While the east coast thermometer has turned decidedly downward the past few weeks, my enthusiasm has continued to rise, especially as the sports season pushes closer to November, the month when contenders and pretenders become distinguishable in football and the ball drops on another basketball season.

Hockey season? Well, it’s here alright, and I’ve seen plenty of it over the past plus week to attest to that, from Oshawa, Ontario to Buffalo to Montreal and Western Michigan. While the NHL seems to have put a lid on excessive fighting, the same can not necessarily be said of the Canadian junior hockey ranks. I’ve seen five games now in the Ontario Hockey League, and each game has averaged about two to three fights; if you see one in the NHL these days, consider yourself lucky, I guess.

To fight or not to fight, that is one of many questions the suits in New York at the NHL offices must decide in regards to the future of the game. With no ESPN-TV contract (currently) and only one marquee star to wrap its name around (Sid “The Kid” Crosby of the Penguins), the NHL is once again floundering. Attendance is down everywhere (except Canadian teams, of course), even in “Hockeytown,” Detroit.

The NHL might improve its marketability by lowering its ridiculously high ticket prices; letting the “original six” (Montreal, Toronto, Boston, New York Rangers, Chicago, Detroit) play more often; moving struggling franchises to Canada (like Nashville to Hamilton, Quebec City or Winnipeg); and opening up the game more, so there’s more scoring, not less of it. There’s nothing worse that the game being referred to as “Soccer on Skates.”

The possibilities of a turnaround were in evidence in Buffalo when they hosted rival Toronto, Oct. 15. From the drop of the puck, the game was fast-paced, intense and exciting, and the fans ate it up. A lot of crazy Leaf fans made the two hour roadie across the border, but the Sabres won a nail biter in overtime with seconds remaining, and although the Leafs lost, fans on both sides went home having seen an open, up-and-down, high-tempo hockey game in a great hockey town. 

The next night I made it to THE hockey town – Montreal. The most successful franchise in all of hockey, the Canadians seem to be, at least in my opinion, “Bell Cursed.” The Habs haven’t won the Stanley Cup, or even come remotely close to competing for one, since demolishing the fabled Forum in the 90’s where they won a plethora of hardware. The Bell Centre was packed, as usual, as the Habs hosted the expansion Florida Panthers. The game wouldn’t have been possible without the tremendous hospitality of Steve “The Wonder” Deroschers, a friend of mine, who is a Habs season-ticket holder and also a partner in Electric Energy Online. Steve believes in my cause of raising awareness of renewable energy, and was gracious enough to let me see the game with one of his season tickets. Visit his company’s Web site at: http://www.electricenergyonline.com.

What a great venue and great pre-game ceremony, reflecting the Canadians storied history. There is a “Hall of Fame” series of plaques and photos of former Habs greats on the main concourse, plus a junior hockey education, including teams former Habs players suited up for, on the upper concourse. And of course there are the retired numbers and slew of Stanley Cup banners in the rafters. The pre-game ceremonies were equally awesome, with the entire ice splattered with murals and photos of former Canadians greats, from the Rocket, Maurice Richard to Guy Laflleur. Speaking of No. 10, he dropped the first puck.

What a game it was – and what an ending, although not an ending Canadians fans wish to remember. The Habs had a 1-0 shutout until 11 seconds left in regulation when the Panthers tied it. Then, after a scoreless overtime, the upstart Floridians won the shootout, leaving Habs fans shaking their heads. The Canadians had nobody to blame but themselves, falling asleep in the third period with a lead on home ice, then taking a stupid slashing penalty late in the game.

The next day, on the Team 990 radio station, some the fans were calling for Guy Charbaneau’s head. Ironically, it was Charbaneau that played on the last Habs team to win the Cup. “Bell Cursed”? In the U.S., we all know about the “Billy Goat Curse” on the Chicago Cubs. In my opinion, until the Habs take home Lord Stanley again, I’ll be convinced they are “Bell Cursed.” But, I must be honest with you now, this is coming from a former Hartford Failures fan who still can’t go over the Game 7 loss to the Habs back in the 80s!