hockey blog nov10

Nov 29, 2011

OK. Let's try some free-association/six-degrees-of-separation (or something) style blogging today. Back in the Maritimes when I was a kid there was a high-school game show called Reach For The Top. Did they have it here? Doesn't matter. The show always ended with a series of questions it called "Short Snappers." In that spirit, here is today's offering.

Strap yourself in . . .

We were at Joshua Creek last night where's Chris and the novice Black Knights broke open a tight game and won 6-3. John Whaley, a former rep goalie and a local baseball star, scored five (5) goals for the winners in a Darrell Sittler-like evening. I guess he's the captain for a reason, but I've been on the bench with the guy and he's a good kid, too. I was very happy for him -- and his parents. That hockey is not John's first sport is not unusual in this town. Lots of top-end Oakville kids excel at other sports, like . . .
Tyler Albrecht, who was teammates with Pad on a number of Oakville Hawks rep lacrosse teams and has since made an even bigger mark at prep school and has committed to Cornell University for next fall. He has been named to the Team Canada U19 field lacrosse team. Congrats to Tyler and his very proud parents. He too, is a great kid, and as a matter of fact, he is a very good friend of . . .
Ben Fanelli, local hockey star now recovered from a horrible head injury and playing again for the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL. Ben missed a lot of hockey, including all of last season, but returned this year and recently scored his first OHL goal, an event that had to thrill his family and many friends. Here's wishing him great success ahead. Head injuries take a terrible toll in sports so it's nice to see him get back to the game at such a high level. It's not always the case, as has happened with . . .
Another local hockey talent, Braeden Corbeth of the Bellville Bulls of the OHL. If you go way back to Pad's first season of MOHA hockey (1998-99) -- paperweight they called it then -- my guy was a teammate of Braeden's, even though Corbeth is a year older. A speedy forward, he recently announced his retirement from hockey after suffering a 5th concussion. As a parent your heart aches for the kid and his family because anyone with a competitive athlete -- an elite athlete -- in their life knows how much of their heart and soul goes into the chasing of the dream. You can't put a price on your health, so here's hoping he enjoys lots of success in schooling and whatever else he decides to pursue. But like I said, not everyone we know is a hockey player . . .
Another of Pad's friends (and another former teammate) Cole Munden was recently named one of the Golden Horseshoe Top 100 Football Players. Cole is a beast -- and also a great student and a friend who is endlessly supportive of Pad and lots of other kids. This is a big honour for him. Watch for him ripping up a collegiate field sometime very soon. Cole is famous not just for football. He has tattoos . . . speaking of which . . .
A woman in England is suing her ex-boyfriend who tattooed a giant, um, turd on her back while she thought she was getting something more artsy. Turns out he found out that she had been playing games with his best buddy and after a bottle of wine, he took some artistic licence. You can read about it and see the art here.
All of which might make a person slow down and consider what one is doing with their life. Further down the road you may want to pause and look back with a little bit of reflection. A columnist at the New York Times did that recently, asking readers to submit essays on their lives. I found the work to be quite moving and honest, and I think you will too. It is well worth your time to read The Life Reports.

Nov 28, 2011

Did politics spawn minor hockey, or did minor hockey create politics so that adults could have a forum for their own inanity? You better get a cup of coffee. A large one. I’ll wait.

- - -

As noted in last week’s final scribble, the bench staff of Canada’s team™, the Oakville novice Leafs, sat in the stands and watched our troops do battle on Saturday morning. We were suspended for one game for the sin of not printing our names on a game sheet we had signed.

OK, fine. My/our bad.

VP Louis and Trainer Charles (who was on many a Ranger bench over the years with my boy Pad) helped staff the bench with coach Dan, the only regular to survive the suspension axe.

For old guys, they did well. The game was a 2-2 draw, thanks to great goaltending and The Replacements, no doubt. We gave them three cheers after the game. Actually, we are sincerely glad they came so the kids could play. Thanks, and no joking about that.

So, that was all good. Parents eventually came around to it (there was a lot of grumbling) but we shrugged and moved forward. It is never about the coaches, it is always about the kids and the kids got to play.

Everyone was smiling.

- - -

I would be thrilled to report that this was the end of it. But it is not. There are other game-sheet related things bouncing around novice hockey – and perhaps other divisions, I don’t know.

I’m not going to go through it all chapter and verse. It would bore you and annoy me. (And no, I haven’t been suspended again, although I fully expect that it will happen again.)

But I am left asking myself, how did we get into this swamp? Why, for the sake of house league hockey played by seven year olds, are we suspending volunteers for not printing their names on game sheets, or ordering games replayed because MOHA itself failed to do something that is part of its responsibilities?

I asked these questions and more to Louis Ouellette, MOHA’s VP House League. He was helpful and patient and I’m sure a little wary that my objective in all of this is to pinpoint a villain. I hope I can offer honest comfort in saying that is not what I’m up to here.

Anyway, Louis points out (correctly) that game sheet rules have not changed and rules are rules. I would respectfully point out that until the move to designate all Oakville red-level house league teams “minor development” (sort of like Select level) that no one cared whether game sheets had a coach’s name printed on them as long as they were signed (and I could provide a drawer full of them from 13 years on a MOHA bench as Exhibit A.)

Game sheets are important as a game record if things get ugly. And they are an administrative record to make sure the officials get paid. But for house league, for my 13 years, no one cared if Joe’s dad was seconded to swing a gate because one of the bench staff was out of town on business or sick. Until now.

- - -

Some background:

MOHA used to have house league “red” – the highest house league division, and one that permitted body checking for minor peewees and older.

Last spring, the OMHA – our governing body – adopted a policy to ban body checking from all levels and age groups of house league.

To get around this rule, MOHA changed all the house league “red” divisions to “minor development” which is sort of like Select, but not quite. But it’s not house league either, and under it, the older divisions – minor peewee and up – get to retain body checking.

The new rule was applied in an omnibus fashion – meaning even age groups where kids are not allowed to hit – like, um, novice – were rolled into the MD juggernaut.

With MD comes a whole set of rules and regulations that are, to me, actually anti-house league.

Examples?

Rosters had to be set and locked down before any games were played. So, no rebalancing of teams. If a team is weak, it stays that way. Ditto for the super powers. Minor hockey drafts are imperfect and balancing allowed a chance to correct problems. That it can’t be done is 100 per cent contrary to the philosophy of house league hockey.

Second, MD comes with a level of administrative rigour that conveners and referees were not prepared for. For example, a lot of refs doing novice are 15 and 16 years old. They are not doing pre-game gamesheet reviews the way a veteran ref handling a rep game would. But the OMHA expectation is that they should be. (And I wonder if the kids working MD games are being paid rep-level game fees.)

Third, the whole “hitting” issue. Even if our novice team was AAA, there would be no bodychecking. So why do kids in novice, minor atom, atom, etc, need to be MD? What’s the upside?

Fourth, there is not a single family on our team that thinks they signed their kid up for anything other than house league hockey – with balancing, fair play, etc etc. No one signed up for Select or MD. They never heard of it.

- - -

So, I asked Louis, why do we have MD at all? And why at novice where they can’t hit anyway?

He was patient enough to answer. His reply:

“The MD or rather Select League designation for Novice through Midget was to match what some of our fellow associations (i.e. Brampton) were traditionally designating their top level of House League as. These centers are our own traditional competition in exhibition games and tournaments.
“The designation reflects the fact that we are a strong center competitively and are able to field a multi-tiered House League due to fabulous registration numbers. We are in fact the largest single association within the OMHA. Our teams, Rep down through Blue compete well in, and more often than most, win many tournaments. We are a strong Center.”

He’s right. MOHA is really strong.

But as a volunteer and parent, I don’t see why what Brampton or anyone else does matters to the house league structure in Oakville. I’ve coached with lots of MOHA house league red teams in Select tournaments over the years. Louis is right -- that for our top old house league, now MD teams, to play in Select tournaments, they have to be able to hit. Hence, the move to Minor Development.

But I’m still left not understanding why our novice kids need MD. They can’t hit at any level. Nor can minor atom. Or atom. . . .

- - -

Your correspondent is fully aware that I sound like a broken record. That doesn’t mean I’m wrong and it also doesn’t mean MOHA is being run by evil people. Adults can have honest disagreements.

And there are a lot of good things about house league hockey in MOHA. I go to lots of rinks, not just when my kids play. I watch and I ask questions. People are generally happy.

Some good things?

The initiative on concussion baseline testing is forward-looking, kids-first policy that showered MOHA in positive press, for good reason.

The elimination of the cartoon logos on jerseys is excellent – and in fact this year’s versions of the house league uniforms are the best ever. Better than Ranger garb, in my opinion. Clean, crisp lines, snappy colours – a great job.

The ice time allocations may not be perfect, but they are very good and show a lot of care and thought went into scheduling.

The house league drafts (I was involved in two) were among the best I have seen – no deal making allowed among power-hungry dads, but reasonable accommodation where it was obviously appropriate. This sounds really easy – trust me, it is perhaps the hardest thing to get right in minor hockey.

And a good job is being done to recruit new blood – lots of familiar faces remain around the rinks, but there are also lots of new faces among conveners.

- - -

So, you may reasonably ask, OK smarty pants, now what?

If the OMHA ruling had to be subverted (and as a parent and MOHA member I am unconvinced on that score), a smarter approach would have been to make all the red divisions that already had bodychecking MD and let them keep it until they finish hockey – grandfathering, as it were.

As subsequent cohorts of younger kids hit minor peewee, you could eliminate MD for each division – peewee, minor bantam, bantam, etc.) as they grew older. These kids never had body checking in the first place, so you’re not taking anything away. Within a few years, there would be no bodychecking at all in house league, and no one would have had anything taken away from them.

And yes I know – as with building a winning hockey team in Toronto or winning a land war in Asia, it’s a lot harder than it sounds.

- - -

So, I’ll leave it all there for now.

Earnest people with good intentions put more hours into MOHA than me and still have the patience to tolerate me muttering from the stands. I appreciate that.

If I were asked my advice (and I was not) I would quite humbly suggest that a simple filter of questions be applied to everything in minor hockey. Everything. I'm sure these questions are often front of mind, but to state them out loud:

Is this in the best interests of the kids? Does this make the house league experience more fair and equitable and fun? Does it make the game safer? Does it encourage volunteers to participate? Does it encourage promotion and development of our best players? Does it protect the best interests and development opportunities of our weakest players?

The answer always needs to be yes.

Nov 25, 2011

I’ve been on a bench in minor hockey every season since 1997-98. That’s a pretty long time and regular readers will know that I have more than a few stories to tell, and more than a couple of scars.

Every now and then things happen in minor hockey that make you go “hmmmm.”

And one of those has happened to me and two of the three guys on our bench with the novice Leafs (have I mentioned we’re in first place?)

Because we didn’t print our names out on a game sheet, we’ve been suspended by the Ontario Minor Hockey Association for a game. I’m told several other coaches, trainers, bloggers, equipment managers, canteen attendants, gas pump jockeys, Twitterers and ranking diplomats have also been suspended for the same reason.

MOHA’s VP of house went to the wall for we, The Aggrieved, but to no avail. Convicted, sentenced, done.

The OMHA’s department of paper pushers nudged their horned-rimmed glasses up the bridge of their nose, snorted that a rule is a rule, and we lost.

Now, you might think that I would be outraged or miffed. No, when I got the news I got thirsty and had a beer (luckily it was last night and not this morning, because as I recall from my undergrad days, beer and Cheerios is an acquired taste, and I never acquired it.)

The truth is, stuff like this happens all the time and if you ever heard the old saying you can’t fight city hall, well, it applies to the OMHA by a factor of 10.

Depending what side of an issue you’re on, that can work for you or against you.

A few years ago, Pad was on a team that lost an OMHA playdown semi-final game but protested because the other guys put the name of an ineligible player on the game sheet (he had been suspended for two games but only served one. The coaches on the other team assumed it was a one-game suspension and didn’t look it up. They were wrong.)

So, our side protested, which felt small and technical but hey, rules are rules and the matter never even got to a hearing. The OMHA looked at the game sheet and said the other guys forfeit and that was that. (They went on to beat us in OT in game six of a first-team-to-six-points series. I still get dry heaves recalling the OT. But I’m not bitter. Not at all. Karma’s a bitch.)

Anyway, I have several points here.

First, Karma’s a bitch.

Second, rules are rules.

Third, live by the sword, die by the sword.

Kids will be confused tomorrow when the regular coaching staff on our team and others is/are sitting in the stands. They will be confused because they think weekend hockey is about them having fun. While they should be right, because that is the message our bench staff hammers home relentlessly, they're wrong. They haven't met the paper pushers yet

But that's a rant for another day.

- - -

The Oakville Rangers minor bantam AE team has made a video to participate in a contest -- first prize is a trip for the team to the World Junior Hockey Championships in Alberta.

Yes, they fill out their game sheets properly, so you should support them.

You can watch the video and vote at http://www.timbrtube.ca/videos/oakville-rangers-minor-bantam-ae/

Or, you can text your vote: v84 to 33255 .

Take a minute and help the kids out.

- - -

A hockey-filled weekend beckons. Blades at home to Hamilton tonight, then a novice game that I'll watch from the stands tomorrow morning, followed by a parent-player shinny game with the novices. Will it create awkward moments if I put Pad and Chris on the ice?

Saturday night the Blades are in Orangeville and then Sunday afternoon the novices play again, followed by a run into Toronto to see a minor midget GTHL game.

Then it's back to Oakville and Chris and the Knights play their game at 930p.

So . . . no hanging around at home and watching TV.

In fact, we have something going on every night but one for the next 17 days. That's just stupid.

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Drive safely. Hug the kids.

Nov 23, 2011

I have to start making better notes to myself. About six times a day I encounter something that I think could be spun into a funny, little slice-of-life vignette that will amuse you for the low, low cost of . . . nothing.

And I used to do that. I’d send little emails to myself with the subject line “Fodder” and then on days when I wasn’t feeling like rhetorical liftoff was anywhere close, I’d have a file of ideas.

But for whatever reason I fell out of that remarkably good habit and began relying on the less impressive old-school tactic of “remembering.”

I don’t remember so well anymore.

I have two email accounts, two online bank accounts, server passwords, security codes, Blackberry and Apple user IDs, and a JD Smucker’s Jam of the Month Club membership ID.

So the odds of me remembering the slabs of whimsy that get thrown at my feet in any given day are small to none.

I’m not trying to make excuses for not writing much.

Okay.

I’m making excuses.

And I say this because sometimes someone will stop me in a rink and ask where the ideas and organization come from and the answer is, apparently, thin air.

And increasingly, thin hair, too.

Your patience is appreciated.

- - -

I have to remember to start dressing down on Tuesdays. Because on Tuesdays, two things happen.

First, Chris always has a hockey game on Tuesday nights and second, I am increasingly pressed into service as trainer. And almost always I am going from the GO train to the rink, so me and my trainer’s backpack are there, with me dressed in a suit. Very spiffy? Maybe. But totally uncomfortable and don’t get me started on walking on the ice to tend to the injured wearing dress shoes.

Just FYI, being trainer on a house league minor midget team, where someone else fills the water bottles, is entirely different from being a trainer on a house league novice team where someone else fills the water bottles.

In midget, it involves the following work:

Lean against the wall behind the bench
Watch the game
Shut up and mutter “good shift” every now and then
Encourage the refs to mock the coaches.

In the unlikely event of an actual injury, I do the following (your experience may vary). For example, let’s say a player gets slashed on the forearm and has pain. Action points:

Ask player to make fist
Rotate fist 90 degrees left, and then 90 degree right. If player passes out after screaming with pain, there’s a fracture. No doubt about it. Otherwise, advise player to skate it off.

If the injury involves anything other than an injury to the forearm:

Ask player to make fist
Rotate fist 90 degrees left, and then 90 degree right. Player will have no reaction and this will be totally useless, but it sets up the next step:
tell them to skate it off.

In novice, it’s different. Every injury that occurs – and in fairness to our team, there have been few this year – is a debilitating experience. Bang an elbow? Fall down. Slash on back of leg? Fall down. Slide into the boards? Fall and stay down. Hang nail? Fall down.

You get the idea.

I mean they’re eight years old, so I cut them some slack.

So player A is writhing on the ice, clutching his elbow. Typical dialogue after I reach the scene, which can take from eight to 10 minutes.

Me: Hey buddy. What hurts?

Him: mmmmdfgth eherw jrd hedwh

Me: Let’s take out your mouth guard. There. Hey buddy. What hurts?

Him: My elbow.

Me: Elbow?

Him: Yeah

Me: Okay. Let’s take a look. Make a fist . . .(you know this part)

Him: Okay.

Me: Does it hurt?

Him: A little.

Me: Does it hurt so much that you’ve lost feeling in your legs?

Him: No

Me: When you have a sore elbow at home, do you fall down in the middle of the kitchen?

Him: (Smiling now) No.

Me: Do I need to call 9-1-1 or get a medical evacuation helicopter?

Him: No (laughing)

Me: I’m old you know. Making me come way out here is dangerous.

Him: What?

Me: Never mind. Get up.

He skates to the bench to the adoring applause of fans. Fans watch me and commence betting on when and where I will fall, and if I will hurt my forearm.

- - -

Anyway, Chris’s team played last night.

I was the trainer. I wore a nice suit. No one was hurt.

They gave up a goal with 34 seconds left and settled for a 1-1 tie.

If I was the coach and not the trainer, I would have coached them to not let the other team score with 34 seconds left.

It seems pretty obvious to me. But I’m just the trainer and no one asked.

- - -

Pad and one of his Blades teammates were selling Blades lottery tickets last night at Chris's game and they actually sold quite a few, which is no small accomplishment when dealing with grumpy parents on a rainy November night who would rather be at home in their fuzzy rabbit slippers.

The boys smiled and winked a lot and there were far more moms buying tickets than dads and the boys didn’t even realize that was going on.

Me, I just felt old.

Please support the boys when you see them in a rink.

- - -

The game ended just before 9p and by then, I’m starting to think a meal would be good. But Laura had a two-day conference in Kitchener and I decided to drive her, because it was freezing rain and I didn’t like her driving in that crap alone. It really was a lousy drive – far worse on the way back.

Oddly, when I got home Pad was in the kitchen heating soup. I thought he would have already eaten after Chris’s game and the ticket-selling duty.

“I did eat. I’m eating again.”

Oh.

I got home before midnight, had an egg sandwich and went to bed. 615a came way, way too early.

My life is a rock n’ roll dream.

- - -

Speaking of falling down on the ice . . .

You don’t see it much in lower levels, but in junior and college hockey, there’s a dedicated equipment person who looks after the equipment -- skates, sticks, etc. It’s a really important job.

Part of the job is to make sure the sticks – junior players call them twigs, ‘cause that’s cooler – get to the bench and are kept in order.

There’s a right way and a wrong way to get the twigs to the bench.

The right way is too boring to even talk about. No news there.

But the wrong way? Well, the wrong way is very, very entertaining. Picture a novice-league trainer inching across the ice to the bench – but with sticks!

So, I’m gonna leave you with the wrong way today.

PS -- NCAA college hockey crowds are notoriously boisterous -- and cruel.

So, this is really best viewed with the sound way up. The home town Clarkson University crowd is heckling the guy – the St Lawrence University equipment manager -- the whole way and when the inevitable happens, the reaction dwarfs what Sid the Kid heard on Monday night after he scored.

Sorry, but it’s funny. I hope he didn’t hurt his forearm.

But if he did, I bet the trainer knew what to do.

Nov 21, 2011

If I ever write a hockey book, it may end up being called The Education of a Know-it-All Hockey Dad.

I think many of us start out thinking that because we went down this road as kids and players, we are fully equipped to handle what hockey will throw at our kids.

I, for one, was wrong.

The one overriding thing I’ve learned since 1997 is how little I knew, how little I know, and that every journey to a rink, even now, is part of the hockey-parent learning curve.

Cases in point:

As our older son moved through hockey, each stage brought specific anxieties and worries, none of which we as parents could control. But as all parents know, that doesn’t stop you from worrying.

Way back in peewee when he played his first season in rep – AE Rangers! – he was called up to play with the A team sometimes. So, naturally you’re happy and naturally you worry that he’ll do his job okay and help the team and not do anything stupid. (Is it just me, or do you always assume that disaster is just one bad decision away?) And that particular worry continued as he played A, AA and AAA and was a call up for the teams above those levels. Call me paranoid.

Later, as a 15 year old, he attended his first junior camps, and we worried that because he is big that some older tough guy (junior camps feature players up to 20 years old) would make an example of him in some way (big guys attract attention from other big guys). It happened, but, eventually you get used to it.

Last year when he played his first season of junior hockey, he gave up the face cage for a visor. So, there was specific worry about the thousands of dollars spent on orthodontists and general worry about all sorts of things that can go wrong. But, after a while, you get used to that, too.

And then, also last year, came the first junior fight (he lost.) And then the second (he won.) And then another this year and then this past weekend, another (and a lecture from the coach on being careful to pick his spots, remember what his job is, etc etc., which I took some comfort it!)

Everyone loves to watch a hockey fight, except perhaps the parents of the guys in the fight. It’s not a pleasant thing but like all of the above examples, once you’ve made the decision to participate there’s little or nothing I can do about it. Depending on how you play the game (and Pad, as Brian Burke would say, plays with varying degrees of truculence, belligerence and pugnacity), it may be a part of what you have to do from time to time.

I’m OK with it now. Laura has been slower to join the party but she’s getting there. (Laura often takes a camera to the game to take action shots. During the first fight earlier this year, she refused to take pictures. This time, she kept shooting. Go figure.)

He came home from the game Friday night (they won) sporting a sheepish grin and a small cut on the bridge of his nose, from his visor being pushed down during the scrap.

The problem with a hockey fight is that if it’s a mismatch, then it could end badly for someone. Hopefully they won’t get hurt. But even in a fair match, the guys are fighting on ice and one guy could slip and fall or allow the other guy a chance to land a haymaker. Again, really all I hope for in these things is that no one gets hurt.

If you want to see video of the fight, click here. My kid is in blue. No one got hurt!

My experiences with Chris and his house league hockey are different – I’m constantly impressed and educated on how much these guys love the game and love just getting together once or twice a week just to play. No pressure, no worries about being cut or traded. Very, very rarely any fights.

You just need to have fun.

The education continues, with the next chapter happening tomorrow night with Chris.

I keep showing up and learning.

Some day I’ll get it right.

- - -

Of course, my journey with the novice Leafs is a journey of another colour altogether. These kids are at the age where the words of the coaches are gospel and all they want to do is make you happy. So, you have to learn to choose your words and your messages carefully – positive reinforcement, gentle corrective teaching when things go sideways, building individual skills and confidence inside a goal-oriented team structure.

It sounds easy, but you gain new respect for good teachers while coaching at this level.

Overall, being on the bench with these kids is more fun than I can describe.

And while we almost got chased out of the building in the first six minutes yesterday, The Juice kept kicking out pucks until his teammates remembered which direction to skate in, and the boys rallied for a 4-1 win.

We had a happy dressing room after that game.

- - -

After that I raced off for Pad’s afternoon road game, where they lost 4-3 in a shootout after letting the other guys build a 3-1 lead after one period.

My guy scored his first goal as a Blade, but that didn’t take much of the sting out of losing.

Lots of practice time for him this week, starting tonight.

And then . . .

- - -

The Return of Sid.

After almost a year away, The Crosby Show returns to the NHL.

No need to write 400 words about this. Simply stated, the league and the game desperately needs him back after an offseason of tragedy and a league struggling to find someone to be its face during his absence.

Pity the Islanders. They get first taste.

Watch it live, 7p on CBC with a special edition of Hockey Night in Canada.

- - -

The Great Twitter Experiment is now approaching 40 followers. As Chris would say, I’m conquering the Internet. I think he’s being sarcastic.

You can follow the blog-like tweets, even when I’m not blogging, by following me here.

- - -

Finally, a reminder that the Oakville Blades lottery to raise money for breast cancer research and team hockey development programs continues. A big thank you to bog reader who have stepped up. We will be contacting you this week to deliver tickets (and collect money!! J

You can get more information on the lottery here. Feel free to contact me if you’re interested in buying tickets. Thanks!

Nov 18, 2011

I’m back in the canyons of bank towers and office buildings. I enjoyed the change of scenery, eating my mom’s food, taking my dad out to run errands, and getting some business done in my home town.

But family is home, and mine is here.

There was a time in my life when business travel was fun. Before I had kids, mostly. When I was a reporter in Ottawa I always seemed to be going somewhere and Laura and I worked long hours and stayed up late with friends and then … kids. (Now we work long hours but come home at the end of the day.)

Even when they are teenagers you feel like you miss things if you’re not around, and security around air travel these days makes travel about as much fun as on-the-run root canal.

So, that’s my long-winded way of saying, I’m glad to be home.

- - -

Tonight in downtown Oakville, they are lighting the town’s Christmas tree.

But in a case of political correctness run amuck, they aren’t calling it that. It’s a Wish Tree.

And I, for one, wish someone would grow a pair and call it a Christmas tree.

I am fairly confident that our community’s track record in celebrating and encouraging diversity is pretty good and that we wouldn’t be risking a civil uprising if they called the tree what it is.

I suppose it’s just a coincidence that the town merchants put up a WISH tree five weeks before Christmas. I mean, why not put it up for March Break, or Canada Day, or Labour Day if it’s a Wish Tree? There are lots of things to wish for then, too.

Like common sense.

Maybe after the Wish Tree lighting everyone can head home to watch Charlie Brown’s Politically and Religiously Neutral Seasonal Retail Sales Opportunity Special? I always tear up at that one.

My kids enjoy the friendship of kids from all races and backgrounds. They are more colour blind to issues of race and religion than I certainly ever was at the same age. Classmates, teammates, friends, whatever. Colour and race simply don’t matter.

Laura and I have friends from many backgrounds. So why do our "leaders" feel the need to walk on political egg shells around Christmas?

I know the downtown merchants are simply trying to not offend anyone by doing something to attract people to the downtown to spend money. They would call it the Festering Tree of Bedbugs if they thought it would get more people to spend money.

But no one else puts up trees in December. It’s a Christmas tree. Right?

- - -

A few weeks ago the local paper did a pretty good job looking at the future of the aging Oakville Arena. It probably raised as many questions as it answered, but that’s not a bad thing either.

Bottom line – the rink is more than 50 years old and while the structure is still (more or less) sound, there are honest questions to be asked about whether it should be bulldozed.

Both my boys loved playing in that rink – and I loved coaching there. It has a special feel and is a true hockey barn of the old school.

But, time marches on and decisions will have to be made.

My two cents (and you knew I would have an opinion) is that the town missed an opportunity with regard to the future of Oakville Arena and the development of the beautiful Sixteen Mile Sports Complex, conveniently located in a field far, far away from people.

And therein lies my issue.

Sixteen Mile is spectacular. It is the envy of almost every team that visits to play the Blades, and it is a joy to go there to watch or coach minor hockey. I love the place. Well done.

But.

I think the missed opportunity was in not tearing down Oakville Arena at the same time and replacing it with a new multi-use single-pad arena with bowl seating that could have served as an anchor for downtown development, in much the way the Air Canada Centre did for Toronto. (Ask downtown Ottawa merchants if they wish Scotiabank Place was in downtown Ottawa, not in Kanata.)

The rink could have been home to the Blades, the Buzz, top-end women’s hockey, and appealed to a walk-up crowd who could walk to shops and pubs before and after games, concerts and other events and people could use multiple transit routes to come and go. A facility like that would engender a sense of community in ways that Sixteen Mile can’t, because it’s pretty much impossible to get to if you don’t drive.

There are much higher priorities now than another rink (and my, how times have changed on that front!) So this idea is dead on arrival.

As nice as Sixteen Mile is, there was an opportunity missed for our downtown that would have done more than a thousand Wish Trees.

You can read the Beaver's article on Oakville Arena here.

- - -

It’s Friday and we have a car so we will be at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex to watch the Blades play Milton tonight. The Blades have taken the first two games of the season from Milton, but the Icehawks are vastly improved in the last month, taking at least one point in each of their last eight games. The home side had better be ready to compete. The two teams will do it all again on Sunday afternoon in Milton.

Novice practice tomorrow, a game with the little guys Sunday before I race to Milton and . . . that will be it.

I’m looking forward to quiet Saturday night at home where I’m sure my wife will tell me how much she missed me while I was away. I missed her and the boys, but don’t tell anyone.

If you don’t have your snow tires on yet, it’s time. Snow tires are not just for snow. The rubber compounds in summer tires and all-season tires get harder in cold weather and your car won’t stop or turn as efficiently, even on dry pavement. It’s Canada. You need four snow tires. Get them on.

Be careful on the roads as you go from one game to another this weekend. Remember that the kids are starting to get excited as the Wish Season gets closer.

Stay safe.

Hug the kids.

Nov 15, 2011

I'm out of town for a few days -- mostly work, but also spending some time with the folks.

I missed Chris's game on Sunday night -- the boys won again with a last minute goal -- and I'll miss his game tonight, too.

Sorry.

Pad and the Blades won a weekend pair, winning Friday over Brampton and Saturday over Burlington.

The novice Leafs won in the absence of both me and coach Dave, who is on a hardship corporate assignment in Florida. So, we ran the table on the weekend.

- - -

I had to get up very early Sunday to be at the airport for 615a which is as much fun as you would imagine it would be.

The fact that the Westjet kiosks refused to print a tag for my single piece of checked baggage didn't help my mood.

And then the security clearance line was longer than a December night. Even the NEXUS line (Nexus cards allow users to basically jump the queue) was long, but I soon realized that that was just because guards were simply diverting overflow from the other lines to the NEXUS line. I showed my card and promptly walked past about 35 people.

Buh-bye.

The victory was short lived.

Our corporate travel agent hadn't booked me a seat on the flight, meaning I was assigned a middle seat.

Wonderful.

As I eased myself into the seat, a (very) lovely 40ish woman in the row behind be expressed her dismay at my predicament. I explained that an oversight by a travel agent resulted in what she saw.

Then she said:

"I have a son who is six foot two. He hates being stuck in the middle seat."

I looked at her and said that she had to be kidding -- she was way too young to have a child who is now six-foot-two.

She smiled. "Would you like my aisle seat?"

Me: "Yep!"

It's a great country.

- - -

I don't have a lot more to report. I'm sorry I'm going to miss Chris's game tonight, but I don't miss many.

Chris astounded, amazed and dumbfounded us with his report card on Monday so I can't wait to see him in person and spend three or four hours staring at the marks.

He's always been a decent student but he has shown extra diligence this fall and all of the sudden he's seeing the results.

Memo to Chris: keep it going!.

- - -

The Twitter thing continues to roll along. Follow me here.

- - -

You can support the Oakville Blades lottery to raise money for breast cancer research and the Blades' hockey development programs by ordering online here or just email me and I can make it happen. Tickets are $20 each and you could win a car, a Caribbean vacation, and other great prizes.

Come on. You know you want to.

One loyal blog reader, minor hockey coach and oft-times counsel to the blog has committed to buy 25 tickets.

Can you or your group top that?

Nov 11, 2011

I’ll keep it short today. You can spend the seconds you might have spent reading here to maybe think about the sacrifices of others, or poke around the web and look at some of the good work done by various media for Remembrance Day.

Everyone should have their own reasons to pause and remember. It’s trite to say, but there is really no way for the likes of me to comprehend the magnitude of what others did so that I and my family can live the way we do and enjoy the freedoms we take for granted.

If you like to read, today is a good day to recommend the book Unbroken. It’s about a Second World War American airman, but it will give you staggering insight into the sacrifices made in the name of freedom. There is a reason they are called The Greatest Generation.

The video below is a happier one.

It shows a young Belgium lad – he looks to be eight or so – waiting for Canadian troops to pass during a ceremonial parade commemorating things that happened decades ago. In general, troops on parade like this just march, eyes straight ahead.

For Canadian and others of the Commonwealth, occasionally the parade will be ordered “eyes right!”, such as when marching past royalty, or a reviewing stand, etc.

It’s quite touching to see what the Canadians do when they pass the boy as he salutes them.

Like him we should all take a moment today to honour and remember – not just the fallen, but all who have served, and those they left behind.

- - -

I was going to rant about Joe Paterno. I’ll save it for another day. I don’t really want to get into it on this day. Suffice to say, he’s a disgrace.

- - -

This final video resonated with me, for obvious reasons. It was produced by the garment company that sponsors the Ontario Junior Hockey League player of the month awards. Someone look a lot of care preparing it.

Regardless of whether your kid plays house league, or minor peewee A, or midget AAA, or for the Blades, you’ll find a moment to connect to in these three minutes.

The video is called The Junior Lifestyle. The subjects are the Pembroke Lumber Kings, the reigning RBC Cup national junior A champions and consistently a top franchise.

The kids on these teams – and the teams that shape and train kids for an opportunity to play at this level, from house league to rep – make sacrifices. They miss a lot of things that their friends do in terms of school and social lives.

And that was the part I connected to the most. The players practicing and skating in foggy rinks and the fighting and the battles and hits and toughness – yes, that resonates, too. I’ve seen all of it from concussions to broken limbs to cuts and stitches.

But it was the voice talking about the things you’re going to miss if you want to be a junior A hockey player that really struck a chord with me.

There’s not much glory in war or hockey. Sacrifices are made in the name of both.

The men and women who have served Canada to protect our freedoms are responsible for creating a land where kids like mine and yours are free to decide to make their own sacrifices to pursue something happier – love of a sport and perhaps a dream.

The stars of this video are juniors, but they could be rep minor players of any age.

They’re from Pembroke, but it could be Huntsville or East Hants, NS, or Whitby or Oakville.

It was a reminder to me that while much of what we, as parents, watch them do on the ice looks easy, it’s not. It’s hard and physical and often painful and punishing.

And they can’t wait to do it again. Really, that’s remarkable. They’re just kids.

PS – I’ve never been to the rink in Pembroke. It looks like a great old barn.

- - -

Thank you to the people who responded to my pitch for supporting the Oakville Blades Jr A raffle. Breast cancer research is a worthy cause, as are the young men on this team.

If you missed it, you can click here to zip down to yesterday's post.

We need your support.

Nov 10, 2011

There was a terrific minor midget hockey game for Chris and the Knights on Tuesday night. Playing from a trailing position for almost the entire game thanks to a very, very hot goalie on the other end of the ice, the guys fought back.

The boys finally tied it with less than two minutes left.

I love these games. This is pure, joy-of-the-game hockey. No one pretends they are going to the NHL anymore. They play because they like to play and they are all very comfortable in their skin.

The team also had what may have been the first on-bench trainer in the history of MOHA decked out in a pinstripe suit and cuff links.

Hey – you can’t knock a guy for trying to raise the sartorial bar a few inches, right?

- - -

The other hockey player in our house is back at it tonight, too. The Blades host the Brampton Capitals on Rick Hansen Night in Oakville. It’s a bit of an odd name, because Rick won’t be there. But the evening will be Oakville’s turn to honour the 25^th anniversary of his remarkable Man in Motion world tour way back in the day, before Laura realized that marrying me was signing on for a life of hockey.

You can read the local paper’s story on what’s coming up tonight.

Public skating and a slice of pizza for $5, among other things. And then you can come watch the Blades and say hi to me.

I may be in the pub before the game.

In fact, it’s a very good bet. I’ll be with the leggy blonde.

- - -

Still with the Blades . . .

The team has launched its big fundraising project for the year and it’s a good one.

The project is a lottery with some really cool prizes (a 2012 Chevy Cruze LT, a Caribbean vacation, Leaf tickets, golf packages, dining packages, and more. Click here for details and online ticket ordering.

Proceeds from the ticket sales support not just the Blades development programs – funds will also go from every ticket sold to the Canadian Cancer Society and breast cancer research.

Further – if local minor sports teams and other community non-profit groups wish to sell tickets, then they can use a portion of the funds for their fundraising goals. It’s community oriented, it’s important and it’s great value.

Frankly I’m stunned you’re still reading and haven’t run off to buy tickets.

But since you’re still here, here’s the thing.

First, breast cancer is a horrible thing. It doesn’t touch your life, so much as it mauls your life. In our family we know this first hand and sadly, that makes us in no way unique. Too many friends, neighbours, and family members have been hit with this horrible disease. That my wonderful mother-in-law is a survivor able to make Cape Breton’s finest chocolate chip cookies for her grandsons every summer is testimony to an indisputable fact: your dollars in support of cancer research MAKE A DIFFERENCE. It can be beaten. (See how I sucked up there? Only two, maybe three more years of sleeping in the barn in Cape Breton and I'll be invited into the main house. Maybe.)

Second, the Oakville Blades Jr A Hockey Club does an awful lot to promote the interests of the young men who earn a spot on the team. The coaches and management demand excellence and push hard. Some kids win scholarships. Others move on to major junior hockey. Some eventually play pro. And they ALL give back to the community through volunteer work and supporting things like this lottery. I have seen the priority the team management puts on the kids’ development. It’s impressive.

Third, you guys get to read this blog for free. I don’t post ads, I don’t charge admission, I don’t put up a link to PayPal and beg for contributions (yet.)

So, I’m going to ask a favour.

I’m going to ask that if you’ve ever been entertained, amused, or informed by my scribbling here, that you please consider supporting this fundraiser by buying tickets. (They are $20 each.)

And I’ll tell you what. If you coach a sports team in MOHA or the Hornets or whatever, and you get your team to sell tickets, I will arrange for an Oakville Blade (or two) to come liven up one of your team’s practices. No charge (but they may want a juice box).

Regardless of all that – this is important and it supports important goals.

I’m going to stand on the soap box here and say I never ask you for anything, but I’m asking now.

You can click here to contact me and I will get you tickets.

If you prefer (and women who hang out at Oakville radiology clinics in July just might) I can arrange for a handsome, young, 6-foot-4 inch hockey player to deliver the tickets with a sparkling smile.

Whatever it takes.

Laura and I support this cause, and this lottery, wholeheartedly. Some of you have already stepped up big. Thank you.

For the rest of you reading this right now:

I hope you won't find it an imposition if I ask you to consider supporting the goals of this cause by buying tickets.

I appreciate that there are many demands on your time and money, but if you are interested please let me know by return email and I will ensure a large hockey player appears on your doorstep soon.

Thanks in advance for your consideration of this. I really hope to hear from you soon.

Thanks!

Nov 8, 2011

Joe Frazier died yesterday. He was the former heavyweight boxing champion of the world when that meant something. He was the first man to beat Muhammad Ali. That meant something then, too.

When I was a kid and the Ali-Frazier rivalry was in its heyday, there was no Internet or cable TV. You could barely get fight highlights on a three-minute sports package two days after the fight was over.

But I would go to bed with a little transistor radio under my pillow and I would listen to those epic fights. In a dark room with my imagination filling in the pictures, it was wondrous.

Few kids today will ever know that feeling, of hearing something that they could never actually see.

Frazier, Ali and a few others were giants of the sporting world. I was never a big boxing fan, but they transcended their sport and were pillars of popular culture in ways that the clowns parading around octagons in MMA fights today could never be.

When the great athletes of the 20th century are remembered, Smokin' Joe will be high on the list. No one will recall Brock Lesner.

I wish there was a way I could tell my kids just how big the Ali-Frazier fights were. But I don't think I am a good enough writer to make them understand.

Suffice to say that when they fought, it was unquestionably the biggest story in the world that day.

Take the pre-fight hype in Rocky, multiply it by 1,000 and you might get the idea.

Biggest. Story. In the world. Everywhere in the world.

RIP Smokin' Joe.