Since I wrote pretty well exclusively about the NHL last week, it’s probably obvious I haven’t followed through on boycotting the league until Colin Campbell and/or Gary Bettman are no longer in charge.
I really meant to stay away. I didn’t watch the Canadiens play three-straight seven-game series in the spring. I didn’t watch the Stanley Cup Final (after watching every Final since 1991). I ignored free agency and put all my jerseys in way back part of my closet.
Then my roommate bought NHL 11. And some friends asked me if I’d run a pool. And I was offered tickets to the Heritage Classic. And the Hitmen season started. And a buzz built around the Calgary Flames.
I watched some games here and there. I passed it off as “checking out PK Subban,” or “I want to see what Eberle and Hall can do,” and even “I’m just watching for the old school Kings and Canucks jerseys.”
Last week Steven Stamkos went on a scoring tear that had people talking about the very real possibility of a 50 in 50 season. Stamkos officially made himself one great reason to watch.
Then Saturday night happened. And Leafs-Habs happened. I didn’t watch passively. I watched with interest. I cringed when Phil Kessel skated into the Habs’ zone. I worried every time Mike Komisarek took a shot that a strange bounce would quiet the Bell Centre boo birds. I inched closer and closer to the screen.
And today I rushed home to find the Boston-Tampa Bay game online. There’s just no denying it anymore, I’m back in with the NHL. The on-ice product is just too good to stay away from.
It seems like every team has at least three players worth the price of admission. Whether it’s the usual Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin highlight reel goal, or Tyler Seguin or Jordan Eberle or another from the new guard, it seems something exciting happens every night. This season, the NHL has put YouTube in my daily links and the clips never fail.
So that’s what happened. That’s how despite all the league’s faults, the NHL pulled me back in.
No comments:
Post a Comment