A New Dawn: The Start Of A New Hockey Season

It's the start of September, the days are getting shorter, leaves are changing colour, and fall is about to begin. Sure, it's an important month for all of the above reasons, but September is the start of a brand new hockey season for minor and pro hockey teams all across the country. For me, it's one of the best times of the year, aside from summer, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The start of the season parallels to spring, in a way. Hockey arenas, no matter how old they are, always look squeaky clean. New ice has been installed, leaving a beautiful canvas of white ice and painted lines for players to skate on and refine their skills. Best of all, new sticks are often purchased, new jerseys are given out and new friendships are made between teammates. While that all sounds great, September is where the work starts. Coaches will use every opportunity they have in to push players to the limit. Practices may be painful and pre-season games will often look sluggish, especially if a team is made up of a majority of new players. But it is through this work, this never ending grind, that teams come together, and that can mean continued success moving forward into the regular season. Personally, I have gone through this whole process for more than a decade and I embrace it. I welcome not only the clean rinks, new equipment, and new relationships, but I also welcome gruelling two hour practices where your legs and quite frankly, your whole body, feels the strain of completing strenuous skating and battle drills. That may seem like a bit much to the average human being, but I'm a hockey player, and all hockey players love this time of year, no matter what level or age group. Bring it on, September. Let's play.