1-2-3 Beardogs!!

The Knuckleheads played their first game of the season last night, and I was not there! I was actually reading in bed, checked the time at 10:50 and thought about the guys flying around at the UVic rink -- it was a bit sad for me. Five seasons I played in orange, since the team was born out of a once-a-week summer scrimmage crew. A big drawback of moving here to Denman Island was having to leave my hockey team, and I knew yesterday would be a psychological hurdle of sorts. I comfort myself by looking at the 08-09 schedule on the fridge and finding days for possible jaunts down to Victoria to take part. Stephan, who made up the sked, arranged for many back-to-back days, which would be the best times to go I think. Mid-weeks, there are also the morning Transit team scrimmages that I've had a lot of fun with -- I may be able to get in on some of those too. Those Deckers feel as much my teammates as do the Knuckleheads. So my gear is hanging up in the garage, waiting for that first road trip. When the sun beats down on the metal roof, it gets warm in there and the gear smell whips up again, making me long for a skate.


The smell of all the hockey bags in a small dressing room is one that would revolt most folks, but we hockey players need it like we need oxygen. To this day, whenever I hit the ice at the old Pearkes Arena, the air in there brings me back to my early days in hockey. That's where I first wobbled onto the ice at age 13, wearing mostly my Dad's old equipment. The memories are flooding back now, so one day soon I'll delve into my minor hockey days here on the blog. That will be a long entry I'm sure!


The photo up there is of Dave Maude, one of the boys. A real quality guy, plugging left winger, a family man, always with a smile on his face and interesting to talk with -- in hockey terms, he's "good shit." My team is full of people like this, which is what makes me miss going to the rink with them so much. I can hopefully find some place to play in the Comox Valley, but it won't be quite the same. It's the people who make it special, more so than the game itself.