Annual Tradition

No, its not going shopping, nor doing anything festive really. For the past 7 or 8 years, I've spent the parts of the Christmas holidays watching the World Junior Hockey Championship. It is one of my favourite hockey tournaments to watch, and it helps that I have some game used memorabilia - but thats another subject altogether. The reason why I like to watch it so much, besides the fact that Canada tends to dominate the tournament, is the quality of hockey offered. The players playing might not have the skills set of NHL players, for some this tournament might even be their last chance to play on national television, but all of the players who participates give 110% every single shift (as much as that is a cliche). These players play because they love the game, they are proud of putting on the maple leaf sweater, and more important they want to showcase their skills to advance to the next level. As much as players in the NHL are more skilled, there are games where it is simply boring to watch. I don't think I've experienced a single boring game yet from the WJHC. It is simply the best tournament there is, maybe besides the Olympics, but that only happens once every 4 years.

While I'm on that topic, here is a funny story from the WJHC courtesy of Gord Miller from TSN.

Thousands of Canadian fans from Manitoba and Saskatchewan drove down for the games, but one night the highway was closed due to a snowstorm, meaning the fans could not return home. Local officials opened the domed football stadium, and nearly 5,000 fans spent the night there.

The officials later reported two things: that the Canadians pitched in and cleaned up the next morning, leaving the stadium in immaculate condition, and that they sold more beer that night than they sold in an entire season of North Dakota football.