The 6 steps required to become a hockey fan according to e-how.com
Step 1:
Find the closest professional or minor league team in your area. They could be in the NHL, AHL, ECHL, basically anything short that ends with ‘HL’.
Chances are you already know that we have an ECHL team, the Idaho Steelheads, here in Boise. They can be found playing at Qwest Arena downtown, or you can catch games on the B2, or on KTIK. If you have kids in elementary school it’s possible that your children have played floor hockey with some of the guys. On that note, all you tween girls out there, that goalie whose name you can’t quite remember is too old for you. If you want his #32 painted on your cheek during the game that’s ok, just don’t giggle when you ask. It’s creepy.
Step 2:
Learn the rules. Even though you’re a fan, it’s a plus when meeting people later on that you know the basics, such as Icing, Off-sides, Roughing, Boarding, High Sticking, Slashing, etc. Also, and this is a HUGE plus, you will be able to yell at the television (or radio) when the ref’s make an unfair call.
I recommend that you bring a friend that knows hockey to your first hockey game. Just be prepared to buy this friend a lot of beer. Your friend will need it, trust me, I’ve been there . If you have no friends, it’s time to make some. You really should be more social, it’s healthier for you. Hockey games are a great place to meet friends. When the crowd gets upset, turn to the person closest to you and say, “What the heck was that call?”…. “Slashing? What bull crap!” then watch the video wall for the replay. Lesson learned.
Step 3:
Grab a schedule. Usually your home team will have one on their website, and most have them available to print. These are great for your computer area, office or bedroom.
Mine lives on my fridge. Actually, I have schedules from the last three seasons on my fridge. I’m not emotionally attached to them, I just hate cleaning off my fridge. The Steelheads website (link) is probably the best place to find a schedule because you can also buy tickets there. My fridge won’t sell you tickets. It doesn’t have very good customer service skills.
Step 4:
Watch some games! Depending on your area, NHL Hockey might be with your standard cable or satellite. Check the website for your service for the schedule.
People always tell me that hockey is hard to watch on tv because it’s hard to see the puck. I have two letters for those people…. H and D. If you can’t see the puck on your television, it’s too old. Your television, not the puck. The puck probably just came out of a box before the game. If you do have an old television, don’t give up. Sports bars all over the place have lots of big televisions just waiting for you to come watch them. If the bar doesn’t have a hockey game on, ask. If you’re with a group of women when you ask be prepared to hear someone to ask “There’s a table of women who want to watch hockey?” Yep, we go to the same place everytime we watch hockey and they still ask that question everytime.
Step 5:
Go to a game!
This is the event you’ve been waiting, training and preparing for this whole time. And it's the perfect time since playoffs start on Friday. Playoff hockey is something that you can't miss. If you buy a ticket at the box office, say hi to Sabrena for me. I haven’t seen her in a while.
Step 6:
Purchase a jersey. This is recommended, but is not required. A lot of fans get their jerseys ‘personalized’ with the name and number of their favorite player on it. Don’t be afraid to shell out $100 or more on these, they do last a lifetime.
Wow, big jump from going to your first game to buying a jersey. I say let it settle in for a while. Build up the desire to buy a jersey by watching all the people at games with their game worn jerseys. Trust me, you’ll want one. A game worn jersey will cost you more than the $100. Last time I took a road trip the jerseys in my suitcase were more than double the worth of the car I was driving. My cheapest jersey cost $250, the most expensive $500. I drive a cheap car. If you buy a game worn jersey you can eliminate getting it personalized yourself. It comes right off the player’s back at the end of a three game home stand and is already ‘personalized’ by the blood, sweat and stench of three hockey games.
Playoff hockey starts Friday, April 16th! Don't forget to wear white. I kind of promised John Scott Dickson that we would all wear white.
~Leah
I have to give credit where credit is due. I took the idea for this blog post from the Illuminati. No, not that Illuminati, this one. He’s a guy in Jersey who writes a bunch of blogs for a bunch of different websites, and he even wrote a book. He’s pretty funny so check him out.
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