Me first rough and tumble hockey game!

29 January 2011

493

R. Linda:

Last night I had tickets for the New Hampshire Monarchs vs. the Worcester Sharks hockey game in our big city of three tall buildings, Manchester (aka to locals -- Manch Vegas). We have built this entertainment venue for concerts, sporting events, etc., and the population is quite proud of it. To be honest, it isn't all that large a place, but it is nice and we do draw in some big names. But last night it was hockey, me first game ever. I had never seen a hockey game in me life, nor had I been to the arena, so this was a double first for yours truly. I had no clue what awaited me, no I did not. I was used to sporting events where you cheered on your favourite, and you politely applauded the opponents. If someone got hurt on either side you were concerned. Any brash behaviour wasn't tolerated, that sort of good sportsmanship be the norm for me.

First off, I will say it was a whole new world for me in the world of sport. It bordered on the bizarre and I didn't know what was going on around me for the fan base be like none I be familiar with. Sportsmanship? Pshaw right out the window!

Tonya and I arrived to the singing of the Star Spangled Banner given by small children who, unlike Steven Tyler, knew the song and sang it without screeching. There was a huge American flag held over the ice, everyone was respectful and as soon as the opening ceremony was over, the teams were out skating to warm up. We had third-row seats on the ice, so I was in heaven. The puck was dropped, game on and so was the first of three fights all within a span of two minutes. This was new to me, never had dignity been thrown out the window so quickly.

Elbow pads, gloves, and helmets littered the ice and the two combatants faced off like those boxing robots you see on the telly. Round and round, fists up menacing each other until one took the first punch and then it was bedlam between them. The refs stood back! Yes, R. Linda, they made no move to stop this and the two teams watched like salivating dogs wanting in! But the crowd, therein was the problem, they were stamping and yelling and applauding and egging them on. The fight was over when one of the combatants did a takedown and was lying on top of his vanquished opponent to thunderous cheers and THEN the refs stepped in and separated them. I felt like I was at a wrestling match to be quite honest. I didn't quite know what to make of it. No sooner were the men separated the equipment cleaned off the ice, the game began again and then WHAM off flew another helmet, gloves were thrown down with sticks and there were two more boxing robots dressed in hockey gear squaring off. I tell ya, the crowd loved it!

Here have a look

This by the way is called the 'shirt slip' when one player strips the other of his jersey. Quite the insult but at least I knew they were all heavily padded underneath and besides losing a few teeth no other injury to the body would occur with much chance. I tell ya!


If the fight is not stopped or even when it is in takedown mode and the refs are on the two fighters, a word or gesture might just incline the two benches to swarm out of their sections like wasps at each other for a fist-a-cuffs free for all that would rival a rock and bottle throwing session in Northern Ireland. And this includes the refs! 
   

                                                                                                   

Ready to swarm

Once settled down when the home team scored the first goal, the noise factor was over the top, shouting, whistles, cowbells, stamping, I tell ya I thought I'd be a deaf person when the crowd finally settled down. When the other team scored, boos like you wouldn't believe, cat calls, the whole insulting nine yards! 


                                                                                                     

                                                                                      

GOAL!

Now while this was all going on the puck was being slapped down one end of the ice to the other, me watching like one who watches a ping pong ball go left then right, then back again, I was distracted from me game watching by the man behind me dropping his phone. It was at me feet and since there were two empty seats next to me, I reached down and handed it back. Not more than five minutes later when a power play was going on (that would be one less man on one team and the other at full capacity looking to score) his wife dropped her phone and it shattered in pieces. So I had to stop me preoccupation for the reason I was sitting there and pick up all the pieces. Oi! And, she even tapped me hard on the shoulder to ask me to pick it up! The nerve R. Linda.


Then, since the man behind me had a cane, all those sitting in his aisle would climb over the two empty seats next to me and make me and Tonya have to stand so they could get by. Now I want you to know this went on the entire time we were there. No less than fifty times did the wife and I stand to let people who weren't in our aisle go by. I missed one goal when a young woman blocked me view just at the crucial moment. I said to her, "SERIOUSLY?" Well, she came back on the other side and made her entire row stand up so she didn't have to deal with ME. I was not happy. Me first game and I be feeling like a minion of those around me, they're not to watch a game, but to serve them. I know I be pissy but gees!


The first period ended and the Zamboni's drove out, two of them! While they were resetting the ice, there was a mini blimp on the ceiling floating around projecting pictures of a very enthusiastic crowd onto the four big screens suspended from the ceiling over centre ice. The get-ups on many were funny, and to keep this enthusiasm going, heavy metal music that has been adopted by sporting events was played like We Will Rock You. This inspires the fans to get up out of their seats and dance and it is the perfect excuse to be rowdy. One song sounded like an Irish band and the place went berserk, there were three girls up in the balcony step dancing and they did it well, I felt like I was home! There were many a step dancer in the audience. When the rousing Irish music was done and another Queen number came on, they were up there exhibiting the choreography of the Village People! I gotta tell ya, quite the entertainment, but nuts. 


The other noticeable thing was that the beer flowed like a river. And if you happen to be with your kids, drink up! The kid can drive you home. I was greatly disturbed by the thought of it. 


After the second period, the home mascot (a lion) came out with a team of wee ones who had a mini-hockey game for our entertainment. The youngest was this teeny tiny of 3 years old who couldn't quite keep up with the sport but he managed to skate after his fellows without falling down. Everyone was routing for him. I hate to say this, but at first, I thought he was a chimp on skates, he was so hunched down and I could not see but the back of him. My bad. Tonya was saying to me, "Oh how cute," and I was saying, "For God's sake Ton, it's a chimpanzee." The "little game" was amusing in that the puck was down on our end, but half the team were down the other doing God knows what. It looked like skating into each other so was a bit of a laugh.


One of the goal nets needed some adjusting so to keep the crowd whipped up, the skate boys and girls came out and lobbed tee-shirts into a cheering crowd. Later they came into the stands and lobbed team socks at us. I was doing more ducking than I ever did in Northern Ireland! Not to be outdone we had what are called Chuck-A-Pucks these foam rubber spongy orange hockey pucks that had numbers on them and we were encouraged to lob those onto the ice for the picking of a raffle winner. I tell ya the entire floor was strewn with these things and if you didn't get hit with one, you were lucky. I got hit twice, so I was glad they were soft. However, the young lady sitting below me did catch a puck that came over the glass. Security was right there asking if she was ok. She was, and very happy. Oi! But these Chuck-A-Pucks, even after the five winners were called, and the cleanup crew was out sweeping them up, people kept lobbing them onto the clean ice. I tell ya R. Linda, no regard for the game at all.


The game resumed and an opposing team member fell and the crowd cheered and laughed. He was hurt and the crowd cheered and catcalled him all the way to the booth. If one of the home team fell and was slightly limping they'd clap for them and shout encouragement like, "Get back in there McCarthy and hit that bastard where it hurts!" Oi, oi, oi! Oh yeah, most of the players on both sides had Irish names, I felt like I was back home I did. 

                                                                                 

And another goal for us!

 And a goal for them!

We went into overtime, so another first for me, I got the full experience.  We won it by the by 3 to 2. The MVP from our team was called to take a victory skate for the crowd and they went wild, the thunderous stamping and cheering and applause made the floor under me feet vibrate and they had a noise meter come on the big screens so everyone could see it and it records the loudness and damn if the crowd didn't push that meter to the loudest end. It was deafening! The MVP for the other team was called and as he appeared in the box, ready to come out onto the ice, the fans booed his arse like no tomorrow, he didn't even come out, he just turned himself around and you could tell he WAS pissed. 

                                                                                    

Our MVP for the night is Jake Muzzin!

I have to say it was a mostly strange and bizarre experience but it was exciting. I was mesmerised by the fast skating, the quietness of skates gliding over the ice, the sound of sticks hitting each other like the sound of chopsticks at a busy Chinese restaurant and then the BOOM as players hit the glass which sounded like that percussion sound you hear in the movies. All I can say is Hooray for elbow pads.


I can't wait to go again. "Yeah you Ref, get your tired arse off the ice or make the call!" Yup, I can shout like the rest of them I can. I'm ready now that I know what to expect. 


Gabe
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