Becoming a 2010 Team Canada Hockey Fan

Shot with a Canon 5DMKII, 35mm f/1.4, & Micro LED Lightpanel.

Hockey is to Canadians as candy is to children. They crave it when they don’t have it, complain loudly when they do have it and it’s not what they want, and sky rocket to the moon when they get their favourite kind of sugar high. That is of course, a Team Canada win at the Olympics on home ice.

Yesterday after the tense victory over the Swiss, crowds leaving GM Place whooped and hollered loud enough to wake granny in North Van. The downtown streets sounded like the Battle at Helm’s Deep with someone making excellent use of their commemorative Lord of The Rings Orc Horn.

Although I’m not usually a hockey fan, don’t judge me, it’s a long story involving heartbreak and toe picks, I have been swept into this Team Canada hockey mania with the rest of Vancouver. Last night, I willingly watched the CAN-SWI game over the Men’s free program, much to my mother’s chagrin, who has remained a die hard figure skating fan years after I packed away my sequined unitards and mini gloves.

I won’t deny it, I got a little crush on King Crosby after witnessing his excellent puck control and fearless focus during the sudden death shoot-out. And although phrases like “icing”, “power play” and “off-side” are still quite new to me, I do understand “he shoots, he scores!” quite well. I think that phrase is hard-wired in Canadian brains from birth. That and overbearing politeness. Because even in the most rowdy of Canada hockey mobs, someone will inevitably say, “oh sorry eh” for stepping on your toe.