Friday, December 2, 2011

#18 - See A Pro Hockey Game


Well, that was easy! I've always wanted to see a hockey game live, right? And today, out of the blue, my brother Aidan calls from work, and he's like, "Hey, do you want to go see the Canucks tonight?" And I'm all like, "Uh, yeah!"

Turns out my sister-in-law's Grade 3 student's dad works for the team, so he offered her free tickets and she didn't feel like going tonight so my brother asked me. Sweet deal. All I had to pay for was a skytrain ticket and a slice of pizza from MegaBite on the way to Rogers Arena.

So anyway, seeing the game live was cool, despite the home team losing 6 - 5 to the Nashville Predators. Damnit, Canucks! At least there was no riot. The only excitement outside at the end was a couple of bongo drum hippies busking in the rain. I finally feel like a real Canadian now, though, having been to a pro hockey game.



And I did get to see a pretty exciting game in which Bieksa did a really funny pommel horse move over the Nashville goalie's net and I did get to give strangers enthusiastic high-fives for the goals the Canucks scored.

The things I expected:

1. It was cold in the arena. I'm glad I wore a toque and a scarf.
2. People made a lot of noise when the Canucks scored. That was awesome.
3. A lot of people drank a lot of beer out of plastic cups. (I didn't because I'm starting an alcohol-free month. Didn't know I was going to a Canucks game tonight when I thought of the idea this morning.)

The things I didn't expect:

1. There was A LOT of advertising all throughout the game, on the jumbo-tron, on the banner going around the stands, on the inside of the rink and anywhere else they could stick ads. It was kind of annoying. When there's a commercial break, you still have to watch the commercials even if you've paid for a ticket. They're on the jumbo-tron.

2. When there's a commercial break these kids in green t-shirts skate onto the ice like bats out of hell and shovel up all the ice shavings. So that's what's actually going on while I'm forced to watch car commercials every 10 minutes while I'm in my living room!

3. Women in the bathrooms are drunk and will be very rude regardless of how classy they look before they open their mouths. I guess that's just hockey culture. I've never heard a woman yell, "Hurry up, bitches!" in the washroom during intermission at a ballet or opera. Never.


4. The highlight of the game for me, not being a huge hockey fan (let's be honest here, the Canucks lost the Stanley Cup... I'm officially... maybe even permanently... off the bandwagon) was the game during the first intermission the five-year olds played. It was so fun watching these little tykes give it their everything, which wasn't much at all, but one kid actually scored a goal and the whole arena cheered earnestly and with gusto while the lights went bezerk and the announcer said, "Score!" Forget Burrows, that kid must feel like a million bucks tonight as he's getting into bed in his PJs with his teddy bear and Canucks nightlight shining the orca logo on his ceiling.

Good game.


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