Feb
9
– Hockey Fan or Not?
Ok, let’s start at the beginning.
I’m a hockey fan. Being born in Canada essentially makes it a crime not to be. I was raised in Southern California and although there is not enough snow and ice for pick-up games in the neighborhood during the winter, hockey games were always a part of my childhood.
As a young kid I rooted for whatever team Gretzky was on. I have memories of meeting him as a young girl on a plane home to Edmonton which was the highlight of my young life (more on that later). He was my god, my first crush. Oh, the joy I had when he was traded to the Kings. Gretzky in MY city! He must want to live closer to me! I cried when I discovered he was married (who knows what rock I was under when he did get married… had the whole country of Canada on the edge of their seats). Little girls shouldn’t have such devastating heartbreak… but I digress.
I supported the Kings until they traded Gretzky to the the Blues, and fell out of watching the game, for the most part, when he went on to the Rangers. When I relocated to Pennsylvania in 1998 I wanted to see him play in New York, but never made it to the city before he retired…
It was at this point that I realized it’s difficult to support one player in the league, between the trades and business deals I figured there wouldn’t be a player that would last in any one club long enough for my liking. I settled back into supporting my hometown team. The Oilers. No matter what. They’ve had ups and downs over the years, but I keep in the loop on their progress through the season (thanks to my father who will check the stats after every game and we’ll sit and discuss the team over dinner whenever possible). I’m always proud of the team and the support from the city of Edmonton. I relish my summers visiting my family listening to the community, radio & TV discuss the team even when all the snow and ice has melted.
Locals here don’t typically get hockey. All of my friends are baseball fanatics. They’re crazy… IT’S SO DAMN BORING. But to each his/her own. I read their opinions on the games, listen to them discuss stats & watch games while secretly wishing it was hockey… because that’s what friends do.
I have been a huge supporter of the local ECHL team that debuted here last season. It’s been great to see more people discover the fun in hockey by watching young passionate players at a fraction of the price of seeing games at the Staples and Honda Centers. I’ve been organizing groups of people to see the game live and in person and more and more of my friends are interested in the game because of it. I’ve done my part.
I am a fan. By my own definition. I cheer on for my team when they aren’t doing well and I celebrate when they succeed. Year after year. Now don’t get me wrong, when they play themselves out of playoff contention, it happens more often than not, I’ll pick runners up to cheer on (ahem *Pens*) because not having a team to cheer for during the playoffs is lame.
I may not write about it often, it is not the principle reason for my blog or my twitter feed, nor does it consume all of my spare time, but I am a hockey girl through and through.
