Team Blade had a big win last night in our first Tuesday Night C-Division Men’s League game of the season. 5-0 with some pretty nifty goals for the boys. The semi-primetime game at the Schwan Super Rink in Blaine, Minn. was attended by zero fans, but that is beside the fact. Two goalies on either end and a few extras on the bench can still prove for a good game.
After playing junior hockey, I really didn’t think that I would lace ‘em up again competitively. I wasn’t planning on it, but wound up having a defense coach take a chance on me at D-3 school pretty last minute.
After my short college stint, I knew that that would be the end of my competitive “career”. I knew there wasn’t a next step for me. But that really isn’t the reason we play the game.
We play the game because we love it.
That’s why on any given weeknight at the rink I play at there can be 15 guys on a men’s league team showing up to play some hockey, despite it being 10:30PM on a Tuesday and everyone still having to get up for work early the next day. It’s the reason why the park rinks can get almost too packed in the winter to even make a move without running someone over, but you still keep playing.
There was a great article in City Pages a little while back that discussed the culture of hockey and the want of players to move through the ranks as quick as possible. It isn't a bad thing to want to move up, that is a huge reason why hockey is so competitive. One question that really stuck out to me in the article was posed by an ex-NHLer and now agent, Neil Sheehy. He asks each one of the younger clients that he councils this question.
Why do you play hockey?
Players usually think it is a trick and he has to assure them that it is a very basic question with a simple answer. He is looking for players who 1) love hockey and 2) love hockey because it is fun.
I’ve lost about two steps to my game. My buddy on the way home last night after our game said that it looks like I still think I can fly on the ice. I’m still a decent skater, but I know my hands get me into trouble because my feet can’t keep up anymore.
I loved my time playing competitively and it felt great moving through the ranks even when it was uncertain. But it is still just as fun for me to play once a week in a summer men’s league. It is still great to play pickup hockey at the park with a few buddies and some people you just met. It is fun being able to step on the ice and get better (even if my feet don't keep up the same way anymore). So why do you play? And if it isn’t for the love of the game, what are you playing for?
Play hard, play fair and have fun
-Taylor
Zurowski, Cory. "Game Misconduct: The Assault on the State of Hockey." Weblog post. CityPages. N.p., 21 Jan. 2015. Web.