You might want to go ahead and consider today Hockey Eve. August 31st, regardless of what science or traditional American holidays will tell you, marks the end of the summer, which in turn marks the beginning of the the actual hockey season.
Congratulations – you made it.
Just thinking back over the past three months is enough to give me a muss in my pants. At least the Flyers were fairly active in the free agent market and on the trading block. But still, after having to watch the Penguins win the Stanley Cup I feel like this summer’s been a 20 year prison sentence. And I’m about ready to go all Andy Dufrane on this piece.
The weddings are almost over, the days at the beach are numbered, and the Flyers better be off the beer and the Simon Gagne fitness routine because in less than 2 weeks their training camp officially opens. Hell, all during next week we have future Flyer hopefuls reporting to Rookie Camp with an actual game against the Caps Rookies at the end of the week. Peter Forsberg (who I’m still trying to hate since he came back to the Avs instead of the Flyers) is playing pre-season hockey in Switzerland. Stefan Ruzika got jumped by Danny Markov in the KHL just a few days ago. Flyers draft pick David Labrecque has already picked up his first point in pre-season QMJHL play….it’s time to start getting excited!
And the Flyers aren’t the only thing to get excited about today. September might be the greatest month of the year that doesn’t have a “real” holiday in it. First of all we have a 4.5 day work week this week and only 4 next. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia premieres it’s 5th season mid-month. The Phillies are coming down the stretch and the Eagles are about to kick off. The sweaters might need to be moved to some more accessible shelving and the air conditioner is seeing its final days of action. Our teacher friends who laughed at us all summer have to return to school and face a whole new group of terrible little monsters. What’s not to be excited about?
What I might be most excited about, however, is Flyers related. And it’s the fact that on Saturday September 26th, only two days after the Flyers play the Devils at home in preseason action, they’re coming to Newark for what I can only hope will be a last ditch effort for some young players to show just how much they want to make the team, mixed with some bad blood based simply on the fact that they’re playing two games in a row. And I’m going to be there, waiting for something like this:
Come On September!
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