Hockey and Its Unrelenting Grip on the Nation’s Soul
Roy MacGregor examines how ingrained the game is in the fabric of Canada; particularly in places like Winnipeg where fans (like yours truly) have had to anxiously wait for their beloved Jets return….again. At least this time it was only for five months, but that was five months too long if you ask me for my opinion on the state of hockey in Canada or elsewhere.
#hockeyneverleft
#imahockeydad
Hockey and Its Unrelenting Grip on the Nation’s Soul
Roy MacGregor examines how ingrained the game is in the fabric of Canada; particularly in places like Winnipeg where fans (like yours truly) have had to anxiously wait for their beloved Jets return….again. At least this time it was only for five months, but that was five months too long if you ask me for my opinion on the state of hockey in Canada or elsewhere.
#hockeyneverleft
#imahockeydad
On the almost-eve of the return of NHL hockey, I promise to not belabour the point (for too long), but I do wish to take the league to task for their decision to use the phrase and online hashtag #hockeyisback to promote the “triumphant” and long overdue return of the professional game. Perhaps for less educated NHL-only fans beyond Canadian borders the NHL is synonymous with hockey. Though I did meet and several hockey parents and players in places like Nashville back in November who I’m sure would argue otherwise.
What I’d like to state here and maybe even start a mini online revolt over is #hockeyneverleft. Yes, while the NHL was off sorting out its finances, hockey continued on ponds, in local arenas, on the world stage for major junior and national teams and in the hearts and minds of players from mini mites to beer leaguers everywhere. As I write this the hometown OHL team’s 39th game is on the tube. A great exhibition of hockey by young men fighting and dreaming of a chance to play in The Show. The NHL and its players, particularly with their recent greedy shenanigans, cannot just show up five months late and lay claim to the game we love. If anyone asked me I would have quickly offered snappy alternative catchphrases like #theNHLisbackinbusiness or #showmedahockeymoney. We heard a lot about how the players just wanted to get back on the ice, but then found out that was only true if they could ensure multi-million dollar pensions were protected. And to again be clear, I place blame equally on the league and the players; both handling the labour situation in a business-like manner because after all that’s exactly what it is – a business first. So don’t come back a few days later with a soppy, melodramatic marketing video claiming to be protectors of the beautiful game you’ve held as a pawn in your litte side game these so many weeks.
Starvation of the media, who are naturally fuelled by pro hockey news and have had nothing “hockey-related” to talk about since back in September, is painfully obvious as I’ve heard and seen intense in-depth coverage of every aspect of the Maple Leafs’ abbreviated training camp; an unfortunate hazard of living so close to Toronto as a non-Leafs fan. And online from Twitter to Facebook to each and every sports-related website, should you care, you can readily find the minutiae that is pre-season NHL hockey in every city the game is played; and particularly the Canadian cities. Not sure the same enthusiasm is felt in Phoenix, Tampa, Miami or the home of the reigning Stanley Cup champions. Pretty sure they, who are the primary target of the marketing spin, care whether or not #hockeyisback.
As for me, I can honestly say I didn’t and still don’t really miss the NHL as we’re generally so busy with our kids hockey, which usually occupies 5-7 days a week. I don’t get a chance to watch many regular season games anyway. I’m guessing the parents of most competitive hockey players are in the same boat. When we are home there are so many other things to draw our attention like work, the Internet and a myriad of other sports. Given the choice the Boy himself will head to the basement to play Call of Duty or NHL13 online with mostly his hockey buddies. They love to play, but aren’t necessarily compelled to watch the pro version of their favourite game. If I did have time to actually go to a game, the closest team is the Leafs and very few families of four can afford the price of a hockey night in Toronto.
Add to this what has become an inexorably long NHL regular season where most early and mid-season games feel like they don’t even really matter. I said a few weeks ago, as the lockout dragged on, I wouldn’t mind if every season was condensed to 50 games or so, provided they still started in September and were done by April or May. Every year in recent memory, as the playoffs are heading into the third week of June, I and most people I’ve talked to have lost interest in staying indoors to watch a Winter sport. There are, of course, a few diehards or the fans who’s teams are still contending for the Cup who continue to watch and cheer. In the upcoming shortened season, by comparison, pretty much every game will matter. Getting off to a slow start could dramatically affect a team’s ability to make the playoffs.
Maybe this was all part of a sinister plan by the NHL and NHLPA to make their game more exciting at the risk of losing a whole bunch of erstwhile followers. As a fine Canadian writer, Dave Bidini, aptly pointed out in a recent National Post article, the NHL better hope they haven’t created too much apathy and/or outright anger in former die-hards with four work stoppages since 1992. He writes of what he sees and hears in men’s league hockey change rooms, “It’s a stink of ennui and dissatisfaction and anger (and maybe a little boredom) caused by the way NHL hockey has turned since the Gary Bettmans of the world got a hold of it; or rather, since the Bettmans began to ride it, for old hockey codgers with caterpillar scars will tell you that it got this way once they started wearing helmets and moving teams out of Canada.”
Don’t get me wrong. I will no doubt watch a game or two when I can find the time and I’m likely all in once the playoffs start depending on its participants. After all, the NHL concocted a devious plan specifically aimed at me when they brought back my beloved Winnipeg Jets after so many years in exile. Rory Boylen of The Hockey News rightly points out NHL fans will flock back with open arms because it still is the highest level of hockey being played and every team has its loyal following. A conversation with a friend/colleague in Montreal this afternoon further confirmed this as he noted and likewise complained about lineups outside the Bell Centre for tonight’s Habs intra-squad game. He pointed out how teams in American cities are trying to lure fans back with free tickets and bargain basement prices on paraphernalia while in Montreal and Toronto there are no such deals to be had.
Plenty of fans, bar and restaurant owners, league employees and reporters, as noted, have been anxiously waiting for the NHL’s return and I am pleased for them. The NHL’s hockey business still does matter to this increasingly exclusive group.
I said I wouldn’t go on too long, so here endeth the rant. However, based on recent history of this league and management of their “hockey” business, look for another to follow in 8-10 years. Hope someone still cares enough to listen where the NHL is concerned, but fairly confident I’ll still be able to heartily say #hockeyneverleft.
Please do chime in if you agree, disagree or could not care either way (in keeping with the theme).
#imahockeydad
We Canadians Still Luvs Us Some Hockey
Times may change, but hockey is our constant.
“Hockey still quickens our collective pulse. It teaches us not to be afraid to go into the corners, and to take our lumps, because we always get up and we shake hands after the games because that is what Canadian hockey players — what Canadians — do.”
I’ve almost accidentally eaten a puck a few times, but to date have not considered adding one to my diet. I think it would be a little rubbery, like overcooked squid.
And glowing pucks were a stupid idea no matter how ya sliced them…just sayin.
#imahockeydad
There has, of course, been a lot written and said about hockey over the years. My Dad passed some of these along from an email he’d received recently and maybe they’ve already the rounds. But I sought out a few others, threw in a couple of my own faves and compiled this list of famous and not so famous puck-related comments for your reading pleasure and/or to use as small talk at hockey parties or on long rides to or from arenas. I think the first is a wonderful start.
Sometimes people ask, ‘Are hockey fights real?’ I say, ‘If they weren’t, I’d get in more of them. Wayne Gretzky, ‘The Great One’
How could I not include the venerable Mr. Potato Head aka Don Rickles
As always, let me know if you have any others you’ve heard and/or particularly love from our favourite frozen game.Images courtesy of:
http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxle4ilmFZ1r35qryo1_500.jpg
http://www.etsy.com/listing/88627116/keep-calm-and-play-on-hockey-pocket
http://www.artisticsensations.com/product-p/4824.htm
We got back into hockey in the New Year in a pretty major way with a total of nine games over three days this weekend past, which included a hometown tournament for the Boy, an exhibition game/event with some ex-NHLers and two regular season games for the Devil. All of this rink activity provided opportunity for each of our young players to grab a bit o’ the household spotlight.
The weekend started slow with the Boys team skating to an uninspiring 2-2 tie in their first game of the Glen Bellerby Memorial Tournament; a game they dominated for the most part and against a team I think their fans in the stands all thought they should win. The Boy bounced between Centre (which he hadn’t played all year, which was somewhat apparent) and Defence, as a couple of players were lost to injury. Those injuries certainly didn’t help the Colts’ cause. A draw in the first of a three-game round robin would necessitate wins in the following two matches if they hoped to move on to defend their turf.
Game two would follow a few hours later and the Boys would flirt with playoff danger as they trailed by a goal up until about five minutes left in the game when they would become the fortunate beneficiaries of a penalty shot, which was thankfully converted. A couple of minutes later the Boy would take his first shot at the home hockey crown by scoring what would be the game winning goal; their playoff spot was secure for the moment.
Immediately following their tourney match, the team made its way over to the big rink in town for a skills competition date with a roving team of former NHL stars. The ex-pros were in town as part of a regular Alumni charity event, which would typically see them playing a full three periods against local minor hockey alumni. However, it was decided this year to let some younger legs take on the pros in feats of stickhandling, target shooting and penalty shots. The Boy, for his part, would draw the latter assignment, which would pit him against Mark Andrew “Trees” LaForest, who had a cup of coffee with the Detroit Red Wings, the Philadelphia Flyers, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators. The Devil joked she was just glad he wasn’t in a skating competition cuz that would be embarrassing for him. His spirits, and that of his teammates, were no doubt buoyed by the young guns taking a lead in the first two rounds of skills; though their opponents may not have been fully invested in the competition. I’ve unfortunately no video or photographic evidence, but can attest to having witnessed the Boy making a pretty sick move on LaForest, faking a move to his forehand and tucking the puck in the net a la Henrik Zetterberg.
Ok, so his wasn’t quite at the Zetterberg level, but I for one was surprised he even tried and completed the move. Maybe LaForest was surprised too. In all, the event was a lot of fun for the Boys who got to share the ice and some laughs with some great guys.
The third and final preliminary round tourney tilt started just after noon on Saturday. This match would see the Boy notch his second goal and first assist of the tournament in a convincing and semi-final clinching 5-1 victory. The game had even been taped and was set to be featured on the local 6 o’clock news. Returning home, the Boy would announce his exploits plenty loud enough for the Devil to hear and a challenge was not so silently waged.
Off we went to the Devil’s game; one which needed to be won in order to keep her streaking side atop their league standings at an impressive 15-1-1. Early on I could tell my youngest had a little extra jump in her game. She’s skated well all season, but there was some added fire on this particular night. About halfway through the second period, she would grab a loose puck and make a furious dash between two defenders. She was tied up only momentarily, would not be denied and raced in on the goalie all alone. A quick deke to the left froze the keeper and the Devil deposited the puck in the back of the net. Already she’d scored a prettier goal than either of her brother’s, but she wasn’t done. After the flood and with her team tied 1-1, she again rushed the goal with a defender in tow, hitting the goalie with her initial shot, then pounding home her own rebound for marker #2 on the evening. You can likely sense where this is going. Before the game would end with the visitors on top 4-1, our competitive little bundle of joy would secure a coveted hat trick (her second of the season vs. none for a certain older brother). And yet, in my mind the actual highlight of her game was a 5 on 3 penalty kill situation where the Devil held off three opponents deep in enemy territory for about 20 seconds capped with a scoring chance; something she’s seen her brother do a time or two in the past. Post game, the Devil was beaming and more than set to text her brother with her superior news. Hockey Momma would steal some of her thunder by pre-emptively notifying the Boy of his sister’s impending gloatfest. And gloat she would in quipping, “So how many goals did you score today?” as she walked back in the front door an hour later.
Cue the Boy and his team’s semi-final match on Sunday. As chance would have it, the Boy was able to match his sister’s weekend goal tally to get things started for the Colts. He wouldn’t get another, though he sure as hell tried to break a 1-1 tie at the end of the second period as he brought the puck crashing into the net, drawing the ire of his foes and a few swift shots to the back of the head. Unfortunately, he ended up with both an interference and a roughing penalty for his efforts. I questioned the latter as his only rough play involved his trying to avoid his oncoming aggressor. The good guys would break the tie in the third period, hold on for a slim 2-1 win and a spot in the tourney final against a well-known rival from their league.
However, before the Championship game arrived, we would hustle across town as the Boy and I had committed to running the game clock for the Devil’s second match of the weekend; another must win against a formidable foe. As they have been so many times this season, the Devil and her mates were equal, if not superior, to the task in skating to a 3-0 triumph and a 16-1-1 record. She would not factor into the scoring in this one, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. She knew her brother was watching, stealing the occasional glance over at the timekeepers’ booth, and she skated her butt off at both ends of the ice. The Devil did manage to get on the score sheet via a roughing penalty of her own after a little skirmish in front of her goalie. Apparently, even PIMs would be challenged this weekend.
After a quick run to a local burger joint (where the Boy responsibly had a salad, while yours truly inhaled a Banquet Burger Combo), it was back to the rink for the culmination of the weekend tournament. The Colts recently lost to the team they would be facing in the Final and are being chased by them in the league standings, so there were a few things on the line in this game. After four previous games in two days, including one each earlier on Sunday, both teams were a little sloppy, playing to a 1-1 tie late into the contest. Fortunately, the Colts would find a way to strike one more time to secure the tourney title on home ice. The Boy would have a medal to cap off his weekend.
He would also secure some bragging rights; at least for a few days. The Devil’s next game is in less than a week’s time and she may just have another trick up her sleeve (pun fully intended) to grab back some of that thunder.
As for me and Momma, this little sibling rivalry stuff is all a lot of fun to watch.
#GoColtsGo #GoSharksGo
#imahockeydad
How to Build a Backyard Icerink
Lifehacker comes through with some critical info/advice for those who luv the game.
#imahockeydad
Tis the time of year again, when we all, with best intentions, come up with a list of resolutions; those little things we admit we should or shouldn’t be doing in good conscience. It’s perhaps sad or at least regrettable that I should be able to come up with a list solely centred around my hockey parenting life; to complement a raft of other more generalized life prescriptions I should be heeding. But such is the case and so here, for better or worse, is the list of items to which I will somewhat steadfastly adhere for roughly 365 days (starting sometime early next week).
I will make a concerted effort to give referees the benefit of the doubt; particularly when it appears they obtained their credentials for passing judgment on the team I’m rooting for from the bottom of a certain sweet and tasty popcorn treat container.
I will attempt to refrain from laughing out loud when either the Devil or Boy make a particularly boneheaded play or comical faux pas. Hey…they would do the same to me if the roles were reversed.
I will resist the urge to put gravy on my arena fries. Gotta feeling this one may fall before all the others. After all, fries and gravy is like the lifeblood of Canada, eh?
I will turn off or at least place my phone on vibrate during the Devil’s and Boy’s games or at least during their shifts.
In the unlikely event I am unable to locate a previously unvisited arena in a remote rural town, I will strongly consider stopping to ask for directions.
I will try to not partake in pre or post-game tailgating festivities, which may or may not include the occasional alcoholic beverage. Yeah, you can likely file this one with the fries and gravy. What else are you gonna do for an entire hour before a game or after a particularly satisfying victory? Besides, idle chit chat about who’s not getting enough ice time or the relative merits of a particular penalty killing scheme generally require liquid accompaniment.
I will be mostly, wholly satisfied with strong efforts and good tries in lieu of first places and championship victory laps; though the latter would be gladly welcomed and thoroughly enjoyed. To this former end, I will further remind myself it’s a whole lot easier to “skate harder” and “hit the net” from my comfy vantage point up in the stands or behind the glass because the game sure changes once I slap on the gear.
Further to the last pledge, I will likewise try to not second guess coaching decisions. I should certainly know better having recently occupied a spot on the bench, but I think we’re all guilty of biased and ill-informed opinions from time-to-time. Of course, it’s been well documented that some of us are more vocal with those opinions than others and I certainly don’t plan on being “that hockey parent”. On this note, I will refrain from donning the ever-popular rose-coloured glasses worn so often by “those hockey parents”.
I will do my best to tolerate the jeers (or are those cheers) of rival hockey parents and players when those same rivals score a goal or land a particularly memorable body check on one of our Boys or ladies. I mean, surely I don’t sound like that when ours is on the right side of such occurrences. Just in case, I will endeavour to keep my post goal/victory celly’s to a reasonable level.
Finally, I can, with all confidence, promise to continue to enjoy my time spent at the rink watching the Boy and the Devil play the game they love no matter when, where or for how long that may be.
I am certain there are many of you who are making similar, if not slightly more realistic, annual decrees and I would love to hear them. There’s probably a few I should and will be adding to my scroll.
#imahockeydad