Hockey Night in the USA

I have spent the last 24 hours grading essays. But now they're all done. That meant I could watch hockey tonight. The Stanley Cup playoffs are on. Unfortunately, my team, The Montreal Canadiens, got put out. They got put out in the most shameful of fashions. They got swept. They lost a 4 out of 7 series in only 4 games. This is not supposed to happen to the Montreal Canadiens. Someone should have told these new players that losing in this way is simply not allowed. And as of tonight, there is only one Canadian team left: The Calgary Flames, since the Toronto Maple Leafs got eliminated tonight.

Hockey is rapidly moving south. There are more and more professional hockey clubs in the southern United States, often in place where there may never ever have been any ice! ESPN is trying to keep up, but like the teams themselves, they often have to import Canadians to run the show. (You can tell by the way the announcers say "about"--"abooot"--dead giveaway.)

Still, nothing beats the CBC's Hockey Night in Canada. I know, I know: I'm not supposed to like the impolitic Don Cherry who does Coach's Corner (thought not for long, if the rumours of his being tossed by the CBC are to be believed). But I can't help it: I like the guy. He actually has the guts to say things that lots of people are thinking, even if a fraction of the time, he goes overboard. I'd rather have that that some pasty-faced, clean-cut, nice carboard cutout of a Canadian doling out platitudes. All in all, I guess it just isn't quite the same to be watching hockey in the USA. But, even without Don Cherry, it's nice to settle in for an evening of puck watching. And it's even nicer not to have to grade any more essays for a while.