, speed skater Shani Davis and figure skater Evan Lysacek, and he’s monitoring the games closely for other Illinois athletes.

{mosads}There’s even a spreadsheet with their names circulating around the office.

But the real thrill for this ice man is Team USA men’s hockey. The only trouble is whom to root for; players from Quigley’s home team, the National Hockey League’s Chicago Blackhawks, are slapping the puck for both the U.S. and rival Canada.

According to his spokeswoman, Quigley is prepared to flip-flop — he’ll cheer for American players from rival professional teams for now, then welcome home his Blackhawks after the games.

Quigley knows firsthand what it’s like to beat Canadians on the ice: In an episode of MTV’s personal-growth reality show “The Buried Life” that aired this week, Quigley challenges the four young Canadian stars to a race across the rink. He wins handily.