...and a hockey match broke out

We're edging towards true Canadian-ness with a night out at the (ice) hockey!  Ellen and Meg wanted to see a game as part of their holiday, and while the Vancouver Canucks demand massive ticket prices we discovered the Vancouver Giants are far more sensible.  The Giants are the "major junior" team around here, which means that most of the players are 16 to 20, although the team included a 15-yr-old whiz kid who's going to be a superstar in a few years (according to the man in front of us, who knew a lot).  We were three among a crowd of 7000, shouting and cheering at everything.  Apart from when the opposition, the Kelowna Rockets, scored.  It was 1-1 after the uneventful first 20 minute period.

Then the cuteness arrived!  They had a team of 5 and 6-yr-olds take to the ice, for a game that was far more exciting than the senior match up to that point.  They looked soooooo sweet!  There's no question of what Pete will be doing as soon as he's old enough to slide.

There was also plenty of what North American sport is really about: advertising.  Between the 20 minutes of play there's an 18 minute break, mostly filled with promotions, competitions, sponsored Zambonis refreshing the ice...18 minutes!  You could basically fit two ice hockey games into the space they currently have one.

Then came the fight, of course.  In hockey you get penalised for "roughing", which is like getting penalised for punching in boxing.  Throughout the game players are getting splammed up against the glass, smacked over on the ice, but if you get a bit "rough" it's two minutes in the sin bin for you!

Things boiled over in the third period and what looked like a group hug took place right in front of us - it's hard to really fight when you've got so much padding on.  These kids should try rugby!  Anyway, the referees attempted to break it up, attendants tried to block the view of a baying crowd, and I turned to my left to see my 7-yr-old ballerina Goddaughter standing on her seat screaming "Hit him!  Hit him!"  She seemed to be enjoying herself.

It took longer to give out the penalties than it did to fight.  Someone was charged with an "attempted misdemeanor" - they didn't even manage to be naughty! - and lots of people had to sit and think about what they'd done.  Although there was only one player who was actually taken off the ice.  I need to read the rules before next time.

What was obvious was the scoreline: Vancouver 2, Kelowna 4.  Not what we were looking for, unfortunately.  But, you know, they got to have a fight, so I presume everyone went home happy.

Entering the Coliseum....

...just as the players get onto the ice.  They have cheerleaders in ice hockey too!



I have warm and friendly feelings towards this goalie...why could that be?

Getting started.

Open play.

And then these guys came on to scrape the blood off the ice.  Or perhaps just smooth it.

Underway again.

New fans.

We were nicely close to the action - plenty of "boom" as the players splatted each other into the sides.

You can ride on the Zamboni during the break!  How can I get on this next time?

So cute.  I wanted to buy one from the gift shop.

Stars of the (distant) future.

More advertising/entertainment: a dune buggy with a cannon that fired T-shirts.

Back to play.

Quick refreshments in the second break.

They're at it again.

#1 fan!  That seems to be a puck on her head.

And then the fun began...



...and carried on.  They kept taking one glove off before fighting, so I looked that up: "Players must also "drop" or shake off their protective gloves in order to fight bare-knuckled (essentially, "throwing down the gauntlet"), as the hard leather and plastic of hockey gloves would increase the effect of landed blows."  How civilised.  Here's the Wiki page on fighting in ice hockey.



Let's go Giants!