Hockeytown

This post is dedicated to two beloved hockey players in my life: "Old hockey players never die, they just reach their final goals."

Well, like the rest of the Northeast, this winter has been tough on Detroit. The snow keeps falling, the flights get canceled, and the road are covered in ice. In the Detroit spirit, however, let the winter sports commence.

Detroit is Hockeytown, USA. (Okay, in my research I read that there are many towns that make that claim in both the US and Canada -- a town in Massachusetts actually is named that -- but only one is my hometown - so it wins for this blog post). Growing up in Detroit, hockey and ice skating are just second nature.

My best friend from the neighborhood's dad use to make an ice rink every winter. We would skate around every day, warming up with hot cocoa by the fire. In middle school, I used to spend countless weekends watching my friend compete in ice skating competitions at a local rink. My father loved hockey so much that I was raised with pictures of the Virgin Mary, the Pope, and Gordy Howe hanging in reverence in our house. Needless to say, my sister married an avid hockey player. As you can see, skating is an integral part of life in Detroit.

Then there are the RedWings. I grew up in the days of dreamie Stevie Yzerman and the Russian Five Red Army. Detroit has won the most Stanley Cups out of an American team -- 11 (only two Canadian teams have topped that -- Montreal and Toronto). We were a bit hockey crazed growing up. Attending an all girl school, instead of the usual dating antics of adolescence, my friends use to actually drive up and down Woodward Ave. just to catch a glimpse of one of the Red Wings who lived in our town.

Hockey is the perfect symbol to represent Detroit. It is a team sport. Players have to be quick, smart, and tough. And, even when the weather outside is frightful, you can always catch a pick up game somewhere. Hockey players also are great emblems of Detroiters, after all, they can walk on water! Go Wings.