Wondering how it all starts or looking back fondly on those first moments on ice - here's one Mom's Hockey Highlights....

What follows is snap shot of the highlights I have experienced as my son begins what will inevitably be a long hockey career. We begin at age 2 and end with the biggest highlight so far, only days ago, at age 5.
 
10. My son's love of hockey started young:  When he was 2 and watching my daughter participating in her CanSkate program, my son struggled putting what was his first real sentence together (with a strong 2 year old accent), "If you let me skate, I will score". He couldn't understand why I wouldn't just let him skate but you need to be 3 to begin the program.

9. Getting Started: Well finally, he turned 3. I guess my son's idea of what was going to happen that day was different than what actually transpired. He pictured himself playing hockey. Of course, since he couldn't skate yet, that couldn't happen and we spent much of that year coaxing him to get back on the ice until the day they gave them sticks. Then he attempted to move - because there were pucks too!

8. Hockey School: CanSkate is a good program but my little guy felt that he was in the wrong arena because there were kids on the same ice in skirts; basically, this was not what he had signed up for. Hockey School was much better. Super Saturday, the last day of the year was the real highlight. They filled the arena with smoke, called out each player's name, had a game and played loud music. He told everyone he knew that he had, "played in an NHL game over the weekend."
 
7. First NHL Game: We went to Ottawa to visit my nephew and his young family. My nephew had a successful hockey career that he wrapped up not too long ago so, he's a bit of a hero to my son and they invited us to see his daughter play the pre-game for the Ottawa Senators. My nephew coaches so we could see him and the girls behind the bench. We could walk around the huge arena freely and they called out his cousin's name as she scored a goal. That was all before the NHL game started. He learned a lot that day:  1) Girls are pretty good at hockey and 2) Wow, so are those Ottawa Senators!
 
6. Practice: At 4, my son had already clocked countless hours playing hockey with Daddy in the basement. It started with mini sticks and nets, and graduated just recently to full size equipment this past Christmas. "Daddy, let's play now" is muttered each and every night after dinner. For a break away from taking shots and mini games, there is always air hockey or the other hockey table with the turning knobs - both requested from Santa over the last 2 years. These are just distractions however - its "real" hockey he loves most and he needs to play incessantly!

5. The Bigs - Pre-Novice Minor Hockey: Compared to what we've done before, Minor Hockey seems BIG! We decided that we might try going to a new arena that is closer to our house this year but it also meant choosing another league than we played with for Hockey School. I thought I'd let my burgeoning little player make the decision for himself and took him to the arena that night for sign up and asked, do you want to play here or where we played last year? He emphatically chose this league mainly because, "they'll play music during games here, so I choose here".
 
4. The Draft: Or perhaps more aptly referred to as the "divi-up" of players was the next step for SK and Grd 1 hockey stars. The coaches all come out with clip boards and assess and pick players with the intention of evening out the playing field on day 1 or training camp. It sure felt like something major was going on. When they took to the ice, I almost packed his hockey bag and ran back to Hockey School but that wasn't on his agenda or my husband's. Some of these kids (those HUGE grade 1's mostly) looked like they were headed to the show (in my mind).  My little player did his best to keep up but the level range seemed shocking. While Daddy pointed out that some clung to a net and hoped not to fall, I noticed that others took full strides and did two laps to my little man's quarter lap!

3. The Team: Of course there was no turning back, this was after all exactly what my guy had been waiting for all these years (well 3 years which is more than half his life!). Close to a half season in, we (and I mean parents and siblings too) have become a team. With each little guy's progression, we celebrate together. There are many laughs and cheers from the group as we cheer on our little Flyers! We've gone from wobbly skating to full stride and arm movement for us and hat-tricks plus for some of the veterans. Each game someone wins the coveted puck for best effort and cheers all around make someone's day/week/year!
 
2. Goalie Duty: This is a position that kids either love or hate to play and my little man was NOT looking forward to it. From being stuck at centre ice when the game was starting (because those pads don't make it easy to get up when you fall!) to simply skating with all of that extra stuff - this was going to be a tough 60 minutes. As it turned out it was also the first game in the season that the referees began making calls which caused utter confusion for the boys especially when my little man had a penalty shot taken on him! He dove right (it looked impressive) but the other team scored.  The good news is he believes he saved it and the roar of the crowd was all for him (and at least half of it was).  The whole team skated over to my goalie and patted him on the head, or even crushed helmets for the first time.  There is nothing like having your team behind you.
 
1. Player of the Game: This takes us up to this past Sunday which was by far the highlight of our son's year. All that skating and all that confidence that has been building culminated in now understanding where to be when playing forward - in front of the net! Someone took a shot, he got the rebound and yup you guessed it, he scored his first goal! He raised his stick and took a full victory lap I think. I cried (without anyone noticing I hope) and the whole team and all the coaches cheered - as one of the youngest guys, it meant a lot to everyone I think. He won the Player of the Game, finally, and he really earned it too. We all did!
Picture Credit: Immediately following the game, my son and husband went to watch Brock University and Waterloo play the OUA Inaugural Outdoor Classic Hockey Game at Ivor Wyne Stadium. It was cold but he wouldn't leave till the bitter end. This picture was drawn following that game, with a cup of hot chocolate in hand....

Written by: Jennifer Burkitt, Executive in Charge of Interactive Production