And Then There is Hockey

Recently, someone asked me if I was a sports fan.

I said no.

I’m a hockey fan.

To me, there are sports. And then, there is hockey. Born in Philadelphia, PA and weaned on the sport in days that preceded helmets or nets above the glass. The sport I learned was one of gladiators on ice. My father taught me there was a difference in hockey between playing hard, and playing dirty. The former — acceptable. The latter — not.

So the “Broad Street Bullies” lost my attention and for years I skated along — following the sport but without allegiance.

Until 2017.

That’s when the Vegas Golden Knights arrived in my new hometown, and stole my heart. More importantly, they reignited my passion for a sport that to me is about so much more than just a bunch of athletes. The Vegas Golden Knights, they’re more than just a sports team — they are an idea, a noble and important idea. As a brilliant Budweiser Ad stated at the end of our inaugural season. It was never just about raising a Cup. It was about raising a City.

And they did.

In the time since, I’ve grown my family ten-fold. Well, closer to tens-of-thousands-fold, I suppose. While not a Season Ticket Holder this past season, I managed to get to more games than I had either of the previous — and that was with the season being cut short. It also was an utter delight that on nearly every game I attended, I found myself showing up on the KnightTron — selected from among the sell-out crowds to represent the energy and excitement that is our arena at game time.

When this year’s Stanley Cup Playoff season began, I had the distinct honor and pleasure of being one of the fans selected to participate in the virtual watch parties. Our computers on, rooms decked out and all of us together watching the games. It was fun and amusing to have my phone blow up with texts during the game: “Uh, Cathy. Did I just see you with your pom-poms on national television?”

Why yes. Yes you did.

That was a giggle, it was, however, far more fun to be connected with at least a small gaggle of my fan-family, watching and commenting together, a small taste of the energy that thrives every game at #TheFortress.

This season I also got to two away games — Philadelphia for the Flyers game (an awful blood bath loss) and Florida for the Panthers game (a brilliant 7–0 shutout).

It was with pride and excitement that I signed up for season tickets for our new AHL team, excited at the opportunity to see new players develop — not to mention double my fun of hockey games. Going to pick out my seats was among the first “outings” I did during the pandemic. It was worth it.

Why in the final days of an epically insane Political season am I choosing to write about hockey?

Simple.

Because one thing that I know above all else is that when I am at a hockey game, when someone is wearing the same sweater of my team — we are together. What happens outside the arena is just that — outside the arena. When we are together, cheering for our team, the only thing that matters is getting to glimpse that “Victory is Ours” when we depart, and if we are not victorious, still chanting “GO KNIGHTS GO” as we make our way from the arena. Together. United. All the same.

All that matters is a clean, well-played game.

I wish life were more like hockey.

(The photos below are in reverse order — starting with images from the NBC Watch Party and going backwards — including the utterly magical day I was selected to do an on ice competition and ending with some screen grabs from the amazing app “15SecondsofFame” that snares images from jumbotrons in which one is featured and serves them up in, you guessed it, 15 second snippets.)