It’s Over

Warning: there is absolutely nothing about the Civil War or my historical work in this post. Instead, it’s about my hockey addiction, so please feel free to skip this post if it’s of no interest to you. I promise to get back to the usual rantings about history tomorrow.

Tonight is a sad night in our household. By now, it’s no secret that Susan and I are major NHL fans, although it’s probably fair to say that I’m a bigger fan. I’ve been a serious NHL fan since childhood. The Philadelphia Flyers won their first of two consecutive Stanley Cups in 1974, when I was 13 years old. They won it again the next year, and have never won another one since, although they’ve had some great runs at it since then. Philadelphia was desperate for a winner in those days–the Phillies and Eagles were mired in last place year after year, and the 1973 76’ers had set a record for futility that stands to this day: 9-73. So, when a Philadelphia team finally won a championship, we were all crazy for them. I’ve been a very serious hockey fan ever since, and I remain a loyal Flyers fan to this day.

In 1994 or so, Columbus got an East Coast Hockey League team, the Chill. The team sold out its first 83 consecutive home games before missing one. They were tremendously successful, a prototype for the successful marketing of a minor league sports franchise. We were season ticket holders and rarely missed a game. The success of the Chill led to our getting an NHL expansion team here in 1999.

One of my partners at the law firm and I split a pair of season tickets to the Blue Jackets. The team hasn’t been very good; this is the first time in five years they haven’t finished dead last in their division. This year, they finished third, but were still under .500. They are improving steadily. Going to the games is great fun, and it’s a highlight of my week.

Tonight was the end of the season for the Blue Jackets, who went out in style with an overtime goal by Sergei Fedorov to win the game. They finished 35-47-4, for 74 points. The prior franchise highs were 31 wins and 71 points, so this year was definitely a step in the right direction, and I think that if Rick Nash, the young superstar who had 54 points in 54 games after returning from injuries, had been healthy all year, they would have made the playoffs. It is a bittersweet night here. Hockey season is now over, although I will watch the playoffs and root for the Flyers. It’s going to be a long haul until the next home game, in October. I will be going through withdrawal.

Now it’s back to rooting for the Phillies. Talk about an eternal exercise in frustration…..