Another weekend, another season

I started a new season with the West team this past Saturday night, and so far I'm amazed how much better I've gotten since September. I've been playing in a C2 level league (I'm more a D-level player, I-level when I started) and this is a new I-minor team. We did pretty well, and I was definitely much better than I thought, but perhaps that's not fair to say since this is the beginner level league and I've been playing for eight months, four and a half in C2 league.



We didn't have assigned numbers yet, but I managed to get the number 37. Kevin Smith fans will recognize the reference as one thing, and Monty Python will recognize it as something else. I'm not old, and I'll try not to suck any dick on the way to the ice. There, now the references are out of the way.


It was my first time in anything but I-league scrimmage at the other facility playing as a center, and it wasn't too bad. Even at the other league I'd only been in for one or two shifts as a center. We had one goaltender, four defensemen, and two forward lines. They assembled the first line, and we got our line together. It turned out that I was assigned a girl who had never put on pads before, and a guy who hadn't skated in four years. This left the obvious decision of me playing in the middle and my two cohorts as wings. I asked which side they'd prefer, and neither had a preference. After asking whether my female teammate was left or right handed, I assigned her to right wing to match her handedness, but we changed our mind at the last minute and made her left wing upon determining that it was closer to the bench.


Anyhow, I made a good show of it, despite missing my many shots. Even on four breakaways, countless shots, and an instance of running in circles. I learned that impressive play is not always a mark of skill. On one approach, I lacked a shot, so I looked for a pass but lacked one, so I took it around the net, going through a few guys in the process with fancy-looking puckhandling that really consisted of me losing and regaining the puck rapidly, and upon still lacking a shot or pass, I did it again. Then I just tossed it in the corner to let my winger get some practice. I probably should have shot, but their goal was pretty much clogged with defensemen and out-of-position forwards from both teams. In the end, we did win 4-1.


The officiating was much better than my old facility, as was the ice. The Zamboni was actually in proper repair, which is astounding after my old rink. I was very appreciated by my teammates, and I've now volunteered as a substitute for two other teams at different rinks. Looking forward to more hockey with these guys. This season is going to be a blast.