08.06.06

True Canadian Taste

Posted in Canada at 4:55 pm by AB

So the time had arrived for me to put my limited ice skating abilities to the test by suiting up for a game of Hockey. Todd and Art from the store play Hockey. (See earlier posts) I decided it was time to try this for myself and get out there on the ice.

Art was away for the weekend so i was able to grab his gear and combine that with my housemates skates (as Art wears a size 13 shoe) and headed out to Warthogs Practice. Every Sunday they rent the ice at the local rink and invite friends, friends of friends and casual acquaintances to play against. I was lucky enough to be given the oppurtunity to play along side the Warthogs.

So arriving at the rink, i got into putting on all the gear. Hockey Pants, Shin Guards, Shoulder pads, elbow pads, skates, gloves and of course Helmet with full face cage. With too short of a warmup the time had arrived to scrimmage. The game was underway and before long it was time for my turn on the ice. Despite watching plenty of hockey and having a fair idea of what i should be doing, actually doing that proved a lot harder.

In hockey the 5 players on the ice change all the time. Basically the way the game is played is at 110%. You get out there go nuts for 45 secs to a minute then change. I never realised how much you actually work in that brief period until i got out there. My skating skills let me down a bit and my puck handling skills were pretty bad, but it wasn’t as if i had the whole ice to myself. Each time the puck came near me i had someone pressuring me.

Despite the fact that i felt like i was just going around in circles and not really contributing all that much to the game all the boys suggested that i looked good, and was impressive for someone who’s first time it was. I think they were just being kind. For the record I managed to get one shot away on net, but the goalie made one hell of a save denying me a goal. I just happened to be in the right place as a rebound from a saved shot fell in my direction, i won’t claim that i made some super move to be one-on-one with the goaltender.

It was a lot of fun to be out there and i intend on trying to get myself reinvited after I have done the Victoria Half Ironman which is only days away. I also might try to get myself an actual competition game with the Warthogs. Surely some money could take care of that.

I now have a much greater appreciation for the guys who play in the WHL, and to a lesser extent the NHL.

Oh and Hockey gear really really really smells.

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