Tim Stier

Another legendary bike the every Gen X boy wanted.

I went to my very first NHL game last night. It was actually my very first Hockey game of any kind. Here are 10 things that surprised me: 1) Perhaps the best behaved fans I've ever seen at any sporting event. People are respectful of sight lines, and don't stand or yell unless there's a reason to. 2) It's an incredibly family friendly atmosphere. So many kids there with their parents and grandparents, everyone having a great time. 3) The sounds are amazing! From the blaring fog horn, to the hypnotic swishing sound of blades cutting ice, to the cracking slaps of the puck hitting the glass, I could have enjoyed that experience with my eyes closed. 4) The action is constant during the game, with almost no pauses. Having no out of bounds makes it an incredibly fun sport to watch with limited interruptions. 5) The period breaks are delightful. Plenty long to go and grab a snack, use the bathroom, or have a conversation with the fans next to you. 6) The referees are part of the entertainment. I loved watching them dive away from players and jump over pucks. I also appreciate that they have absolutely no hustle at all when a fight breaks out. They let the men sort things out with their fists until it gets dangerous. 7) Surprisingly easy to follow, even for someone who doesn't know anything about the sport. Were there some penalties and rules that I didn't understand? Yes. However the mode of 'Puck goes in net, team gets point' makes the game very easy for newbies to follow. 8) The arena is refreshingly cool. I hate being hot at a sports event, so having a nice cool environment was lovely! 9) It's an amazing sport to observe from above, there's not a bad seat in the house. We were pretty far removed from the ice, but it didn't matter at all. With the bright white ice and a black puck, it was super easy to follow the game, I am sure that it's really cool to see up close, but I loved my bird's eye perspective which allowed me to take in everything at once. 10) Momentum can shift insanely fast. At one point, we were celebrating a goal scored by the Mammoth. Literally 5 seconds later the Blues answered with a goal of their own. No lead ever feels safe, and that's great as a fan! As I said, that was my first ever hockey game. However, after that experience, it most definitely will not be my last.

Wait….for real?