DON'T GIVE HOCKEY THE BIG CHILL
By Rex Hickey, Sr.

Sometimes we need to put our opinions on ice.........literally.
A few years ago, in one of my incarnations as a newspaper columnist, I pontificated on what I saw as the anti-sport of the athletic world, professional hockey. It is with great humility that I offer my sincere apology to the orthodox hockey faithful for the error of my ways. Besides, I am getting way too old to take a full speed body check into the egg cooler anytime soon compliments of an upset fan of the game.
Having the opportunity last season to purchase a half season of NHL CenterIce, I rediscovered a part of me that loved hockey as a kid. Living in Arkansas at the time, it was almost impossible to find an ice rink in the semi-desolate area that surrounded the Air Force base where my dad was stationed. Since we had only three channels and an indoor VHF antenna, hockey games were few and far between and beckoned my gaze whenever they were on. Although games were indeed scarce, kids in the neighborhood dreamed of speeding toothless down a fresh sheet of ice.
Our hockey dreams could only be fueled following a hard freeze or snow storm that transformed shallow puddles of water into tiny sheets of ice where we hit smaller chunks of ice or a crushed pop can into a bucket guarded by the kid who couldn't find a stick to play with. There were no pads, no nets, and no way of knowing when the ice would give way if the big kids in the neighborhood showed up.
Our 'skates' were slick bottomed Chuck Taylor Converse or dress shoes that we dug out of the closet for the purpose of playing hockey that day at the back of the trailer park or at school during recess. Our hockey games were never interrupted by brawls in part because we took turns falling on the ice and struggling to get back up, and because our ice sheets barely provided enough room to change our minds much less deliver a right cross. Any blood shed was purely accidental and it was generally accepted that a crushed can to the groin or a bent twig between the eyes was just part of the game.
For a period of time I remember owning several sweat shirts emblazoned with NHL logos wearing them until they were either thread bare or way too small for a kid to be wearing. The Blackhawks, Bruins, Rangers, and Flyers were among my favorites.
There was a period of time a few years ago where thugs ruled the ice in the NHL delivering cheap shots to helpless opponents and drawing hoots and cheers from audiences that had grown accustomed to their antics.
That period drove me away from watching many games that were televised, but I still kept up with the scores and standings whenever I could find the information. In recent years, the league has become aggressive in cutting down on the majority of cheap shots, increasing financial penalties imposed on players, and revamping many of the rules that once slowed down the game. Some hockey fight fans miss the scraps on every other faceoff, but I think they are coming around to a less violent league as an infusion of excitement has drawn new fans to the beloved game.
There will be never be an NHL without a scrape now and then, and as I have learned more about the game, I wouldn't expect the league to be able to eliminate all misunderstandings between players. Too many times last season, I realized that most of the fights that I saw were precipitated at least in good measure by a player trying to take up for a team member, or frustrated by pokes and jabs of an opponent unseen by the officiating crew.
Although I am not prone to, nor supportive of violence, I am convinced that in most of the situations that fisticuffs broke out, I would have either been in the middle of it voicing my opinion or taking a swing or two myself in the same situation. Since the majority of hockey stars are now at least the size of a large NFL defensive back, it would have been to my benefit to have had the ice handy when I needed it to reduce swelling.
As this season opened, I was ecstatic that the long wait through summer was finally over and I could watch an entire season this year despite the objections of my family who have their own unique television viewing habits. Thus far, I haven't been disappointed as the games are just as quick, the scoring sometimes is great from both teams, and the occasional 'discussions' between players are still under control.
There are very few teams in the NHL that I don't care for, there are many that I have a ravenous appetite to watch, but, my favorite team is still the Boston Bruins one of the original six teams that played when the NHL began.
Throughout their storied history, the Bruins have seen great players come and go, flirted with or won many championships, and kept fans in Beantown and around the country following the team on their quest for Lord Stanley's Cup (for you non-hockey fans, the cup is not a protective device, it is a large trophy that has been passed down through the generations of great NHL stars).
I have learned by reading tons of stuff on the Internet and other sources, that today's hockey players are among the best athletes in the world. Skating at speeds of 50 or 60 miles per hour, hitting a frozen piece of hard rubber that accelerates to 80 or 90 miles per hour, and staying on their feet despite being slammed into dasher boards and plexiglass panels impresses me.
As a renewed fan, I can now look forward to catching as many games as I can before the cup chase ends this Spring, just in time for Arena Football to start.

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