The NHL has really shot themselves in the foot. In a recent poll 52% of Canadians don’t care anymore about the lockout. Now to put that into perspective, if it truely was half of all Canadians, that would only account for 5% of all Americans. I suspect the fan base is actually larger than that but let’s look at their alternatives: In hockey crazy Minnesota, they have the NFL and NBA to suck the void. More importantly in Tampa Bay, where just before the last lock out they won the Cup, they not only live in a market that doesn’t care about hockey, they have NFL and NFL calibre college football teams. It ‘s time to get out of Dodge…along with Dallas, Tampa, Florida, San Jose and anywhere else hockey ranks below bowling. Even L.A. has to be considered keeping in mind they are the reigning Stanley Cup Champion.
So where is hockey?
The World Junior Hockey Championships start on Dec 26 in Eastern Russia. All junior leagues carry on. All midget aged leagues play and below are showing up for practices and games.
Case in point: South West Zone Oil Kings Team 530 & 532 are playing a fun 4 on 4 game at Kinsmen Arena. Nearly every kid showed up on this blowing snow -30C night. Its fun. A lot of the boys know each otheri from previous seasons. Score doesn’t matter.
This is the real hockey night in Canada. Such an iconic brand in Canada, I suspect the vast majority of Canadians can identify it. Yet it represents professional hockey. Its time we took it back.
Hockey Night in Canada is about the novice game at Glengarry Arena in Edmonton as it is about the bantam tilt in Brandon’s Keystone Centre or Salmon Arm’s Memorial Arena.
This is the real Hockey Night in Canada and it is about the game and most importantly it is about the kids.
Reporting from the Kinsmen Twin Arenas in South Edmonton…
Posted from WordPress for Android
Blazin' Guns 