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| The Calgary Flames sing the national anthem |
Last night, I was able to tick another 'must-experience' Canadian event off my mental list ... an ice hockey game. Being a 'fake' (ie field) hockey girl, I was especially keen to see how the game worked. It was a fairly important game for Calgary, because they still held a small chance of making the play-offs. They were playing their arch rival, Edmonton (think Sydney-Melbourne rivalry), who were on the bottom of the ladder, therefore had nothing to lose. Right from the start, I loved the game - all the normal hockey skills plus skating plus more physicality made it a great game to watch. I was particularly fascinated with the number of players (22, I think) for each team and how they changed players so regularly in such an odd manner - the retiring players simply skated off the rink, while the player entering the rink climbed over the barrier. It seemed very uncivilised, but I found it incredibly amusing to watch. The players' time on the ice is fairly demanding, so it is easy to understand how numerous breaks are needed. Each team also plays three games each week, which adds to the exhaustion. C is perhaps regretting taking me to a game because I've since developed a crush on Calgary's super star Jarome Iginla. The game itself was fairly one-sided, with Calgary scoring six goals to Edmonton's one, but as another Canadian 'first', it was a great game.
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| The play begins |
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| Continuing play |
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| Changing players ... note the player climbing over the barrier |
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| A scuffle |
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| Typical North American message during the game |
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| The winning team celebrates |
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| The losing team slinks off |
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