Family comes first but only just
Ok, so I will admit that the fault lies entirely with me for not checking the dates in advance. But still, the prospect of having to miss the first three Steelers’ home games of the season and potentially having to wait until late September to see my first puck dropped in anger had me throwing what can only be described as teenage tantrum. With two milestone birthdays in the family it meant three consecutive September weekends of parties.
Like I said though, it was my fault really as I’d failed to point the fixtures out to any members of my family when the party planning started. Like most men I’d let the women in the family deal with that side of things and so no matter how many times I stamped my feet and sulked hockey would have to wait.
So it was that I sat enviously reading the many tweets from Steelers fans getting ready for the home opener against Coventry, I was tortured by a friend and Braehead fan who texted me photos of her view of the Clan’s opening game against Tilburg and I even resorted to watching old Steelers DVDs to get my fix. But as we all know, there’s nothing like being at a game.
However just when I thought the hockey season was going to gallop off into the distance without me, I was gifted a golden opportunity. If I was a good boy at the first party and if I was to get all my housework and chores done in time I was apparently ‘free’ to make the short-ish trip to Coventry for the Steelers’ return pre-season game against the Blaze. I didn’t need telling twice.
So with the grass cut, the hedges trimmed and the washing line full I set off to the Midlands, stopping off briefly to pick up a mate who having received my phone call minutes earlier inviting him to join me had just thrown his Sunday dinner down his neck before grabbing his Steelers’ jersey.
There’s nothing quite like hearing the first swish of the blades on the ice and the dull thud of a puck hitting the boards for the first time in a long while. Standing outside the Sky Dome, whilst queuing to get in, these familiar sounds sent shivers of anticipation down my spine.
When we finally reached the ticket office and handed over our cash we were bizarrely, like some kind of hockey royalty, met by Mike Cowley on the way in. Having shaken the Coventry owner’s hand and then taken our seats with the rest of the Steelers’ fans who’d made the journey south, as some kind of reward for rescuing him from his usual Sunday afternoon routine, my mate dutifully provided me with coffee and hotdogs.
Sitting just behind the Coventry goal, wolfing down a healthy combination of stodgy white bread, questionable reconstituted meat and mustard, and washing it down with coffee that was hotter than the sun, I was in heaven.
The Steelers went on to reverse the previous night’s home defeat with a relatively comfortable 3-1 win over a slightly short-handed Coventry side. Whilst the rust was very much evident, the much talked about potential was also there to see. Drew Fata looked impressive on defence and it was great to see a full recovered Rod Sarich back there too. The forward lines looked strong as well, especially the likes of Goertzen, Legue and Shields. But for me the standout player was Shawn Limpright. The 31-year old winger looked a class act – great skating, good hands and seemingly the sort of hockey sense that will make the Manitoba native someone to look out for this season.
With the official pre-season done, the Steelers took on Cardiff last weekend in another back to back series. With 4 points up for grabs the outcome was the same with a home loss and win on the road, albeit after a penalty shoot-out. This weekend they once again face Coventry twice and with some scores from the first pre-season game still to be settled the action promises to be fast and furious.
Thankfully though my childish stropping did ultimately have an effect and following a few phone calls and some re-scheduling I will be getting to see some hockey at the Motorpoint Arena this weekend. Proof if ever there was that if at first you don’t get your own way, you can always sulk until you do. Even so, and as far as hockey is concerned, family comes first. But only just.
