So far this year, I have read 12 books according to my Goodreads App. Three of them involve hockey, ” The Making of a Miracle” , Mike Eruzione’s untold story, ” 99: Stories of the Game” by Wayne Gretzky and ” Mr. Hockey: My Story” by Gordie Howe.

The latter two referenced ” Hockey Night in Canada” as a grand ritual. When it was on, the entire country of Canada shut down and watched hockey. I envision families in the living room surrounding a radio or small black-and-white TV. Children are in awe of their heroes, rooting them on and hoping to be just like them one day. For Gretzky, his hero was Howe. For the hockey player, one felt they made it big if they were mentioned or, better yet, were interviewed.

No doubt, Canada is still the ultimate hotbed for hockey, but changing times allow people to watch games outside the living room, such as in bars, on phones, and at outdoor watch parties. Large corporate media outlets allow this to happen. As mentioned in the article above. The CBC is being bought, and changes are being made. There’s talk of having “Hockey Night in Canada” specials during Olympic hockey coverage for the next 12 years.

Hockey is huge where I come from- New York. The boys on the block would pretend to be the Rangers vs the Flyers playing roller hockey in the streets. My father and brother would watch Rangers hockey on WWOR Channel 9 every weekend. I grew up with the whole family in the living room, watching Team USA defeat the Soviets, followed by the gold-medal game two days later. Three months later, we were in that same living room rooting for the NY Islanders on their way to the first of their four consecutive Stanley Cups. My clock was set every Tuesday and Thursday night for games between October and May. ( This was the early 80’s, and there were not as many teams ) Cable TV was growing, and so was the hockey schedule, thanks to expansion teams.

Living in Atlanta, hockey came and went….twice. When it was here, we took our kids to games as long as they were playing either a Canadian team or an ” original 6 ” team. Their fans follow them everywhere, and the air was electric. It brought me back to my childhood. Now that my kids are older, they still like hockey and try to take in games in neighboring states, Florida, Carolina, and Nashville, to name a few. These teams did not exist in my day. We’ve been to many sporting events, but there is nothing like a hockey game. It’s just hard to explain. You have to be there.

Since the Thrashers left for Winnipeg, the Gladiators, our beloved ECHL team, has grown. Originally, the Gwinnett Gladiators became the Atlanta Gladiators in 2015. It may not have all the bells and whistles of an NHL game, but the spirit of hockey truly exists. They even honor the Thrashers with games in which the players wear gold, white, and midnight blue.

And the latest news….. we will most likely receive the next NHL expansion team. You know what they say, the third time is the charm.