By Rookie, AllHabs.Net
MONTREAL, QC. — As some of my readers may know, I’ve only been watching hockey for a few years. I watch NHL hockey because I love it. However, for some reason I never thought about why I love it. Or why I don’t. As those of you who entered the “Hockey Love Hurts” contest already knew, hockey love is a special kind of love. There are flaws. There are problems.
The league seems to be constantly plagued by same issues, and they never get solved, but I still love hockey.
My two favourite defencemen are injured and I won’t see them again for months, but I still love hockey.
Actually, this team seems to have a way of getting injured at exactly the worst possible moments. But yes, I still love hockey.
I get chirped by fans of other teams, teams that are lower in the standings or teams that rely on one or two star players for their success, just because the Montreal Canadiens are so easy to knock, but I still love hockey.
Thursday is a great night for scripted TV and I always wish I could watch two things at once, but I usually choose the Habs game. Trust me, if that’s not love, I don’t know what is.
I may never get used to the sting of hearing that a beloved player has been traded, but I still love hockey.
The only goalies with more shutouts than Carey Price this season play for rival Original Six teams, and I’m having a bit of trouble dealing with that, but I still love hockey.
None of these things seem to matter when your team wins. They don’t even matter at the beginning of a game. I just see the Bell Centre, and the crowd taking their seats, knowing that they’re in for something special, and nothing else matters. The Canadiens take the ice and Michel Lacroix’s voice fills the arena, and nothing could sound better. I don’t care what anyone says; I just fall in love again.
