Hockey Night

I love Saturday nights. On Saturday nights, even from Seattle, I feel connected to home. Why? Because Saturday night is Hockey Night in Canada!

The CBC shows a double-header each weekend during hockey season, hosted by Ron McLean, with the pre-game show starting at 3:30pm on the West Coast and games running on to the post-game ends around 10pm. It's a lot of fun to watch the games. I get together with my brother and we cheer on the Maple Leafs (who are fortunate enough to get on many weekends), and depending on who else is playing, we may be at odds. Still - it's a fun night that I look forward to each week.

On Hockey Night, I feel connected to my adopted Canada. I know all over that country to the north that many folks are gathered, just like me and my brother to watch and cheer. We hope Matts scores, we hope Ty wins whatever fight he gets into, we scream at Eddie to "STAY IN THE NET!"

Hockey is an amazing sport. The greatest sport, if you ask me. I can skate, barely, and when you know how difficult simply skating can be, then you really appreciate hockey for what it is. These players are moving at 15-20mph (convert that into kilometers if you must), keeping a small frozen disc moving between them , getting hit, stopping and turning on a dime, and trying to place it within one of five holes that the goalie may or may not make available.

In the "new" NHL, it's fast and it's fluid and it all adds up to equal a blast to watch.

One day I'll enjoy a game at the ACC. But that'll be , like I have learned to say about the Leaf's playoff hopes - next year...

(p.s. The Leafs won tonight!)