As some of you know. I missed the beginning of the season because I was away hunting for 3 weeks.Totally isolated, no phone (signal) or radio and even less TV. While most of the other hunters are quick to install their satellite antenna on arrival at their camp my buddy’s place is most «rudimentary» so there is absolutely nothing and it’s all good with me !!!
All that to say that all this time, the only one of my "activities" that I really missed was my weekly hockey games, especially the Saturday one ... I could not wait to come back and be able to give my 110% on the ice. Of course there are other sports that allow you to let it all out, and get a good "shot" of adrenaline, but often these are individual sports that lack the other dimensions a team sport can have. Or they simply lack ice, blades, sticks and pucks flying at 100 miles an hour ... (almost!?!)
As you also may know, I was named “head of the disciplinary committee" of the league this year. I admit , I apprehend the eventual situation where the committee will have to decide to suspend a guy, (obviously I will not be the only one to take the decision)
Not because I do not want to hurt anybody’s feelings, but because it would mean that there are still guys who «lose it» while the direction of the league went out of it's way to create a healthy environment of friendly competition and it would be a shame to realize that the guy did not understand.
Regardless of the final score, the games I saw yesterday gave me the impression that the discipline committee will not have to meet any time soon, and it's perfect that way! "Discipline" is everyone’s responsibility and although I will appeal to some of you to be part of the committee, I expect all to remain vigilant and "break in the bud” any potential conflictual situation and/or «unsightly» gesture. That is to say: Hockey being what it is, it is guaranteed that there will be times when for one reason or another (often accidental stuff) a guy will start «losing it», you probably even have a guy in mind, and you might even be playing on the same line! Whether it is for the guy(s) involved, for your team or for our league (and preferably the 3), try to calm the situation before it gets out of control, even tell the guy to go to sit it out, just to let the dust settle, which in most cases resolves the situation giving the guy time to decompress.
I do not know if there are any "numbers" on this one, but it seems to me that often incidents happen when guys are tired, ie: they are at the end of a long shift that was stretched out for one reason or another. Tired guys tend to hook more, fall over more and become more "irritable." Another good reason to keep your shifts short, the whole game benefits from it !
I wish you a great season!
Larry
LFA Hockey - Ligue amicale et compétitive
LA LIGUE FÉDÉRALE DES AS : Le nouveau visage du hockey adulte au Quebec! Plusieurs divisions disponibles, hiver comme été!
