For the first time in about a decade I’m really looking forward to the new NHL season.
For me, watching hockey has taken a back seat over the years to every other major sport. Even though I play hockey every Wednesday night I’ve lost interest in watching the NHL since I was a hardcore Leafs fan growing up.
Whether it was the lockout or the influx of new teams (which diluted the talent pool) or the constant clutching and grabbing or simply the Leafs being really really bad, all I knew was that I had lost that passion for watching hockey. Maybe I was just getting older and my sports watching tastes had changed, or maybe the competition for my viewership from the other sports was just too great.
But this year is different.
As I was channel surfing last night I caught a bit of an NHL preseason game and I couldn’t help but get excited about the upcoming season. But why? What is so different about this year? After some head scratching, I came up with the following reasons.
Vancouver Olympics
It’s not difficult to get excited about Olympic hockey. But that excitement reached new heights for me with the games hosted on our soil and Canada instilled as the favourites. I didn’t miss one game Canada played and it was a great showcase for all the super-talented players, many of whom made the playoffs. In fact, the Sharks/Hawks playoff series featured an astonishing 14 Olympians. The Olympics really helped restore my interest in watching hockey and that enthusiasm trickled down to the NHL level.
Chicago Blackhawks
I adopted the Blackhawks as “my team” right from the start of the playoffs and as a result I really enjoyed the playoffs and watched a ton of hockey. Initially I was pulling for the Hawks because I saw a lot of Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith at the Olympics. But as the playoffs wore on it started to look like they actually had a shot at winning. So then I started pulling for them to finally end that 49-year-old drought.
The Product Has Improved
The Olympics, the Blackhawks and an exciting playoffs contributed to me watching more hockey than I had in a long time. And the result of watching all those games: I noticed the product on the ice today is really good. The skill players are fun to watch and the flow of the game is much better now that it’s been in years past. I’m not sure if goals scored are trending up but to me it seems they are. And lots of goals makes for a more exciting game.
The Raptors Are Going to Suck
Each year the Raptors have been in Toronto my interest in the Leafs (and in hockey in general) has decreased. I once subscribed to my dad’s philosophy on basketball where you spot each team 100 points and play out the final 30 seconds. But that all changed when the NBA came to Canada and now I’m a huge fan. Every year since the Raps moved to the ACC they’ve had a superstar and a good chance to the make the playoffs. Until now. The hype and talent are gone for this season. Unless they get off to a good start, I can’t see myself watching too many games this season.
Overall, last year was just a good year for hockey. I know this season can’t possibly match the excitement of last year. But I’ll be watching regularly anyway for the first time in a long time. And I’m excited about it.