NHL LOCKOUT: Day 101 – Something to be thankful for.

It took me a few minutes to put that title up and not have the urge to wipe it clean off. IT is correct though. We as Bruins fans have several things to be thankful for this holiday season. We should be thankful that a majority of the Bruins players are heading back to Boston after playing in the various European leagues during this phase of the lockout. Maybe all this movement means Jeremy Jacobs has been schemeing all along to give us hockey and himself some form of nefarious advantage. (Let’s face it. All the scheming Jacobs has done so far, one more evil card up his sleeve would not be so surprising.)

We can be thankful that none of the Bruins suffered any injury greater than a broken finger while in Europe. If we get our squad on the ice, at least they will be a healthy squad.  We can all be pleased that Adam McQuaid’s surgery went as well as it did, and he’ll be able to be back on the ice in another six weeks. I’ve had two strokes, and I know how serious a blood clot can be. I’m personally glad to see the ‘Mullet Man’ healthy and working his way back to the ice. Loochy Looch and the Punchy Bunch (Lucic, Thornton, Campbell, and Marchand) will be missing him when we get back on the ice.

We can be extremly thankful that the players told the league that they are willing to decertify the union, but not make any official moves until the start of the new year. The owners should see this as a blessing from the hockey gods and use that gift to sit down with the union(as it remains at the moment) and hammer out that compromise that they were so close to achieving two weeks ago. One could only hope that the power block of the highly profitable teams (Toronto, Chicago, Montreal, and the Rangers) can get others to realize that the stakes have never been higher, and even a half season will save a few of them from recievership, another move, or possible dissolution.

Personally, I’m thankful for the amazing opportunity I got to work here six months ago. An admitted hockey novice, I jumped at the chance to offer my way over educated in all things but hockey opinion with the rest of the hockey universe. I’ll admit it was a humbling expierence. A lot of decent people (and a few [CENSORED] [CENSORED]) helped shape and correct my writing style and how I presented hockey information. I’ve come a long way, and I know there is still so much more for me to learn. I’m very grateful for getting to take these first few steps.

I’m grateful the World Juniors start tomorrow. I won’t get to watch them live, but I’ll get to see Team USA(and Team Canada) do their best to push for dominance against some of the best young players on the planet. Finally, I’m grateful for you reading this.