The time has finally
arrived. Many of us have been waiting for months on end. Waaay too many months.
But even now, after all the ugliness, I find myself eagerly anticipating the
whistles, the freezing hot atmosphere, and the rowdy, sometimes hostile crowds.
I can’t wait to hear the swoosh, swoosh, swoosh of steel blades on ice. That’s
right; after months of lockouts and negotiations the National Hockey League
came to terms for a new contract. This past weekend the boys hit the ice and I
find myself as excited as a kid in a candy store.
If you have followed
me for a while, or know me, then you know I absolutely love hockey. If you
follow me here then you might know the hero of my second book is a hockey
player riddled with post-concussion syndrome. I think maybe that is why I’m
super excited about this season. To many of you this will sound crazy, but I
feel closeness to my character, and having hockey back up and running is
invigorating to me. Yes, I am almost done with the book, but I believe this is
going to help me round it out in the best possible way.
I grew up in Western
New York where I fell in love with the Buffalo Sabres. Winters were long, but
the hockey season at least made it bearable. Many nights I spent in the
basement on roller skates with a hockey stick and ball. I would skate and stick handle around the legs of the pool table, around various pieces of
furniture, and break free to shoot upon a makeshift goal consisting of masking
tape in the shape of a goal on the basement wall. Ah yes, good times indeed.
So now you see my
love for hockey developed at a very young age. Throughout the years it hasn’t
faded one bit. If anything I have learned to appreciate more aspects of the
game. I have broadened my horizons and realized there are many great players in
the league, not just the ones on my favorite team. I mean how can you not
appreciate this goal? I think it may be one of the best I’ve ever seen. This is
a video of Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals…
When a slap shot
hits speeds of one hundred miles an hour. When the boards bend and buckle due
to a crushing check. When the horn blows after your favorite team scores. Those
are the things that make hockey great. Those are the things that make me come
back season after season. Those are the things that make me want to invent a
hero who is a hockey player.
Do you watch hockey? Who is your favorite team or player? Is there a
sport you played a lot when you were younger? What do you like best about it?
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