Wacky Wednesday. . . Kim Loves HOCKEY

Okay so not having any brothers and being a klutz, prior to my marriage my sports knowledge was very limited to say the least.  However, since I joined his life Karst has taken me under his wing and shared much of his knowledge with me, shared the world of Jim Rome, and answered my countless, endless questions.  I am proud to say that I can sit and watch a football, basketball, or baseball game and understand what is going on and why.  This for me is HUGE.

So here in Utah, we have a ECHL team the Grizzlies which is affiliated with the New Yorker Islanders and NHL team.  So, we have "minor league" hockey here.  About 5 years ago I went to a hockey game, I am sure someone had tickets and invited us.  Little did I know what I was in for.

I was amazed at the speed of the players, flying around with sticks with gloves, chasing a small puck that is flying, players going over the wall like nothing  and they were on skates.  I thought now this, this is true talent, this athletics at its best. So there started my love with hockey.

I try to catch a Grizzly game at least once a year.  And no it is not about the fights, the fights take away from the game.  But I have to say that it is nice to know when a punch needs to be thrown, it will happen.  The first time I saw them through their gloves off and the refs stepped back and they went at it, I was even more intrigued.  I love that they are not blowing the whistle every 30 seconds for an elbow, they don't stop the game when players come on and off the ice they just jump over the wall.  The game could go for 5 minutes with out the officials stopping it.  I love that if your breaking the rules your in the penalty box and your team is short a player on the ice, doesn't this just make sense?   I have seen a game where 3 players on one team were in the penalty box and there was only 2 players on the ice.  Hello isn't that just crazy?

Then there is the goalie,   he sits there in his little box with 2 tons of padding on and when the time come he has to be agile and smooth.

  On his knees, glove ready to catch and a puck flying toward him 100 mph, and he doesn't even duck, I am behind the glass feet away and I duck and close my eyes.   Watching the goalie is always intriguing.  

Then you have the 30 attempts and only 2 points scored.  I love a defensive

 game, and this always delivers.  I love that over time can lead to a shot out.  So basically after 3 periods, the game can go to a shoot out, where it is one player and the goalie, going back and forth until someone scores.  I mean after playing for 2 hours and the game is decided by a player and a goalie, how intriguing is that?

So tonight was the final game of the Stanley Cup.  Go RED WINGS they won 3 to 2.  I don't have a favorite team, I just love to watch the game.  Seeing a game in person is ten times better then watching it on TV, because you see so much more of what goes on, but I'll take what I can get.  And to watch the last two games this week, it was great to see the Red Wings pull it off.  There was so much good hockey played.  I love the tradition of the hockey game, and the Stanley Cup.  

Hockey is the sport for me, not to play because hello I have not athletic talent, but to watch and enjoy.  So my hockey goals?  To have season tickets for the Grizzlies, got to NHL game, see a Staley Cup with my own eyes.  I JUST LOVE THIS GAME!!