I can now I say “I was there.”
OK, kind of.
For those of you who aren’t following hockey right now, “I was there,” is the official slogan of the 2012 World Junior Hockey Championship and the title of the tournament’s theme song courtesy of the ever-patriotic Paul Brandt.
It represents the fans who have watched past tournaments live and those who will be watching the games at the Scotiabank Saddledome and Rexall Place this year. Sadly, I will be watching the tournament from the comfort of my couch, but thank goodness for A) TSN and TSN2 broadcasting every Canadian pre-competition game and every tournament game and B) for my dad, who recently upgraded to a 52” HD flat screen TV.
The actual tournament doesn’t start until Boxing Day, but between Dec. 10 and 13, the WinSport Arena in Calgary hosted the 42-man practices and intra-squad games. It’s a beautiful facility, but they need to work on their cell phone reception.
Since I’m a hockey nerd and I’ve never been to a WJC tournament, I tagged along with my colleagues to soak up the experience. Note: if any of my friends and family reading this column ever doubted my passion for the sport before, this should change their tune.
Our staff Christmas party was held on Dec. 10, and it was a grand night filled with eating, drinking and being merry. There was also a heated discussion as to whether any of us would be in any shape to attend the first of the Team Canada practices, which started at 10 a.m. the next morning. I held fast that I would be at practice, and true to my word, I was up at 8:30 a.m. and on the road at 9:30 a.m., heading for Calgary.
By 9:45 a.m, I was parked on the side of Highway 2 with a busted headlight after I hit a patch of black ice and then the guardrail twice. A fantastic start to the morning.
However, once I figured out that my car was still drivable, I was back on the road to WinSport, and I made it in time to see both practices.
After a pit stop to the Saddledome for a Hitmen game, I was back at WinSport for the first Red vs. White intra-squad game. Over the past three years, I’ve watched my fair share of major junior hockey. It’s great entertainment, but when you take the top 42 Canadian players out of the 1,350 or so that play in the CHL and put them together, it’s an entirely different story.
The skill, the speed and the intensity of the scrimmages showed how desperate every player on the ice is to make the team. The intra-squad games also showed how big a deal the tournament is in Canada. Yes, the press boxes were full, one side of the arena was lined with TV cameras and media scrums were three people deep, but the fans in the stands were just as captivated with the action on the ice as the reporters.
Regular Joes become the next Bob McKenzie, Gord Miller and Ray Ferraro, debating who will make the team and what role they will play.
I walked right by all three of the TSN analysts during the first game. I didn’t squeal like I was a 13-year-old fawning over Justin Bieber, but I did e-mail my dad the next day to brag about it.
Some even become the next Pierre McGuire because, let’s face it, the tournament won’t quite be the same without his enthusiasm which bordered on creepy and ruined Miller’s commentary.
Young hockey players momentarily forget the likes of Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin. Instead, their heroes become players who aren’t much older than they are.
They line the banister that guards the walkway that leads from the dressing room to the ice with their arms outstretched, hoping for a high five from their favourite player.
It was the perfect way to close out my last weekend at the Rocky View Weekly. As of Dec. 17, I will be heading back home to Saskatchewan to finish up my last semester of school. The junior camp was one of the many cool things I got to do while I was here and it gives me plenty to brag about when I get back to Regina.
It’s been a blast, Airdrie, and trust me when I say I’m coming back to Alberta as soon as I can.
