The start of another hockey season

Henrik Sedin is named the Canucks'
new captain in a ceremony before the game

Last night my team, the Vancouver Canucks, played their first game of the year against the Los Angeles Kings. I’ve been looking forward to this for weeks and was trying to think of a way to describe the feeling of anticipation that opening night invariably brings.

Remember how you used to feel as a child when the new school year started? You had your brand new pencils and school clothes all ready to go, and everything felt so fresh and full of possibilities. As we get older we tend to lose that – jobs continue day after day and seasons slide into one another and everything can just kind of blur together.

Becoming a sports fan is one way to recapture that September feeling. The beginning of a new season for your team gives you that fresh start that we all crave so much. You look at the schedule and see limitless potential for your team. Injuries, heartbreaking losses and losing streaks have yet to happen. And a new season washes away the pain of the year before – yes, the Chicago Blackhawks threw my Canucks out of the playoffs last year and went on to win the Stanley Cup, but that doesn’t matter today. All that matters now is what happens in the weeks and months to come – and ultimately what happens next April. A fresh start, another chance, the opportunity to write a new story…that’s what we all looked for at the start of each school year. And that’s what keeps sports fans coming back for more year after year.

Anze Kopitar scores in a shoot out on his team's way to
victory. Kopitar had returned to the game with a few less
teeth after being hit with a stick in the mouth earlier on. 

The Canucks lost last night. In sports as in life you quickly learn that there is no such thing as a perfect year. A new haircut or a new defenseman is not a magic pill. There will be ups and downs. But I still believe that come next summer I will be looking back at a truly great year. Yes, this will be a year to remember.