canuck game or world junior

[189lb enforcers?]

I think the kids represent the sport better, as they do the nation, so picking The WJHC should be expected.

 

Personally, the WJ’s are also the future of the NHL and in most cases, these kids are the NHL draft, which is likely any NHL fan’s Xmas too, so you’re invested in the youth. 

 

I think there are different kinds of fans, especially in Vancouver, and especially of late, who aren’t invested in any form of grassroots hockey and are the fans of the logo of the local team more than they are of the sport. 

 

That needs some qualifiers, but it’s apparent to anyone who goes to the rinks around the province and sees who is there, the kids, parents/families and volunteers, that hockey is bigger than any one NHL club. 

 

The craziest, like literally crazy, fans of the sport that I’ve seen in the country are the Inuit kids and families in the Hudson’s Bay areas. These guys take their love of hockey to another level which you have to see to believe. Still makes my Grinch heart grow a size bigger when I think back on those experiences. That’s grassroots, not brand loyalty and why my whole year revolves around these next few weeks, as a sports fan. 

 

Sure, those Inuit kids have all played 100 career Game 7 OT’s in the streets, but they’d not put that dream much further adhead than the dream of winning Gold for Canada, I can guarantee you that much... I’ve seen it, in -42 and quite windy they were out there in the streets in their Crosby sweaters, playing their guts out, until the Golden Goal game started. Then, the town shut down. Every store was closed. No vehicles moved. The town shut down to watch the game. Hard to explain how that feels as a fan of the sport and the national teams we support. 

 

The WJHC is where it’s at if you’re a fan of the sport. It was during the brawl with Russia that I stoped going out to the backyard rink when the games were on. Since then I’ve only missed a handful of Canada games and none since the 2000’s when I had more financial security. My first live one will be the exhibition match between USA and Russia in Kamloops. 

[hockeygod77]

i watch the odd canuck game and its also fun but the fans there are so not and they seem too know nothing but goals and hits and ya no knowledge some of them of course..but when you go to junior games more fans are real and and yes world junior is the cream of the crop