For as long as I can remember, I have enjoyed Hockey. I started, like every kid, watching with my dad. He was a Rangers fan, so I grew to love the boys in Blue as well. My first hockey jersey was even a hand-me-down - one of my dad's old jersey's from his beer-league days. I remember Messier's guarantee. I remember game 7 versus the Devils. Then the entire finals against Pavel Bure and the Canucks. I remember the emotion of them succeeding so many years after the last time they did.
When my little brother got older and started liking hockey too, we used to have "Guys Nights". Once or twice a season the three of us would go get a nice dinner and then head to a Binghamton Rangers game. It was great for me because, not only did I get to share the experience with them, but I got to watch all the future Rangers play. I went on to college, and my Hockey life grew there, too. Regular season games were free, and Oswego was pretty good - usually in the top 10 in the nation for D3. There were no bad seats in the house, and I can hardly remember missing a game.
When Hockey reached a labor impasse last year, it was like watching a friend go away for a while. All those games I would watch, the cheering, the excitement, the experience, they were all gone. So you can imagine how happy I am that Hockey is back.
I don't know even if it will be on TV. I'm pretty sure the Rangers will not be good. But I'm excited that I will be able to watch (even if it's only one or two games, in person), and read and hear about Hockey again. My friend is back. Welcome home.
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