Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Brian Burke and Dave Nonis may want to start booking a ticket to Bolivia. Unlike Butch and Sundance, this pair didn't go West and rob trains, they robbed a pair of NHL teams of some quality talent! Not only did they rob the Flames and Ducks, they managed to convince them that what they were being offered was likely the best deal they would get.

For a recap, Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman, Jamal Mayers and Ian White to Calgary for Dion Phaneuf, Frederik Sjostrom and defensive prospect, Keith Aulie. When the dust was still floating on that deal Burke and his bandits headed down the West Coast and pilfered Jean-Sebastien Giguere from Anaheim in exchange for Vesa Toskala and Jason Blake. In one fell swoop Brian Burke had completed changed the dynamics of his dressing room. The attitude was altered and the average age of the team had dropped by four years. What the Leafs G.M. accomplished over a Sunday brunch takes some teams years to do.

Fast forward from Sunday's trades, to the first game against New Jersey on Tuesday night. Phaneuf stepped onto the ice for his first shift and immediately set the tone for the night. The Devils knew to expect to get hit, HARD, whenever they skated down Dion's side of the ice and his new teammates took his cue and also played hard. This game was, for all intents and purposes the most "complete", "start to finish", "sixty minutes of full effort" game that this Leaf team had played all season. Sure there were some good games, but for several minutes in each they forgot to play. On Tuesday night, no one forgot to play.

Brian Burke still has some deals to make and as long as he has Dave Nonis working with him, I would think that the other 29 teams in the league should be wary of this Butch and Sundance working up in Toronto.

Policing Head Shots

Imagine this, a guy is running full speed down the sidewalk and in a premeditated moment he raises his elbow and hits another guy walking in the opposite direction. The hit was so violent that the person that was struck was knocked unconscious and began convulsing on the sidewalk. This similar scenario transpired last week when Patrice Cormier nailed Mikael Tam with a blatant elbow to the head.

The question has now become one of what to do to penalize the player, Cormier. There are many calls in the media for police involvement, and if the scenario played out the way I first described it, then it is certainly a police matter. But this heinous hit didn't occur on a city sidewalk, it occurred in a hockey rink during a game of Major Junior hockey. The league involved, the QMJHL is tasked with providing the punishment and that's where it should stay. There can't be police involved in all altercations that occur on a playing field, although there are certainly exceptions. If the police were to investigate this incident and decide to file charges then where does their involvement stop? Should a baseball pitcher be charged with assault with a weapon for intentionally throwing a ninety mile-an-hour fastball at a batters head? How about charging a basketball player with assault for giving a hard foul to an opposing player taking a shot. A slap to the arm or chest is assault is it not? When playing soccer, defenders regularly perform sliding takedowns to remove the ball from an opponent. While they likely get carded for the play what if the opponent was injured in the process? Should the defender be charged by police? Then there is UFC and boxing where the ultimate goal is to beat the hell out of your opponent, is there a need for a police presence in the ring?

The answer to all those questions is NO. The participants involved have accepted some level of risk in playing their sport competitively, yet some people still want to see police enter the hockey arena and tend to on ice matters. Is this really a venture that you want pursued? Once started there is no turning back, and it won't stay on the ice. The door would been opened and all sporting plays would become liable and punishable in a court of law. What would the punishment be for a tripping infraction? On the ice it's a 2-minute penalty, but on the sidewalk it's worth a fine and a court date. Should the local police detachment be meeting players at the end of each game and handing out court summons and tickets?

No, instead of police involvement, a pro-active approach needs to be taken that starts from the NHL and works its way down through the feeder leagues. OHL Commissioner David Branch set a precedent when he suspended Michael Liambas of the Erie Otters for the rest of the 2009/2010 season. He carried on and suspended Windsor player, Zack Kassian, 20-games for an extremely hard hit on Matt Kennedy. Branch ruled the hit was borderline "okay" but the suspension is more for the predatory nature of the hit. Kennedy had not touched the puck, his head was turned and he was vulnerable, he was prey for Kassian to take out. This suspension is suppose to send a message about respect on the ice for other players. Colin Campbell and Gary Bettman can take a lesson from David Branch on how to send a message to its players.

In my opinion, the Cormier hit on Tams is worse than the Liambas check from behind. So what can the QMJHL do that has bite? It should be a given that his Junior career is finished, but as a first round draft pick of the New Jersey Devils it is quite possible that Patrice will be playing in the NHL next fall. This doesn't really seem fair does it? In instances like this, all leagues need to have a common policy where they acknowledge each others suspensions. So if the QMJHL decides to suspend Cormier for the rest of his Junior career and he has 2 years of eligibility left, then he should be out of hockey everywhere for that time frame. Playing in the NHL shouldn't be an out-clause to a Junior suspension.

But in this instance, I believe it may just be.

Jekyll and Hyde team

In a season of uncertainty, only one thing is certain. Whenever this edition of the Toronto Maple Leafs takes to the ice, you never know what team you are going to see. They will win 4-0 on one night and then lose 6-1 the next, just because they can.

Who gets held responsible for this result? Brian Burke can't be blamed because an astute fan knows that Rome wasn't built in a day and they'll grant some grace to Mr. Burke since he's only had one NHL draft and one off-season at the helm of the franchise. He is methodically placing building blocks within the organization knowing that the sum of the parts, when all in place is greater than the part itself on its own and he doesn't have all his components yet. Ron Wilson can't be blamed because he just got a rousing vote of confidence from his boss in declaring his job secure for the foreseeable future. Plus, he isn't that bad of a coach. The rookies that are being bounced from the AHL to the NHL and back again can't be blamed since they are just expected to learn from their callups and attempt to light a fire under the contract player who is keeping their roster spot warm for next season. We can't blame the media or the fans, though many do try! So what does that leave?

The only people responsible for this result is the players themselves. Perhaps they all needed a dictionary to know what the definition of truculence was and the book still hasn't made its way around the dressing room. Maybe they are still having trouble adapting to Ron Wilson's type of game. It is after all, only the second season. (insert sarcastic laugh here) Ron can coach and teach, but the players are having a difficult time executing. Why? I don't know, if I knew the answer to that question I'd be employed by the Maple Leafs right now and be correcting it. What I do see though is a team not willing to engage. To win the battles, you have to be in the battles and on a lot of nights this season the Leafs have too many spectators on the ice. I'm not going to name players, but we all know the usual suspects. When the puck is in the corner the defenseman needs to be the first player in and the first player out. When he hangs back hoping to hit the offensive player he's already lost the battle because the puck has been moved and the hit now puts himself out of position. On the forecheck, the forward needs to be the first to the puck and not hanging back hoping to hit the defenseman because the defense has already moved the puck and once the hit is made that forechecking forward now has a long way back for an effective backcheck.

Here's where the Jekyll and Hyde personality comes in. When the Leafs do play aggressively and are the first team to all the puck battles they usually win the game. When they show up second to all the puck battles they are usually behind the play all night and lose significantly. Again, here's where Burkie gets frustrated, when the team plays aggressively and executes Ron Wilson's game plan the goaltenders look great and the players can play and compete against the best teams in the league. So the players can win, when they want.

For this season, I don't believe there is any solution. There is a silver lining in knowing that we have some good young prospects just about ready to make the jump. But for now just hope the team can get enough wins to get Boston a pick that's outside the Top 5 or Top 10 and look forward to the next one ... yet again.

To Sit, or Not to Sit ...

To sit or not to sit, that is the question.

It seems that Ron Wilson has a decision of Shakespearean proportions. That decision is in regards to his young sophomore defenseman, Luke Schenn. To sit, or not to sit is the question he must certainly be entertaining as Schenn is having a tough time adjusting to his second season in the NHL.

I can almost see Ron sitting in his office after the games in which Luke makes a serious blunder. He's at his desk staring at a tiny Luke Schenn bobblehead that is perched on his palm and then he begins talking to it, "Alas, poor Luke. I thought I knew you, a player destined for greatness" and then continuing. "All the world's a stage and one man, in his time, will play many parts." "Greatness is nothing to be afraid of. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some just have greatness thrust upon them." "But today, today of all days is the day that I have to ask myself, to sit you or not to sit you?"

Big decision to make regarding his No.1 Draft pick Luke Schenn.

Poor Ron must be going nuts trying to make this decision. On one hand, you continue to play him, show confidence that he will turn his game around and hope that he eventually does. On the other hand, you sit him for a game or three and hope that he returns to play with a hunger to not be sat again. The fear though is that sitting a young player will dent his confidence and that he doesn't recover to ever play well until he is ultimately moved on to another team.

When it comes to Luke, I don't think anyone is harder on criticizing him than he is himself. So you have to know that he has already beat himself up for his give-away against Chicago. To his credit, he responded really well against Calgary even though the team lost the game. But Schenn could likely still benefit from a session of press box viewing. Being benched, as has occurred this season already, only short-hands the team by having to play with five defensemen. An all out scratch is what is needed to send a firm message. That message to Luke would be that Ron still believes in him, but he wants him to sit in the press box and watch the game and see the mistakes that his teammates are making.

Carl Gunnarsson takes a break during opening day of the 2008 Toronto Maple Leafs Prospects Camp. (DAVE ABEL, SUN MEDIA)

From that, he can learn how he would avoid making the same ones and possibly pass that information along to his mates. Healthy scratches for the point of sending a message always has the hope that the player, while observing the game has an epiphany moment and realizes what is missing from his game.

I believe that Luke will be able to learn a great deal from sitting in the box for a few games, especially with Carl Gunnarsson entering the picture and playing so well against Calgary. In my mind, now is the perfect opportunity to give the young Schenn his time in the press box before Komisarek returns to action as well.

Now, as long as Ron Wilson doesn't start looking for a Capulet he should be able to successfully find the answer to this hot topic question.

The Sixty-Million Dollar Leafs

If this was a 70's television show like "The Six-Million Dollar Man" we'd be listening to a narrative right now ... "Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to build the world's first bionic man. Steve Austin will be that man. We can make him better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster." Perhaps that was in some form the pitch that Brian Burke made to MLSE prior to his hiring and the hiring of his staff.

"Gentlemen, we can rebuild them. We have the knowledge. We have the capabilities to build Toronto a Cup competitive team. The Maple Leafs will be that team. We can make them better than they were before. Belligerent, Stronger, Faster and Truculent"

If this were a 70's television show we'd also be listening to some cheesy opening theme song right now and looking at a show title of possibly "The Sixty-million dollar Leafs"

"The Monster" The highly touted goaltending acquisition that gives the team hope for the future

But, this isn't the 70's, nor a made-for-TV series. This is a professional sports team that is 15 games into the most solid "rebuild" of it's 42 year Cup-less drought. While the Phil Kessel trade will continue to be viewed with skepticism for several years yet, in the immediate term, Phil is providing a credible scoring threat and confidence to the team. Jonas Gustavsson, a highly touted goaltending acquisition over the summer, has panned out even though the skeptics warned that he'd never played an NHL calibre game. "The Monster" in the net has become a soothing influence on the play of the defensemen in front of him and has provided an awe-inspiring save in every appearance thus far.

These changes are showing up in the win column as the Leafs are now riding a two game win streak and have received points in the last seven games.

Where do they go from here?

A big part of the rebuilding structure of Brian Burke. "Not bionic, but definitely competitive."

The Toronto Marlies are playing future Leaf regulars like Christian Hanson, Viktor Stalberg, Tyler Bozak, Juraj Mikus, Carl Gunnerson, to name but a few. Burke certainly hopes to add another one or two College prospects this Spring as well. He has also acknowledged that this may be the last Spring that he will be able to draw from that feeding ground as College free agents tend to be drawn to teams where they can jump right in. The Leafs hope to be beyond that stage for the 2010/11 season. The hope is certainly that Bozak, Hanson and immediately Gustavsson will compensate for the loss of the two 1st-rounders and one 2nd-rounder that was relinquished in the Kessel deal and that any player signed this Spring as another College free-agent will just be added to that list. Seems like a decent trade-off to me. We get Kessel and add him to three really decent players that have become skilled, undrafted gems for nothing but a contract proposal and we give up three draft picks that haven't even been picked yet.

The rebuild is in full swing even though some folks are decrying the deal for 21 year old Kessel as a shortcut, or a regression to the win now, Toronto mentality. When looked at thoughtfully, Brian Burke has positioned this team to be successful not only presently, but down the road as well. Not bionic, but definitely competitive.

What has been seen, cannot be unseen.

Former NHL enforcer Tie Domi and partner Christine Hough-Sweeney, "Toughy Houghy" as she was known in her skating days, closed out Sunday night's performances with an energetic routine to The Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." (Gerard Chataigneau/FSC-SportIms)

What has been seen, cannot be unseen.

As I peruse the world wide web viewing all sorts of video, images and written reports in an attempt to absorb as much information as I possibly can, that adage is something that I try to follow. If I don't recognize the link, I don't click on it. If someone sends me a video link with high recommendations, I don't click on it without first searching the topic to see if a similar web link shows up in the results. It is with that care that I have avoided viewing some very graphic and disposition altering videos and images on the internet.

I wish I had applied that same credo to my television viewing experience about four weeks ago. It was with some apprehension that I turned the TV on for my daughter and asked if she wanted to watch hockey and figure skating at the same time. I figured it would be great for a lark to watch guys like Tie Domi, Bob Probert, Ken Daneyko, Claude Lemieux, Stephane Richer, Glenn Anderson, Craig Simpson and Ron Duguay trying to figure skate along side some of Canada's beautiful figure skaters. Beauty and the beast I was thinking to myself.

Western connection - Olympic gold medallist Jamie Sale paired with Hockey Night in Canada analyst and Stanley Cup winner Craig Simpson. (Gerard Chataigneay/FSC-SportIms)

I was not prepared for what would happen next! CBC's Battle of the Blades was not the hilarious train wreck that I anticipated. Sure, watching Tie figure skate with Tuffy Hough-Sweeney is still funny, but Tie is actually figure skating. The last image I have of Tie Domi is him pounding on an opponents head and working him into the "spin cycle" that he liked to use. Now I can't seem to get his graceful skating out of my head! Ken Daneyko and his partner, Jodeyne Higgins were eliminated from the Charity competition this week. In his exit speech Ken Daneyko compared the feeling he got from figure skating to his experiences winning the Stanley Cup. I couldn't believe what I was hearing, a man known for finishing his checks ... HARD, had enjoyed his brief foray into figure skating.

Shae-Lynn Bourne and Claude Lemieux rock out during their performance Sunday, Oct. 4. The red-and-black clad couple opened the show. (Gerard Chataigneau/FSC-SportIms)

Then, there is Craig Simpson and Jamie Sale. Jamie is a taskmaster at her craft and her skating medals and championships are testament to that. With those qualities, she has somehow managed to turn Simpson into a pairs figure skating partner. I didn't know what a "Waltz jump" was until Craig did one on Sunday night. That is another image that will forever haunt me. To cap this all off though, Claude Lemieux, a Stanley Cup winner, a Conn Smythe winner, a warrior and arguably one of the dirtier players to ever play in the NHL. Claude and his partner, Shae-Lynn Bourne are also skating as well as any figure skating pair can. Watching Claude "emote" while figure skating ... well ... I seem to recall Claude emoting while playing in the NHL too, but it sure wasn't like this!

What has been seen, certainly cannot be unseen and unfortunately, I may actually be enjoying watching these Ex-NHLer's figure skating with their partners.

The "Hockey" Gods must be crazy!

The "Hockey Gods", who are they and why do they hate the Leafs?

A common phrase that everyone has likely heard from time to time is that, "The hockey gods will find a way to balance things out". This comment is usually bandied about when a normally good team starts off slow, or a normally bad team starts of really well. But what happens when a habitually "bad" team makes all the right moves on paper to be a better team, but for some reason can't get over the hump to success. Where do the hockey gods fit into this scenario?

Mike Komisarek, making a difference for all the wrong reasons.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are playing some really bad hockey to start the 2009/2010 season. Even when they play well enough to potentially win, something occurs that enables them to lose convincingly. Take for instance Saturday October 24, and the game against Vancouver. In the 3rd period, a period in which for the first time the Leafs appeared able to dominate a game, they were handed the opportunity to change the tide of the game when for several seconds a couple of Leafs were staring at a wide-open Vancouver net. The only thing between them and a tied game was a bouncing puck, that miraculously jumped over their sticks and laid flat for the Canucks defense to clear out. Now, any player will tell you that some games you get the bounces and other games you don't, but what is happening that the Leafs aren't getting any bounces at all? Even when a break is given, the numerous posts hit on the empty net for example, the end was never in doubt as the puck jumped right onto a Canuck stick at an opportune time and it was buried to end the misery for the Leafs. Is this the work of those infamous "Hockey Gods"?

Francois Beauchemin, uncharacteristic give-aways and bad decisions have specifically lead to goals against.

The players the Maple Leafs have on roster should be better than what they are. The acquired free agents were all coveted by other teams and were difference makers on their previous clubs. (That description pretty much describes, Francois Beauchemin and Mike Komisarek.) As a Leaf, the performance given by these players while still being difference makers, are making a difference for all the wrong reasons. Untimely and uncharacteristic give-aways and bad decisions have specifically lead to goals against them. Last season on their respective squads those players were regularly making big plays to bail out their hockey team, why not now?

Are the Leafs players waiting for Phil Kessel to make an appearance as the saviour and completely forgotten how to play until he arrives? The team cannot be as bad as the current record indicates. I believe it is safe to suggest that the presence of an omnipotent "Hockey God" is a mere fallacy. If the players all play well, minimize mistakes, take more shots, practice what is being preached to them, then it should work out that the teams fortunes will eventually turn for the better.

But, in the off chance that some ever-present Hockey deity does exist, then I think the Leafs should consider making a sacrifice to the Gods. May I suggest Jason Blake to start!

I am a Leaf fan.

I am a hockey fan and I am a Leaf fan.

That admission in most places these days usually elicits a few jokes and some ribbing. I’m sure all Leaf fans have heard their share of it over the years. You know how they start, your buddy at work says his car was broken into on the weekend … nothing was taken, but they left a pair of Leaf tickets and a couple of Leaf sweaters on the seat. “Ha Ha, good one, you got me” is the usual response to this.

But when should this all stop?

The Detroit Red Wings were, for many years before turning into the juggernaut they are today, called the “Dead Things”. Nowadays, all that history seems forgotten and no one remembers, or cares to hear about the 42 years between Cup victories. For the Detroit Red Wings, its fans and its pundits it’s all about the future.

As a Leaf fan, I look to the future and I see many big changes occurring both in on-ice personnel and off-ice personnel. Brian Burke is doing all the right things to bring respectability back to the Blue and White sweater that was so viciously dismissed in Roch Carrier’s short story, “The Sweater”. A usually depleted scouting staff is being replenished with capable people, draft picks that have been scarce are being recouped with free agent acquisitions of undrafted College prospects and late bloomers. The kind of pick that is reminiscent of the Red Wings has emerged on the Leafs in the form of Viktor Stalberg, but where are the accolades at finding the prospect? Heaps of praise is thrown at the Detroit organization for finding unknown gems in the draft, yet when the Leafs find one it’s what? It’s a fluke?

When should all this stop?

When will this Toronto Maple Leafs organization begin to get its credit back and have people looking forward at the direction the team is heading, instead of backwards at where it has been? Too many hockey fans have gotten so used to quipping “1967” as a derogatory remark that even they can’t see a team that is progressing, or for that matter, other teams that are regressing. The last 42 years has been open season on the Leafs and its fans. For this fan … the crap stops now! If you want to remind me about how long it’s been since the Leafs won the Cup, why don’t you also tell me when the last time your favourite team won the Cup. (and, NO! telling me you're a bandwagon fan who’s team wins every year doesn’t count)

Edmonton Oilers – 20 years

Vancouver Canucks – (Have never won) … 39 years

Calgary Flames – 21 years

Ottawa Senators – have never won since joining the league in 1992 (a little grace here)

Montreal Canadians – 16 years ( I don’t care how many, what have they done lately? Same as the Leafs, zero!)

New York Rangers – 15 years

New York Islanders – 26 years

Chicago Blackhawks – 49 years (Wow, that’s a long time!)

Philadelphia Flyers – 34 years

Boston Bruins – 37 years

A lot of other teams that are not the Toronto Maple Leafs have also failed to win a Stanley Cup over a long duration. So if you want to laugh at me because I’m Leaf fan, don’t stand there smugly grinning at your own joke. This year’s rendition is a team full of Pugnacity, Testosterone, Truculence and Belligerence. You’d better duck and avoid receiving your own version of the hockey grin.

Got 'im, got 'im, need 'im, got 'im.

I recall being a kid in the late 70's and early 80's and the familiar refrain on the school yard at recess was "got 'im, got 'im, need 'im, got 'im". It didn't matter if they were hockey cards, baseball cards or McDonald's stickers we were trying to complete our collection and have fun doing it.

I still have all my doubles and triples piled up, wrapped in an elastic and stored in an old shoebox. The time spent in my backpack going to and from school showing up on the slightly worn edges of the cards. But that's what you get when you take your trading cards with you to try to make your collection bigger. A game we called "flipsies" was the big draw. We'd have four of us standing around and we'd draw straws to see who drops first and what order we'd continue in, then the first card would drop. Standing straight up and arm dropped to waist height we'd flip a card and let it fall to the ground. This sequence would continue on through the order. When you flipped, any cards you landed on we're claimed as your own. If you "needed 'im" then that card was shuffled quickly to the bottom of your own pile while you continued to toss your doubles. I'm not sure kids even know how to play that game today, and I will also admit that I have no clue what the hell a pokemon is!

As the collectors took control of the collector card market I found myself avoiding taking my quarters and dollar bills to the corner store for my packs of cards and pink, stale gum sticks. Instead, I found my way to flea markets and collector stores where I could forgo the inevitable doubles and stale gum and just buy the entire collection, shrink wrapped and elegantly boxed in an O'Pee Chee or UpperDeck boxset. The times were a changing. I bought plastic binders to preserve the cards and plastic holders to forever enshrine my prized cards. One was a Mario Lemieux rookie card, and another was a Mats Sundin rookie card. Looking at Mats in a Quebec Nordiques sweater was quite nostalgic.

As I got older and older and moved from my parents home, to my college apartment, to my own apartment shared with my girlfriend, back to my parents home, to our own purchased home and then to another new home. I have seemly lost my complete boxed sets and plastic binder sheets. But the other day I stumbled across an old shoe box that had managed to survive all the moves. As I took the top off to see what was inside, the smell of stale, pink gum was still inside. After all the moves, my collection of doubles and triples, piled up and wrapped in an elastic and still stored in an old shoe box is perhaps the last remaining trinket of a completely different era of collector cards.

It's Hockey Season

As the NHL gets ready to drop the puck on its 2009/2010 season, most of the leagues young fans have already been skating themselves for several weeks.

Living in Canada kids are usually raised on the ice in the wintertime. The level of hockey they play is widely varied too depending on where you live. I grew up just outside of Peterborough, Ontario. I played my entire minor hockey experience in a very small market ... I believe it was classed as a DD centre for our playing circuit. Unlike in AAA centres with Rep teams and some paid coaches, our coaches were more than likely your buddy's Dad and he did it as a volunteer because he enjoyed spending time with the kids. The assistant coach could just as easily have been your own mother. Having her on the bench with you was certainly less embarrassing than having her in the stands screaming and waving an old cow bell.

This for most kids is growing up in Canada. How far you go is usually up to how far your parents are willing to send you. For the affluent parent, money is no object and they will pay to have you play on the best teams, with the best coaches. (usually in the several thousand dollar range) This type of team instills certain values into the player. Most Rep teams I've seen or have had friends or now their kids, playing on have a dress code and rules of conduct. Structure within the team is good and helps with any child's development.

The other end of the spectrum is the lowly teams that I played on as a child. It wasn't that my parents didn't want to see me try to pursue hockey, but with 2 brothers it sort of ruled it out when we all played. Some nights we'd be heading off in 3 different directions for games and for that I must really thank my parents for that experience. Of note, 3 different directions usually means one of us was bumming a ride from a buddy's Dad to get to the game.

When I was younger I could play pretty decently (now, not so much) and have played against players that have gone on to OHL careers and NHL drafts. None have played in the NHL and instead toiled in the minors or the Euro leagues. But I can still say that I played against them way back when. I play the game of hockey for fun. As I approach the age of 40, I'm well beyond the highly competitive aspect of the game. In my 20's and early 30's I played in leagues where the tempo was quick and some players actually believed they were playing for the Stanley Cup. Still others it would seem, believed that some scout was going to happen to be in the rink at 11:00pm in Timbuktue, Ontario and suddenly see him as an undrafted prospect. For myself, that level of competition was getting old, as was I. Having to get up the next morning to go to work left me getting frustrated at the guy that liked to slash me in the back of the legs or crosscheck me in the face because I wore a cage to protect my eyes and face. It didn't make any sense since we all paid to play and the only one making any money was the 2 referees who were trying to make it through the game without having to blow a whistle..

For the last 4 years I've simply been playing for fun 1 to 3 times per week. We have a referee who we pay in beer and we don't keep score. At least on the scoreboard anyway. The game ends when the Zamboni driver tells you to get the hell off the ice.

That for me is the game of hockey at it's best, played for fun. For all the kids hitting the ice this season, let the dreams begin!