The Good Old Hockey Game Is the best Game you can Name... Mar 23 '01    Write an essay on this topic. Tweet The Bottom Line I've seen football, baseball, and basketball live, but nothing beats seeing a hockey game up close and personal! I'm a good Canadian kid, and like any good Canadian kid I am a HUGE hockey fan. About five years ago, I would eat, breathe, sleep, and drink hockey. I could talk hockey with the best of them. In fact, I used to want to be a play by play commentator. But, I grew up and my womenly instincts set in. Now, instead of catching a game at the local pub with the boys, I'd rather shop. This being said, I still jump at the chance to see a game live. Here are some basic guidelines to help you enjoy the game of hockey up close and personal. KNOW THE RULES Now you don't have to know the ref's hand signal for a cross-check, but knowing the basic rules does help. Here goes: There are 6 men on the ice per team. A goalie, two defense, two wingers and a centre. The idea of the game? To get the puck into the other guy's net. Easy right? Well there are a few hindrances along the way. There are two-line passes, off-sides, and penalties. I could go into every little detail, but that would make this epinion way too long . My suggestion? Go to a game with someone who knows the game well, and pick their brain. A word of advice though, do this before and not during the game or you'll annoy your friend and several people around you. TICKET PRICES It varies from city to city, but hockey tickets are pretty pricey. I just attended a San Jose Sharks game, and my tickets were $35 each for seats in the fourth row of the second deck. But with all the new arenas being built, there really isn't a bad seat in the house. So don't worry if you get nose-bleeders (tickets that are really far back), you'll still get a good view of the action. And never, don't you EVER buy tickets from a scalper. They are evil, nasty people. I also know someone who bought tickets from a scalper and they turned out to be fake. Consider yourself warned. SNACKS When you enter the arena, you'll be bombarded with concession stand after concession stand selling all sorts of food. The problem is they'll charge you a pretty penny for it. I've paid almost $4 for a coke before. I suggest you eat before you go, and bring some snacks with you. I know it's not as fun, but you'll save yourself some money. Plus you can always treat yourself to one tub of popcorn! ATTIRE It's an ICE arena... so dress warmly! Make sure you have a sweater with you. Remember, at hockey games, fashion is not an issue. If you have one, wear your favourite teams jersey. Just be prepared that if it's the visiting team, you're going to get booed. But it's all in good fun! THE GAME The puck's been dropped and the fun has started. The key word here is fun. I hate going to a game where everyone around you just sits there quietly. So scream, chant, cheer, even start a wave. Heck, dance in the aisles if you want to! Jump up and down when your team scores, or boo when they're scored against. Another thing that bothers me is when you're sitting by a bunch of businessmen who discuss work stuff during the game. It's distracting, and who cares when your big project is due. If you want to talk during the game, make sure it's hockey talk. There will be fighting. A lot of people don't like this, but it's a fact of the game, and part of what makes it so exciting. But remember, most of these guys are friends off the ice. So what's a few punches between friends? One more "thing that bothers me". People who find it necessary to get up from their seat and walk to the exit (or try to get to their seat) while the puck is in play. This is just plain rude, and bad hockey karma too (read the next paragraph for an explanation). The unwritten rule is, you wait for the whistle to blow. In some arenas they have actually posted signs asking you to wait until the play is done. At the game I was just at, a man got really nasty with the usher when she tried to stop him from going to his seat while the play was going on. He called her some rather rude names and yelled at her. When the play stopped, and he went to his seat, he tripped and spilled his beer all over himself. You see? Bad hockey karma. THE END Why oh why do people leave before the game is done (for example with five minutes to go)? I think staying to the end is a show of support for your team. Besides you paid for the whole game, you might as well get your money's worth. You wouldn't leave with five minutes to go in a movie, would you? Plus, I've been to games where it looked like our team was going to lose for sure, but got a few quick goals, forced overtime, and ended up winning. BOTTOM LINE Hockey is hands down the best game on earth. It's fast, it's fun, and great entertainment. Hockey players are probably some of the most skilled athletes I've ever seen. Treat yourself to a game and be prepared for a great time!

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