With the NHL continuing to alienate fans and sponsors at a rate not seen since the Foxtrax puck, I’ve taken to finding other ways to amuse myself recently. There remains an entire world of sport out there, and that world even includes hockey! Let’s take a look.
NHL Fans
Yes, NHL fans, you amuse me. Your desperation amuses me. Your “cautious optimism” regarding the players and owners meeting without Bettman and Fehr amused me, too. Let’s be clear here: every time you send a rage tweet @NHL or @NHLPA you are sending the message loud and clear that you’ll be back. That makes you part of the problem. The NHL doesn’t fear its fans because its fans have given them nothing to fear. You know what would make the league perk up and take notice? Silence. We’re in this position right now because everyone involved knows they can get away with it. If you really want to help, be quiet. A lack of attention is the only thing these corporate scumbags will understand. “Oh wait,” they’ll say, “those people who used to care enough to beg and plead with us to bring the game back are now eerily quiet.” I seem to have trouble taking my own advice, but that is not the point!
(More after the jump).
Soccer
The MLS season is over, but the beautiful game is a year-round affair. Don’t have a Premier League team? Sure, you could do some research on the league, or pay to watch Sportsnet World for a season or two, but why should when you have this handy guide to picking one! If you prefer to keep a more local focus, the Vancouver Whitecaps first team is done for the year, but the residency teams are playing through the winter. This Sunday, at South Surrey Athletic Park, the Whitecaps U18s (11:00am) and U16s (1:30pm) are taking on the Portland Timbers. I understand the Caps have been promoting the game heavily with local soccer clubs, so there should be a decent turnout if the weather cooperates. For our more cerebral readers, you can follow MLS trade, transfer and draft news and see if you can come up with a working model of how Major League Soccer’s ridiculous rule book actually works.
EHC Wolfsburg Grizzly Adams
These lovable orange losers are amusing not for the quality of hockey they’ve been playing of late, but rather because they clearly demonstrate my chronic inability to pick a winner in any sport. Part of it is my refusal to be “that guy” who’s a big Yankees, Lakers, Patriots and Manchester United fan, but come ON. When I picked the Grizzly Adams(es?) as my “lockout team”, I was going mostly off of their wicked orange jerseys and hilarious name. I soon discovered that the team wasn’t half bad. They finished 3rd overall in the regular season last year, 1st the year before, losing in the championship series. So what do they do this year?
(Insert loud farting noise.)
In mid-November, Wolfsburg were on the outside of the playoff picture, but still well within striking distance. Many of their upcoming games were against teams they were chasing. What do they do? Go on a 5-game losing skid, only recently snapped with victories over Augsburg and Iserlohn. The orange and black now sit 11 points out of a playoff spot, second-last in the league at the midpoint of the season.
The Abbotsford Heat
I know, I know, it’s the Flames’ farm team. Seriously, though, this is great hockey, at a great price, in our backyard, and they’re actually playing hockey games! The Heat, despite a recent slump during which they’ve lost 4 out of 5 games, sit atop the AHL’s Western Conference. They play in a great building, it’s easy to get to with the new Port Mann Bridge open and they’ll occasionally even let you buy a ticket for your dog! (As you can see in this picture, there’s almost certainly a ticket available — for you, anyway, you’ll have to ask about Fido.) On December 14 and 15, the Heat play back-to-back against the Texas Stars.
Buy a ticket for the Friday night game (teddy bear toss night!) and you get a ticket to the Saturday night game for free. Pucked in the Head is heading out that way for the second leg. Look for our game report shortly after.