October 6, 2011; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; The Boston Bruins hoists the 2011 Stanley Cup banner before the game against the Philadelphia Flyers at TD Banknorth Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-US PRESSWIRE
Well, today is my forty-first birthday. All I want for my birthday is to get to watch the NHL. To be more accurate, bring on the BOSTON BRUINS!!! At this point, I wouldn’t care if we were last in the division. (OK, that part was a total lie.) It’s not just the hockey. It’s the moments. I want to go to the TD Garden, and watch the games with friends and family. I even enjoyed watching the game at home on my pathetic little 12″ television.
Seriously, friends and co-workers have been surprised with my conversion to the religion of hockey. I admit to having the zeal of the convert. I got to watch the 2009-2010 season just learning the ropes of hockey. I enjoyed what the Bruins brought to each game, and how hard they fought for their points. I got to see parts of the draft where we picked up Tyler Seguin. (Looks like that kid plays hockey pretty well.) I pestered friends and co-workers with a litany of questions on everything from what constituted an icing call to why certain teams wore their colors.
Don’t even get me started on how the Winnipeg Jets have a plane on their jersey that the Royal Canadian Air Force doesn’t even use.
I got to embrace the Bruins during the 2010-11 season. It was the first time since childhood I found myself routing for a team. It was the first time since childhood someone was really trying to teach my hockey. The true reflection of a teacher should be on the skills passed down to their students. My main teacher went from being a co-worker to a brother. He gave me a love for all things black-n-gold. While we may disagree on favorite players (He likes Milan Lucic, and I’m a fan of Brad Marchand), he indoctrinated me into Bruins Nation, and we cheered like sugar saturated six year olds when the Bruins won it all on June 15, 2011.
I was in college for the suspended season, and I was living in Texas the year the season was cancelled. Now, we’re facing down this monster for the third time. (and beyond all thoughts of reason or common sense, Bettman et al, are willing to put the league and the fans through this again. My guru/little brother is pretty confident that the season will be cut in half. (Of all the crappy things that happened on my birthday this year, having Kevin tell me that he expects to lose half the season, was just the rotten icing on the cake.) So, hockey Gods,(Not sure if I need to face north towards Canada or east towards Scandinavia) this humble supplicant asks that for his birthday, you intervene on behalf of the fans and somehow make this season start on time.
The Boston Bruins as 2013 Stanley Cup Champions would be even better.