As I type this out we are only a few weeks away from the first games of a new season with the majority of Elite League teams taking on exhibition games in the lead up to the first day of competition, for some fans your even closer to competitive games in the form of the CHL.
With the start of a new season approaching my partner has to say goodbye to off season Marty and hello to 8 months of the other guy. My partner likens our lives to the movie Fever Pitch (aka The Perfect Catch for U.K. Readers) if your not familiar with the movie it goes like this.
Girl meets guy, girl finds out guy is obsessed with the Red Sox, his obsession takes over their lives, (spoilers) guy makes grand gesture forsaking his beloved Red Sox, girl doesn’t let him and they live happily ever after.
So how is this similar to our lives? Well for one just like the movie there is two different versions of us, off season and season. We find ways to fill our empty weekends until our lives return to normal filled with pulse racing hockey.
Again just like the movie we have our own little beliefs and ritual come the start of the season, for me I HAVE to wear my season 1 replica jersey on opening night, I HAVE to be in my seat at least 20min before the start of the game. If I don’t do these things will the Giants lose, probably not but it’s something that has become so ingrained in me that I have to keep doing it every year.
Fixtures lists go live and we pour over the possibilities, will the season be heavy with difficult games come the end of the season? What double headers will we get and more importantly what away games are possible?
My last comparison to the movie and this is one that I find all the time; people outside of the hockey world don’t get that for some people the return to the season means more than just the game, it’s catching up with old friends that you only see during the hockey season and once again starting that journey through another season that will bring you massive highs and just as many low points.
For me I can’t wait until that puck drops at the first game of the season and I don’t have long to wait.
Can you?
Marty
