It's the Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!

It's been 169 long days since the end of last hockey season, (Actually 107, but Since my Vancouver Cannots didn't make the playoffs for me and my fellow Canuckleheads it's been 2 months longer!) and finally after all that waiting, the puck finally dropped! I was as excited as an 18 yr old on prom night when the Toronto Make-beLeafs took on the Sens to kick off a double header on TSN. Tie Domi made his broadcast premier but I don't know if Belinda Stronach was there or not. The Leafs started this year the way they ended last year, poorly. I don't care though! The real season starts tonight when my 'retooled' Cannots face the Red Wings. It will be the first game for new Canuck Goalie (saviour) Roberto (I can speak 3 languages) Luongo. He better be good or the Canucks Won't be.

In other news the guy who owns Research In Motion (RIM) has purchased the Pittsburgh Penguins and intends to move them to either Hamilton or Kitchener/Waterloo...Huh? I can understand Hamilton since anything good will be gobbled up by the masses there since there is certainly nothing else to do. Kitchener/Waterloo though? That makes no sense. I think the guy would be better off moving the team to Winnipeg. The City has a world class facility and even Wayne Gretzky thinks they deserve/can support a team now. Unfortunately I am pretty sure the league doesn't want any more Canadian teams since they sell so poorly in the US.

I love hockey. If I could I'd marry it. I have one tattoo and it is a hockey tattoo, though I plan to get more once I figure out what I want, but that's a blog for another day. The bottom line is Hockey in all forms is great. I love the NHL on TV since it is the best league on Earth. I enjoy seeing AHL hockey to see the prospects coming up (and also because there is a franchise downtown). I enjoy Junior Hockey for the intensity and the fact that these kids aren't primadonnas yet. I like watching Women's international hockey for the finesse and speed, (and there are a couple of hockey babes even though Cassie Campbell has retired). Finally I love minor hockey for the chance to coach and not only help develop a player, but the chance to develop a person also. I am finally going back into coaching for the first time since the 98/99 season and I look forward to the challenge and all that goes with it. Early mornings, the stench of hockey gear, cold rinks and fresh ice...I can't wait.

Well it's time to go dig out my skates and whistle. For those of you that have seen me skate, the whistle also comes in handy for getting help once I fall and can't get up. Until tomorrow remember, no Payne, no gain!