Over the weekend I had the opportunity to set up at the Stick it to Cancer tournament in Blaine, MN. For those of you who have been to the National Sports Center, it is pretty commonplace in our hockey lives; but I know first hand that watching someone see if for the first time is entertaining. Eight rinks in one complex is pretty dang impressive. As the tourney proved, the place is a Rink Rat’s dream. Give your kids a few quarters and they’ll keep themselves entertained for hours (a few at our booth).
The Stick it to Cancer tournament is a benefit event to help fight breast cancer. All of the 64 teams participating volunteer six combined hours of their time for helping run the tournament. The referees are also volunteering their time. It is an undeniably great cause and absolutely great to see so many people turn out to raise money for cancer research.
There is a theory floating around out there that I share with others (this Lets Play Hockey piece by John Hamre nails it). It might also tie into the success of this tournament as well. I’ve discussed it with other hockey players too, they all agree with me.
There is something about the hockey community that makes it feel a lot more connected than other social circles.
I was set up at a booth with Travis Baker from Blade Hockey (go check them out) and each person that we spoke with for more than three minutes we could figure out that at the very least, we knew someone who knew someone in common. I know that isn’t the greatest example, but think about the circles we plug ourselves into through the sport. Our core team, our hockey camps, our spring leagues, the coaches we know, our opponents; it is all part of the same ecosystem that keeps evolving and creating more bonds. And maybe there are other sports that do this, but I haven’t heard of too many stories that could rival hockey narratives.
Think about the connections you have made through hockey. Think of all the people that you know because you share the same love of the sport.
My Easter was spent with family and friends, as usual, and I am extremely lucky to have so many of those people in this area. But my family consists of ex-pro hockey players, a USHL player, youth hockey players, a DEL coach, an NCAA coach, high school hockey coaches, all around enthusiasts; and because of the friendships that have formed over the years through hockey, an MN Wild beat writer and another ex-pro-now-coach.
Through running Pügi's social media pages, I see the hockey community growing even faster and with a wider reach than in prior generations. There are kids with awesome Instagram accounts showing off their mitts and connecting with other hockey players from around the world, there are guys like Jeremy Rupke running websites and posting YouTube video tutorials helping coach kids and adults that want to get better and endless pick-up games formed. Let’s keep the community growing and thriving; make some buddies the next time you’re at the rink! You never know what teams they've played for, who they've coached or have been coached by or who they are related to in some form.
Maybe the reason that it is such a strong community is that we enjoy both hearing and telling those kind of stories; it becomes a sort of verbal history that we get to pass on to others. We have a culture of our own that shapes its history through goals, assists, hits, blocked shots, missing teeth, nights on the town, training, off seasons, playoffs, wins and loses.
Play hard, play fair and have fun
-Taylor
P.S. ScramBoll Eggs- the sleeper product in our lineup! They were flying off the table. The last day of the tournament, we were using our training tools in front of the booth and folks had to stop by and ask, try and then walk away with a couple. The ScramBoll Eggs work wonderfully. Instead of rolling predictably, they bounce and get away from you like a puck might when it is being battled for. They are a great tool to toss in your bag or for the driveway. Well, that is my pitch on those.