A satisfying calm came over us as we woke on Tuesday morning.
For a fleeting moment our worries were gone and all seemed right in the world. It was a feeling we have experienced often – most recently last February – but one that never grows old.
Basking in the glow of global hockey supremacy is something we relish after each and every Team Canada gold medal victory. Not to sound smug, but something about it just feels … right.
There are few things that inspire patriotic pride among Canadians like an international hockey victory. Quite simply, hockey is in our blood.
And for those of us not blessed with the talent to play the game beyond a recreational level, living the experience through the best players our country has to offer is the next best thing to being there ourselves.
Watching our National Junior Team capture the world championship on Monday night was all the more satisfying because it was our nation’s first junior gold medal in five years.
Monday’s display was also an important reminder of all that is good about our game. After jumping out to a 5-1 lead, Team Canada got into penalty trouble but managed to fend off a talented and determined Russian team. Our boys faced adversity head on and persevered – and, not surprisingly, they also outclassed the Russians.
Lessons about teamwork, Sportsmanship and winning (and losing) with class are regularly on display by Canadian national teams. They’re lessons that all of us lucky enough to play the game, and to have coaches and/or parents worth their salt, learned very well growing up.
Maybe that’s what makes Canada’s national winter sport so special to us: it’s more than just a game. It’s a way of life. Hockey’s lessons are applicable long after we have played our last game – competitive or otherwise.
Looking back, for many of us, some of our best memories are made at the rink, on the pond or in the street, playing our nation’s game.
We hope those currently making these precious memories – like a number of local rep teams succeeding at regional Silver Stick tournaments – realize how fortunate they are to contribute to the fabric of our great nation.
Then there are those plying their trade internationally, such as Grand Valley native Jeremy Wick, who helped Genève-Servette capture the Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland. The annual tournament is often overshadowed by the World Junior tournament, but the win is a monumental achievement for Wick.
Congratulations to our National Junior Team, to Canadians playing hockey across the globe, and to all the boys and girls carrying on a proud tradition. To borrow a line from a popular TV ad, “we all play for Canada.”
Many individuals bemoan what they see as an increasingly-sedentary lifestyle among youths and tout the physical benefits of hockey. But truth be told, the game’s benefits extend far beyond a bit of exercise. It can build character.
Long live our game.
