HabsCast Hockey Blog

Photo taken by Cindy Naimer

Well I must admit, over the past month it has been difficult for me to watch an entire hockey without any distractions. With school, work, being sick, more work, and more school, I haven’t been able to follow the Montreal Canadiens or hockey, for that matter, as much as my heart desires. It’s rough not being able to enjoy something that you love. For me, hockey has always been a part of my life; however, what got me forever entangled with the game was the Montreal Canadiens’ 24th Stanley Cup in 1993. From that day forth my allegiance forever lied with Les Habitants.

The game of hockey is an art in itself and is questionably one of the most physically intense games on the planet. Even when I played house league as a youngster, the game was intense. The fierce competition and passion that the game offers is what I love about it the most. When players step on to the playing surface, it doesn’t matter whether they are 5’6 or 6’7, they are out there to cause as much damage onto their opponent as possible, whether it is by scoring goals, delivering hits, or getting into fights. Players protect their teammates no matter how big the foe and when it comes to the goalie, players make sure opponents don’t come within a meter of him. This is what hockey is truly about; teamwork. In order for a team to win and be successful, everyone must be on the same page and must hold the same attitudes as their teammates; otherwise, winning will turn into a lost cause.

The NHL today seems to be lacking some of these characteristics these days. It seems that at times, players put more emphasis on money then they do winning. In the NHL of yesteryear, players played hockey for the love of it and not for its monetary gains. The game was an institute more than a business. Nowadays the same cannot be said. Players seem to be more fragile, greedy, and conceited then ever before. However, there are times when players get caught up in the frenzy and play hockey the way it should be played.

Saturday night’s game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs offered the kind of excitement and intensity that I have for so long missed. The game offered everything. Big hits in the corners, beautiful goals, fights, blood, big saves, overtime, and yes the shootout. More than that, the game offered a tension that could be snapped with the slightest touch. You could see it in the players’ eyes. Eyes like Mike Komisarek’s who gives it his all every night and slams his opponent into the boards every opportunity he gets. Eyes like Saku Koivu’s whose main concern is giving his team the boost they need in order to win the game, no matter what the price. Eyes like Francis Bouillon’s and Steve Begin’s, who both will sacrifice their bodies and repeatedly do it again no matter how much pain they are in. Even eyes like Alex Kovalev’s, who’s obviously not 100% after suffering from an elbow injury and who has been recently diagnosed with vertigo, the same condition that made former Canadien Jeff Hackett retire. The list can go on and on from Jaroslav Halak to Andrei Kostitsyn. Moreover, I’m also a believer in giving credit where credit is due. The Maple Leafs deserve credit in their loss Saturday night. Nobody can disagree that they played their hearts out. For one, Darcy Tucker is a player that I love to hate but he is the definition of a team player. This guy will do anything for his team in order for it to succeed, and as much as I hate him I have to tip my hat to him for that. I despise the Toronto Maple Leafs, however, I am proud to have them as a rival of the Montreal Canadiens.

Being at Saturday night’s game reminded me of what it’s all about. The level of excitement at the Bell Centre was immeasurable. Even though there was a majority of Montreal fans in the building the Toronto aficionados made their presence felt. There was fierce competition taking place on the ice and in the audience as well, for I saw and heard numerous frenzied exchanges between fans.

Over the last month, I forgot what hockey meant to me and being at the Bell Centre allowed me to reflect on the game that I love. As I gazed at the rafters of the Bell Centre, with all the Stanley Cup banners, the great players that once dawned the jersey of the CH, and yes, even the Expos banner in the corner, I realized what this city and this sport is all about. More importantly, I realized that hockey isn’t just a game, but a passion, which is shared by 21,273 fans and many, many more.

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