What Hath Hockey Wrought In Peoria, Illinois: the Rivermen

I never did understand hockey.

All my life I have been a sport's nut and been crazy about one sport or another.

We had horses and consequently rodeo-ed for a time.  My husband rode with the Peoria County Sheriff's Posse and rode in rodeo parades, and for a time provided security for the Fort Madison Tri-State Rodeo in Iowa.  I was a rodeo queen contestant there in 1965. 

When our sons were old enough they rode rough stock in Illinois High School Rodeo; and we travelled the state, went to the finals, and so it went.

Finally a time came when Hockey became a big deal in Peoria with the advent of a hometown division of the St. Louis Blues: the Peoria Rivermen.

My daughter-in-law embraced it wholeheartedly and influenced my youngest son and father of her first child Cody to venture into the world of the Rivermen with her.

Yes, I used to skate and I loved being out on the ice at the local rink.  It was one of the few "cool" things to do when I was a pre-teen and later in high school.  My husband, more of a country boy, skated too, because that is how small town boys met the "hot girls." 

We never met on the ice. (It was later on horses.)

So for once, I was not the instigator, but enjoyed watching our granddaughters while the "kids" took Cody to watch the games.

Truly, the fascination for the sport escaped me.  When I asked Anita why she enjoyed it so much the answer was 'the fights."

Boy, what an aggressive, immature game, I thought.  And this from an MMA fan!

Then Anita and Steven got pregnant. 

Anita's favorite player was Trevor Baker.  She had met him through his girlfriend because they talked about him as he played.  Steven was there for the beer.

One day Anita recounted how she and Trevor's girlfriend were discussing baby names for boys, just in case she and Steven had another boy.  Of course at some point in time the baby was named "Trevor Marshall" (Steven's middle name) while yet "en utero " (not yet born.)

Well, we have a four year old Trevor from that period of hockey, which has passed for them; then I discovered the Chicago Blackhawks.

Hockey was fun and I became completely taken with the talented Martin Havlat.  I respected the other players too, but he and Nikolai Kahbibulin the goalie were my favorites.

Now because I met Kevin from Newfoundland who likes the Detroit Redwings I have abandoned ships again.

But I do not like the fights.  I love watching a skilled puck handler skimming across the ice, whirling around, and managing to score an impossible shot off someones skate, or by an unexpected (at least by me) technique at the very last minute.

Now that's what I call Hockey!  And it IS fun, although I still don't understand it.