With winter settling in and the holidays over, hockey is a national and international past-time during the winter. Growing up, every Saturday was spent watching the game. My favourite has always been the Toronto Maple Leafs, I grew up in Toronto, but the women in my family had different favourites.

Mum loved Detroit, and Gordie Howe, my sister-in-law, the New York Rangers, my mother-in-law, the Montreal Canadiens, so it did make an interesting game to watch at home. We all had our team. We covered 4 of the six teams at the time.

Watching hockey then was so different than today. It was great hockey, end to end, stick handling, passing the puck, real hockey. I watched the greats, and I remember how disgusted I was when other players would go after Bobby Orr's knees. Even tho' he played for Boston, he was a great hockey player, but his knees gave him trouble.

Since that time hockey has changed an awful lot. There are more than the original six teams, hockey is big business, even the worse players get to play on the NHL. And the fighting, if I wanted to watch the fights, I would tune into boxing or wrestling. It's very hard to find a hockey game, where there is great hockey played. The hockey players of yesteryear played hockey, sure the odd fight would happen, but now it's odd if there isn't a fight.

We even tried supporting the local hockey teams, but the fans were so distrubing, they actually threw garbage on the ice, interrupting the game. Can't remember how many fights broke out, but I do remember the hockey wasn't there. Sure the players could skate, and stick handle, but with all the interruptions, it was hard to see. Sure the hockey players have to be aggressive, digging for the puck, racing back and forth, after the puck, end to end, but just because someone skates faster or gets to the puck quicker, I don't believe good hockey is raising that stick and whacking the player with it. It just shows me that if someone is a good hockey player, the other players will try to stop them any way they can.

Hockey is a game, and there should be good sportsmanship. There are no heros in hockey, just good hockey.

Lyn 2003 ©