Game 7



We all love a kiss, don't we?

That’s what it’s always called in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, "Game seven."

Not the 7^th game, as it’s been called in baseball for as long as anyone can recall, and it’s the same in the NBA, when it gets to one…er, Lebron, take some notes son.

It’s Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals tonight in Vancouver, with the Canucks hosting the Boston Bruins, and I have no dog in this fight. I have found myself rooting for Boston because I live in Vermont, Tim Thomas (the Bruin goalie) went to college up here at UVM (the University of Vermont, in Burlington), and I also lived in Boston, Worcester, and on Cape Cod for various stretches of my life.

Hockey remains a very regional thing in this country because a huge number of kids have never played the sport. It’s expensive to play hockey, for all the equipment, and ice time, and many moms (and dads) are averse to watching their kids get pummeled and slashed for weeks on end. It’s also been horribly covered on TV due to National Hockey League (NHL) Commissioner Gary Bettman’s decision to sign a deal with a network few cable systems carry. Add in that many of the players are foreign born, and it remains an afterthought for many sports fans.

Smile Mark!

That is really too bad, because it’s a fabulous sport, played by extremely tough and fantastically skilled players at a frenetic pace. At times the home crowd in attendance will actually charge the arena with unbelievable adrenaline. I have seen the players ‘feed’ off of it, like in no other sport I have ever watched.

The Cup goes for a dip.

The last time Vancouver played in a Stanley Cup game 7 was against the New York Rangers, in 1994. "My" New York Rangers, and "we" won, which broke a drought that had lasted from well before I had been born. I may have been as happy that night, with that win, as much as any I have ever experienced, and I have experienced many championships as a fan. All of my teams have won championships, and some have won multiple times, including the NHL, where a wonderful New York Islander team spun off 4 championships in a row, from 1980-1983.

The other cool thing about tonight, is that Lord Stanley’s Cup will be awarded to the winning team, and someone will etch all the names of the players on that team on the outside of the Cup. Then, the Stanley Cup will begin another odyssey around the country, and maybe even around the world? It’s a trophy that has found its way into the heart of its fan base – to bars and taverns, restaurants and other arenas hosting other games. People get to touch the trophy, and connect a little more to a game they love, and the team that has given them one of life’s ultimate thrills.

I think the puck drops in about 5 minutes, so I am outta here, as I need to fire up the TV, and make myself a long, tall adult beverage, and settle in for a great event.

4 in a row, baby!

I hope you’re watching too.

It's Game 7.