You don’t miss it until it’s no longer available and that was the story of NHL hockey lockout, which wiped out the first four months of what should have been the 2012-13 season. Everyone missed hockey and were anxiously waiting for its restart.
Saturday evenings were not the same without hockey. Both my wife and I are ardent hockey fans, though she supports the Calgary Flames while I cheer for the Edmonton Oilers, a habit I acquired due to our long stay in Edmonton prior to moving to Calgary seven years ago. Whenever there’s Battle of Alberta, it was time for family feud and we would be at each other’s throat, cheering our opposing teams. At the end of the game, there would a post-mortem session.
We enjoy hockey but not the fighting that seems to be part of the hockey culture. If they want to fight, why don’t they become boxers instead of hockey players, I would say. My views aside, I don’t think anyone is going to listen to me so I’ll accept it as part of the game.
Before the lockout, my wife would usually remind me first thing in the morning about the game scheduled for the evening. Half hour before the game starts, popcorn and drinks would be kept ready to maximize the enjoyment of the game.
Coming from a place where ice hockey was unheard of, we had to cultivate interest in the game. When we first came to Canada in 1972, we watched with amusement as players, dressed like astronauts, skated on the ice and fought to put a tiny puck in the goal. Back in Tanzania, we played field hockey, cricket and soccer. So it took us awhile to appreciate and like the game, until we became ardent fans.
Saturdays without hockey were boring. It felt as if there was nothing to do. On some occasions, we would meet our friends at a neighborhood bar to enjoy the game. How do you fill that slot? Evenings without hockey meant that we would either watch a movie on TV or go to the movies at a theatre, adding additional expenses. When I was in the mood, I would even help my wife in emptying the dishwasher to kill the time. More time was also available to surf the net and send e-mails to friends that I had neglected.
I can see owner of our neighborhood bar being upset as it meant a great decline in his revenue. Hockey Night in Canada meant brisk business opportunity for bar owners and restaurants and the lockout meant a substantial loss of business.
Last Saturday, my wife was on cloud nine as she announced that there were two games for our watching pleasure. We had a marathon hockey session, watching first the game between Toronto Maple leafs and Montreal Canadiens, and later between Vancouver Canucks and Anaheim Ducks. I must say the lockout has instilled a new interest in hockey.
Even now that hockey is back, there are some disgruntled fans, who have vowed not to support the game. Among my friends, there is one who has refused to be a keen participant as before because it has left a bad taste in his mouth. A Calgary company, DIRTT Environmental Solutions is reported to be asking fellow ticket-holders to wear black bands to last Sunday’s game opener to show their indignation with the way the fans have been treated.
Another disgusted friend has vowed not to clap for the team even when they score a goal. These are some examples of how upset and disgusted some hockey fans have been due to the lockout.
The NHL is aware of the fans’ sentiments and they took out full-page ads in major newspapers in Canada and the U.S. promising better hockey season. In the ad, the NHL said: “Like you, we’ve missed NHL hockey. We’ve missed the clutch goals, the big hits, and the electrifying saves. We’ve missed the flash of red light, the sound of the siren, and the way the building shakes when the home team scores.
“It’s time to focus on the best athletes in the world, on the enduring greatness of the game, and – above all – on the connection that binds fans, players and families everywhere. NHL hockey is the best in the world. The future is incredibly bright. So let’s drop the puck and marvel at all the remarkable things the players do with it.”
Only time will tell whether hockey fans will listen to the NHL sermon; only time will tell whether they’ll forget the inconvenience and hardship that the lockout put them through. Would the principle of forget and forgive also apply to hockey? I wonder.
