Among the things I enjoy in life are:
1) beer
2) chicken wings
3) French-fried potaters, and
4) lounging in a state of semi undress after playing a
hockey game.
Never have I experienced all four of these elements at
once ... until now.
With our last game of the season having finished,
we’re sitting around in our dressing room, some of us dressed only in towels,
others still stewing in smelly hockey gear. Despite the late hour the arena concession
people have stuck around and are sending regular food shipments into our room,
and refusing to accept payment in return. And contrary to the norm, not a
single member of our team has gone home, even though the game has been over for
half an hour.
There’s a jovial, festive atmosphere in our room and
in the room down the hall. Some of the opposition players are mingling in the
hallway with some of our players, amicably rehashing the two-game final series.
We’re one big, happy family even though one team is the league champions and
the other isn’t.
I think we knew deep down that we weren’t going to win.
We clung to the fact that these opponents, despite their superiority in speed
and skill, needed overtime to beat us when we met them in the preliminary
round. But in the final two games they didn’t leave much room for hope, beating
us 6-3 and 3-1.
Our two 20-something players, one fresh out of junior
B and the other a stalwart at the senior AA level, were more than capable of competing
with those guys. But for the rest of us it was a stretch. They were simply
faster, more skilled and better organized.
The loss is disappointing but there’s also
satisfaction in the knowledge that, by reaching the final, we overachieved
significantly. A decidedly mediocre team during the first half of the season,
we went on an 8-2 tear to end the regular season. Then we took our team, a
squad that’s relatively old, lacking in high-end skill, not particularly fast
and not particularly great at passing, and made it to the final, eliminating
some pretty strong teams along the way.
Our strengths were our workmanlike tenacity, a commitment
to a structured defence and a solid young goaltender. It’s the best finish this
team has ever posted in its history, which dates back about 20 years (this was
my first season with them).
On a personal note, I found our playoff run to be
exhilarating and fun, though I was disappointed to find I was no longer in very
good shape as the season wound down. In the days leading up to the final two games
I engaged in some workout cramming in an attempt to elevate my physical status.
It helped a bit but there’s only so much you can do in a few days.
After our resounding loss in the first game of the
final, I decided to abandon my strictly defensive style, recognizing that our
team needed more offence. In the last game I let it all hang out, racing up the
ice to join in our offensive attack, trying to do more with my chances to skate
with the puck. These efforts didn’t generate any tangible results or affect the
outcome of the game, but competing more on the edge like that made the game more
fun.
As the party in the room continues, I’ve forgotten all
about the physical pain I’ve endured during the past few weeks. I suppose these
issues will fill the coming days with thoughts about my ability to continue
playing at this level. But, for the moment, it’s time to savour what was a
pretty fun ride.
