Living and Breathing...HOCKEY

We live and breathe hockey here in the UP of Michigan. We are much closer to Canada in the way we regard hockey than most--if not all--of the other states. For example: C is talking about putting their boy in hockey this year--he just turned two! Just to warn my readers: I WILL be talking hockey A LOT this year.

Our town is, once again, going to be home to a Junior 'A' hockey team--they will start their season (at home) on 23 September. I hope to attend many games. Junior 'A' hockey is for players in high school through 20 years old--this is a way for them to improve their skills before going onto college or pro teams. It is a very big deal that we have a team of this caliber here--this is a great opportunity for local players (of sufficient talent) to be able to stay closer to home and play at this level. I'm really hoping they will have the amount of support (mainly financial) needed to keep them here for a long, long time.

The local university plays the university from our 'home town' every year for a series of games. This year it looks as if we will be able to attend--K's work schedule is cooperating. K's sister and niece--who works for the 'up-north' university--come into town to attend the game and we go together and work out our friendly rivalry. Of course, I'm a bit conflicted: original home-town team versus present home-town team--I just go to watch good hockey, which it usually is.

I don't know if we will be able to attend any Red Wings games this year--they ARE awfully expensive and we would have to travel almost 500 miles to get to a game. It actually is closer for us to go to St. Paul when the Wings play the Wild. Pretty sad. I still am bummed out to think the Wings will be in the same arena we will be seeing Clapton play--playing a pre-season game--just three days after we are there. Damn! Oh, well.

Specially for RT: Sorry I won't be able to lord it over you when the Wings beat the Flyers, but they just aren't playing in the same conference--DAMN! You KNOW the Wings would mop up the ice with the Flyers! (And don't think for a second I haven't noticed you stalking me across the blogosphere trying to start trouble! ;) Go WINGS!)