Aside from the two games in London this weekend, the hockey season doesn’t kick off for the rest of the teams until Wednesday, October 3. Enough pre-season games, enough watching players who will end up back in junior hockey or the minors.

It’s almost time…

For the puck to drop for our team. Time to see if our early season optimism and excitement will be well placed. Time to watch Brodeur, Kiprusoff and Luongo make incredible saves. Time to watch the defensemen like Phanuef, Chara and Souray make and take incredible hits. Time for Crosby, Ovechkin, Lecavalier, Iginla, Datsyuk and countless others to pull us from our seats with their amazing play. Time to see how Mike Keenan coaches in Calgary and how Claude Julien does in Boston. Time for new faces in news places – Gomez a Ranger?? Briere a Flyer??

It’s almost time…

To wipe the slate clean if our team had a bad season and look forward to a great one this year. Time to renew rivalries and to start new ones. Time to hope everything gels and we win the Cup. Time to hope the rookies fulfill their promise and the sophomores aren’t jinxed. Time for “stadium food” and heartburn!

It’s almost time…

To start scheduling our lives around games. Time to say to friends, “I’d like to go out tonight but, it’s the Ranger (or Avalanche or Kings, etc.) game!” Time to talk to other fans about the good and the bad. Time to say, “Did you see that? How did he do that? How did he make that save?”

It’s almost time…

For all the joy of the NHL to begin again, to start collecting memories and watching history made right before our eyes. Time to cheer at the top of our lungs along with 16,000 or so of our closest friends.  I, for one, can’t wait!! 

Happy Hockey Season!