Today I found myself among a group of serious hockey fans. They were looking forward to tonight’s Leaf’s game and they had a lot to discuss. These were guys who, even this early in the season, knew the stats. And, they had theories too – what the leafs had to do, who they ought to trade, who they ought to pair with whom and so on. This was serious business. Unfortunately, to me, it was to me as if they were talking a strange alien language. I can’t help but see the Leafs as that hapless franchise that manages to lose year after year no matter what coach or what general manager or what rebuilding program they have going on.

Don’t get me wrong. I like hockey, particularly playoff hockey when everybody is skating like mad and playing like it matters. That’s right, I’m one of those guys who picks a team halfway into the play-offs and jumps on the band-wagon. I know it’s wrong and maybe even un-Canadian, but I can’t help myself. I’m not so interested in mid-season hockey when the players dance around with one another and have little fights. Boy, am I ever tired of hearing about how fighting is part of the game. More like part of what makes the game boring if you ask me, and I know you’re not asking me. Watching two guys wearing armour pound away at one another with their fists just doesn’t do it for me.  I say, make the penalties for fighting and for dirty play so onerous that teams will start to think about the game and the players they go after a little differently.

Back to the conversation today. At one point I knew the Leafs talk was getting serious when the big F adjective was used to describe everybody and every thing. “I can’t believe they pay effin so-an-so $14 million”. “Ya, he ain’t effin worth more than 8 or 9.” “Ef ya.” “Effin right.” I made a feeble effort to take part in the conversation, just a little bit. “What’s the difference if you make $8 Million or $14 Million? I can’t even imagine that kind of money.” I’m sure they didn’t even hear me.

Maybe this is why I went to art school, eh?

PS…Colorado beat the Leafs tonight, 3-2.