Off to a Hockey Game

Oof!!! Hang on a mo... just a sec...

Almost there!

Ta-dah!! Here we go! I actually have a use for my hockey jersey!

We are going to a local hockey game! One from the BC Hockey League.

The Nanaimo Clippers are playing the Prince George Spruce Kings!

I have never been to a local hockey game and Mama says she only ever saw the Canucks play eons ago... so this will be new!

We got there early and the zamboni was fixing the ice...

It's a pretty big arena and can hold 2500 fans (and a few stuffies)...

There is something beary mesmerizing about watching the zamboni do its work...

Alright, let's find our seats!

We got seats behind the penalty box, near centre-ice, with a good view of both ends.

"Play ball!!"... oh wait... wrong sport...

After the zamboni, the teams came out on the ice to warm-up...

The Clippers are on the left... orange is their colour!

And they're off!! I have to say... you could hear every puck hitting their sticks... and they were so... close!

There was a lot of skating around and firing shots at their own goalie... Those two guys in front of me... had a cow bell which they shook with enthusiasm (next time, bring ear plugs!).

Then there was more zamboni-ing...

And the Clippers mascot came out... C-Dog... he's a huge stuffie!

Speaking of stuffies... two seats down, there was another bear!! But he was beary intent on the game, so we never chit-chatted...

Alright... we are getting started!!!

Here they come!!

We all sang the national anthem...

And... puck drop!!! 

It was beary good hockey...

And the Clippers scored!! A few times!!! It was already 2-1 by the end of the first period... See... there's the guy with his cow bell!!!

It actually went beary quickly... the big thing was... there is no replay!! So you have to pay attention, cause if you miss something... you don't get a second chance to rewatch it! The refs kept calling penalties on the Clippers.. and never on the Spruce Kings... which generated a lot of booing but... the Clippers killed off all the penalties! And then...

They won!! 6 to 2!! There's the cow bell again... sigh...

Beary sportsmanlike... The Clippers wiped the Spruce Kings away in 4 straight games...

Hooray!!! They are the Conference Champions... now they just have to play the Brooks Bandits for the League Championship (the Rogers Cup)... fingers crossed... 

It was great fun!