Hockey Night in Canada

When I was 15 years old, I discovered hockey. I wasn't raised in a sports-watching home, and while I enjoyed playing on school teams, we weren't really a sports-playing family either. But somehow, one Saturday night, I landed on the CBC on TV, and Hockey Night in Canada. My love of the Maple Leafs was instantly born.

What was even cooler was that my mom wandered in and asked what I was watching. When she saw what it was, she sat down in ecstasy, and admitted before she married my dad she had been a huge hockey fan! We watched many Saturday night games throughout my high school years, and I have followed the team on an off ever since.

I always figured I was just waiting until I got married, then I would find in my husband a soul mate in sports. I mean, most men are into sports, right? Well, turns out I married into a family who aren't sports people either. Neither my husband nor his three brothers are big sports fans. I mean, come on! What are the odds?!

Now I have three sons, and I hope my odds will be better in finding a kindred spirit in my love of sports in one of them. They are too young now to be anything other than influenced by what James and I expose them to. Without TV, I don't watch too many games anymore, but with internet streaming improving, there just might be a revival of HNIC in our house after all! It was sports day today at Colin's school, where everyone wears their favourite team shirt. Yes, both my boys are decked out in Leafs gear. And last Saturday Colin wandered into my room and asked if there was hockey on, and, perfect timing, the Saturday night game had just started. I think I have found our new tradition! Colin and I have a date for tonight again (just for the first period of the game) to watch the Leafs and eat some junk food (probably ice cream, but as he gets older, we'll certainly crack out my traditional pizza/wings/wedge fries/pop fare.) Here's hoping it sticks with him!