Changing Face of the Game

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Hockey Canada is considering a few adjustments to minor hockey to curb recent drops in registration.  Enhancing non-contact leagues appears to be at the top of the list in light of recent concerns around concussions and other injuries.  The NHL, for its part, isn’t setting the best example.  Hockey purists will no doubt claim the sport is just fine the way it is, but hockey does need to react to threats from other sports, video games and rising costs to name a few. Every sport, for that matter, has to grow and evolve in the face of challenges to its popularity.  I appreciate a good hockey hit as much as the next guy, yet you need look no further than women’s hockey to see a high level of skill and really entertaining hockey without head hits, hits from behind and the other bad sides of what can be a pretty violent game at times.  Maybe it is time to take a harder look at non-contact options to get more kids playing and staying in hockey.

Summer’s Been Nice, but Startin to Get The Itch

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Sometimes at night I can hear the ice crack
It sounds like thunder and it rips through my back
Sometimes in the morning I still hear the sound
Ice meets metal…
Can’t you drive me down to the Big League? 

Tom Cochrane

Midway through Summer and basking in a heat wave; a far cry from an icy cold rink in February.  It’s been a while since there’s been any real hockey talk, but it’s never too far from our minds.  Some kids continue with 3-on-3 leagues, Summer hockey camps or hockey-specific conditioning as the Boy and Devil have both done in the past.  I personally feel it’s important to get away from it for a couple of months and to develop rounded athletes in multiple sports.

We’ve been offering optional dryland training once a week for the girls on my team this upcoming season. Our trainer has done a great job of mixing team building in with the exercise. Attendance has been pretty good from week to week with only a few who haven’t been able to get out because of commitments they have in other sports from baseball to soccer to ball hockey.  And that’s just fine by me.  There’ll be plenty of on and off-ice conditioning once this team is fully assembled.

While there have been no hockey practices or games played, there has been plenty of admin in anticipation of the season ahead.  A bank account has been opened, rosters have been created, on-ice plans have been drafted.  The other night, hockey mom and I got together with a group of parents to discuss fundraising to offset some of our costs next year.  One tournament has already been booked for September, another is earmarked for November.  We have our eyes pealed for a few more to round out the schedule around practices, league games and playoffs.  Next week I’ll sit down with my coaching staff to get their input on how we, as a group of four 40+ men, will work together to develop the individual and team skills of a bunch of undoubtedly temperamental 13 and 14 year old girls.  Say a small prayer to the hockey gods on that front for us.

The practices and games will be upon us before we know it.  It’s likely no surprise that I’m itching to get going. Though they’re older, with other interests and priorities, I’m pretty sure the Boy and the Devil could use a wee scratch too.  Keeping us all away from a rink for a couple months serves to stoke the flames of competition; it’s good to miss the game; to want to get back to it again.  A new season will bring new challenges, new teammates, new friendships along with some victories and hopefully fewer defeats. Regardless, it’s all good when the Zamboni door closes after its final round inviting the quick clamour of skates, sticks and pucks just ahead of whistles and cheers.  I don’t have to be there to see,  hear or feel it in my mind’s eye, but there’s nothing quite like the real thing.

 

#imahockeydad

Sometimes the Hockey is Pleasantly Secondary

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This past weekend was a great example of how hockey can be an excellent backdrop and excuse to simply get away to have some fun.  Our family spent the weekend in Niagara Falls where the Boy took part in a Summer tournament. Where else would you expect me to spend Father’s Day?  You naturally go into any tournament wanting to win, but the emphasis in this case, as it should be in the majority of situations, was on having fun – both for the Boys and their families in tow.

Upon dropping our Boy off at the front door of the first arena on Friday afternoon, we made our way to the back of the parking lot to join several other hockey moms and dads in some Summer hockey tail-gating.  As I scanned the parking lot I could see pop-up trailers, RVs, bbq-flavoured smoke rising from well-prepared grills and multi-colored, ice-filled coolers.  The general rule is to arrive one-hour before game-time, which leaves plenty of time to pop open the back door of the van, turn on some music, sit back in a lawn chair, sip a cold beverage and wonder what the unfortunate working people are doing.  It was almost difficult to rise up and head to the rink to watch the game as puck-drop drew near.  And such would be the case over the next few days as the temperatures rose and the beverages seemingly got colder or at least certainly more refreshing.

The rest of the weekend included a surprisingly efficient and affordable team dinner, a customary trip to see one of the Wonders of the World, a pre-game round for a few fathers including yours truly on a phenomenal golf course, purposely missed late-night curfews and two white-knuckled walks for me and the Devil thru a couple of Niagara Falls’ finest haunted houses. I’m confident the feeling should come back to my over-gripped hand any day now.

And oh yeah, there was a little hockey mixed in there too.  The hockey portion of the weekend saw the Boys play to a 1-1-1 round robin record putting them firmly in 5th place entering the playoff round.  All of the games were close and they could have just as easily been 3-0.  They would fall 3-1 in their first playoff game, which relegated them to battle it out for 7th, which they were able to secure with a 4-0 victory to end on a high note. It may have just been me, but it seemed the fun had outside the rink found its way onto the ice – win or lose.

The original plan in putting this team together was to enter two tournaments, with Niagara being the second. But at the end of day two Boys and parents alike were talking about looking for a third opportunity to hang out and maybe play/watch some hockey.  And to be clear, a few more wins than losses will certainly be welcomed. For some this will perhaps become more of a priority as the real season draws near.  I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in hoping the fun stays the primary focus.

#imahockeydad