On the eve of the draft, it is with a weary spirit of exhaustion that I put these lines together, reminding myself that you should not exceed 400 words when writing an article these days, as people now lack concentration and lose interest quickly -- a sad mutation of our species, when you think about it; don't be surprised if I don't respect this approach, as it is for your own good.

Many new and exciting things await us as the arrival of the second LFA season approaches with the first weekend of action set for September 13th. For those who aren't in the loop, the name of the league was inspired by the cult film Slap Shot. Not because of the violence portrayed in it, but rather because we promote camaraderie through a spirit of healthy competition; it is a beauty film, and just like us, is a bit wacky. Strangely, our name (La Ligue Fédérale des As= LFA) is the only thing the management of our league does not take seriously. AS for the rest, we don’t dwell on time, energy and means to achieve our ends. We take having fun seriously ! 

The ink has been flowing and a tremendous amount of conversations have been had since the launch of the preseason league activities, on August 1,  with among other things, five games in eight nights to see the new recruits, all whilst there were probably two dozen last-minute cancellations; an issue that reminded me of the personnel juggling that I have to look forward to with the beginning of the season right around the corner. That being said, it is probably not very interesting for you to hear the list of things needed to "kick start" a second straight season of expansion, which naturally requires more players and hopefully means the support of new sponsors. It is hard to believe the amount of work, but that's what it takes to stand out from the rest of the leagues, who, for the most part follow a set path, lacking inovation or thought behind their opperations.

I look at this and I wonder, what 400 words looks like anyways? I could tell you about all the conversations you'll  have with the the new faces you'll come across in the corridors of the arena. I'm not just talking to new regular players but also to the new replacements who will soon be laughing alongside the group. I won't but I should, because you would discover that what unites us all goes well beyond our simple love for "the game." I invite you to introduce yourself to new players and vise-versa to break team barriers and see the league as a whole, as to maximise your Saturday hockey experience. What happens on the ice is only part of what is offered by the LFA. "Tu vie seulement une fois" to quote the guy on the other side of the locker room, so make the most out of it.

Visit the LFA NEWS section every week for news that really matters, among other things, the outcome of  this week’s draft which is following a new formula this year. In the meantime, you can check http://www.jpdrapeau.com/-/archives/sports/hockey/lfa-hockey/20-aout-2014-lfa-hockey to see some photos taken during a preseason game by one of the league's new photographers, Jean-Philippe Drapeau.

PS: Take your fun seriously this season and invest yourself in your league, it will help it out greatly and you will both come out winners.

JFA (AS TRANSLATED BY TOM SPENCER)