Day 100: For The Love of Hockey

If there is one thing I love, it is hockey. I may not know the rules, or the calls, or what’s what, but I still love it. As a rural Manitoban it would only seem natural and fitting that I would too. As a farm girl our ponds and dugouts turned into skating rinks, and hockey was the game of choice. Even when summer came and the snow melted there was always air hockey, street hockey…or basement hockey. It is part of my DNA. It is a sport that requires team spirit and camaraderie, and when you watch your team play live…a sense of loyalty and belonging to something bigger than yourself. Hockey, at least in small towns, has always been a sport that brought people together. And now that I have moved on from small town to the big city, the rules haven’t changed either… only the size of the crowd.

Now, I must be honest here, and please don’t hurt me for it…I haven’t always been a Canucks fan. Blasphemous I know! Actually, until four days ago I have NEVER even seen an NHL game before – not on TV nor live. So in all fairness, I just wasn’t familiar with them.

Are you still reading? LOL

I figure though, that if I am going to live and stay in this city, then I might want to join in the community and be a part of it. If I want to belong, then belong to something. The desire for belonging and community has sparked some interest in wanting to join a sports team actually, but for now due to time constraints I figured I would just jump on the Canuck bandwagon instead. Finally…it’s about time! Over three years I have been here already, I think I am a little overdue.

Tonight is a pretty fantastical special kind of day in Vancouver hockey history though. For the first time in 17 years, the Canucks just clinched the final goal in a double overtime against the San Jose Sharks and made it into the Stanley Cup Finals. This hasn’t happened since 1994 when I was 14 years old. And what makes this day even more remarkable is that back in 1994 the date was May 24^th. What day is today? May 24^th. History repeats itself yet again.

The energy in downtown Vancouver is unreal tonight too. The city has come alive, much like it did when we won the Olympic gold medal for the men’s hockey last year. Here, have a listen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFYvJill7yw

That was taken just before the BIG crowd came in. NOW the sound is deafening even with all the windows closed, and like most Canuck win nights, will probably be this way until at least two or three in the morning. I don’t mind too much though. It is good to see a city I usually perceive as kind of cold come together as one and celebrate together, even if it is for one night.

So for all you fellow Vancouver Canucks fans out there, this one is for you...

GO CANUCKS GO!!

By the way, how cool is it that I made it to Day 100 eh? Even I am impressed! Not too shabby if I do say so myself.