Pre-Season Hockey: A Colorful Commentary

Part 2

By: Patrice L. Leonard

To continue on my musings of the other day I have a few observations from the past week or so. We call this time pre-season hockey. I attended the game between the Flyers and the Senators last Saturday. I enjoy any hockey, even pre-season, so I was really looking forward to the game. I could tell from the crowd that was gathered outside the Wachovia Center that evening that this was going to be one tame group. That was slightly disappointing.

As we were herded like cattle through the front doors, anticipation overcame that disappointment. Just a few feet into the concourse, you could smell it. A fresh sheet of ice. Just a few feet further, you could feel it. The chill in the air that comes hand in hand with an ice arena. There is no other place like it. I was starting to lose my sense of trepidation the higher I got up the escalator. There is just something about sitting down in your seats and looking down on the bright, white, shiny, frozen surface for the first time in about four months. So, I just smiled knowing that all good things start fresh and new in September.

Then it came. The loud mouth person from NYC. The first thing he did as he sat down, right in front of me, was chant, “Let’s go Rangers!” Nobody beat him up, so he got off lucky. Now, I have been around some game-ignorant fans before but this guy took the cake. The game started and his brain stopped working, so it would seem. Into the first period, Steve Downie ran over one of the Senators. Everyone cheered and Mr. New York turned to his wife and said, “Is that Kapanen? Number 28?” Steve Downie was wearing number 26. Sami Kapanen wears number 24. Not one Flyer was wearing number 28 that night. Oh, it gets better.

There was a delay penalty call against the Senators and the Robert Esche went to the bench for another attacker. Mr. New York says, “They have an extra guy on the ice. Isn’t that a penalty?” Later on in that same power play his light bulb comes on and he says, “Hey, they’re on a power play.” It only took him 54 seconds to realize it. Later on in the game a Flyer ran at on of the Senators and the whistle blew. One of our boys was going for a stay in the bin. Mr. New York stands up and cheers. He thinks the Senator is going. Our entire section grabbed the closest thing and was ready to pummel our friend.

The third period gets under way and the Flyers are down by a goal. Once again we are on the power play and we get set up in the zone. They are making crisp passes and firing shots at Ray Emery at random. The whole game was a big yawn fest if you ask me. This team has absolutely no personality, no fire. That’s a story for another day. Anyway, the power play is winding down and the Flyers are still set up in the zone. One defenseman passes over to the other, who is standing perfectly still mind you. He shoots and scores. The Wach finally has a little excitement and everyone is up on their feet, Mr. New York included. The crowd sits down and all is quiet. Mr. New York shouts, “That’s called scoring on the fly.” That got a laugh from all those around him.

Now, granted most of this will only be found funny by those who really know the game. I still felt it was worth mentioning. He kept us all entertained and made me appreciate those of us who truly know this amazing sport. But, I’ll never forget the one that pretended to be Einstein for three hours.