I sure used to be a hockey fan. Grew up in Winnipeg in the 70s, so I was able to be a Habs fan in the NHL and a Jets fan in the WHA. Then, when the Jets joined the NHL, I became a die-hard fan. I knew all the players, went to a bunch of games, and absolutely loved it. Morris Lukowich was my hero, then later Hawerchuk, then of course Teemu - still one of the classiest guys to play the game. For a couple of years my hockey coach was the president of the Jets' booster club, so he got us in to tons of games for free in return for handing out things at the door and doing other small jobs. I got to know the old Winnipeg Arena inside and out. It was a dump, but it was *our* dump, you know? So yeah, I can honestly say I *was* a hockey fan.

Then our crook of an owner sold the Jets to Phoenix of all places (no offence to anyone in AZ here. It just doesn't make sense that Winnipeg and Quebec didn't have teams while Phoenix did!). So I developed a hatred of the NHL and the bastard who ran (and still runs) it. And although a new Jets team has arrived back in my hometown, I just can't get behind the league any more. People back home lost their minds when they got a team again, jumped straight on the bandwagon, and didn't give a thought to the Atlanta fans who felt just as screwed over as we had not too long earlier. I went to a couple of games in Ottawa when the Jets came to town but just couldn't get back into it. Way too expensive, the arena is in a gawdawful location, far too many TV time outs... etc., and so on.

So unfortunately I have absolutely no faith in the NHL, no interest in watching it, and no real skin in the game. I guess I'd be happy if the Habs won the cup again, and I have plenty of friends who would be delighted if the Jets managed to win it some day. But sadly I really couldn't care less.

I do enjoy Junior and Olympic hockey and will watch it if it's on. But that's about it.

Well, that turned out a bit more curmudgeonly that I had originally intended.