Why I became a hockey fan

Three years ago today I couldn't have told you what an odd-man rush was. At the time, I was a guard on the OCC Lazers. I knew a 3-on-2 as a fast break and nothing else. The term "Gordie Howe hat trick" would provoke a blank stare from me. If you told me about a guy who went into the corners I'd have thought you were referring to his punishment as a child when he cursed.

Today, I'm the radio voice of Laker hockey. It has not been an easy transition. I still call "periods" "quarters." I've called a pad save a "blocker save," and about five times a game a whistle will blow and I'll have no idea why. A few people have been instrumental in helping me with this transformation. I'll never forget the first intermission of the Oswego State-Elmira game when WTOP announcer Chris Hill had to feed me lines to describe the first 20 minutes of action.

The person who has contributed the most to my newfound love for hockey is Oswego State SID Joe Gladziszewski. He is also a senior writer and editor for INsideCollegeHockey.com. He has filled me in on some of the finer points of the game, as well as the great traditions. Each holiday season, the INCH writers concoct a list of things within college hockey they are grateful for. I don't understand all of the items they list. But here are my favorites from the past five years:

Ryan Maloney
• That glimmer of hope you get each time you buy a 50/50 ticket.

• There's no BCS, contract holdouts, or threat of a lockout.

• Pep bands in the bleachers. (Geneseo)

• The unmistakable 'tink!' of a puck hitting the post.

• Being one of 50 visiting fans in a hostile opposing rink when your team wins a big game against a rival. (I hope to experience this very soon. Say...January 25th?)

• Getting the "on the record" post-game word from a coach outside the locker room, then getting the real story from him 35 minutes later over beers.

• Discovering a great college sweater on eBay.

• An elbows-down, from-the-front, open-ice hit that doesn't have you instinctively looking to the ref to see if there was a call.

• Suddenly remembering the answer to that previously unanswerable trivia question your buddy posed midway through the first period.

• Those rare games — Sunday afternoons, Tuesday evenings — that make the week go just a little faster.

• Watching your team successfully kill a 5-on-3 power play.

• Chuck-a-Puck.

• Seemingly meaningless traditions that fans of other teams don't understand, but mean so much at our local rinks and alma maters.

• Rinks named after former coaches and players, not cell phone companies or financial institutions.

• The unbeatable sensation of walking into an ice rink and feeling
warmer.

• The simple, all-encompassing beauty of a line chart.

• The opportunity to catch a puck that caromed out of play, and even moreso, the chance to give it to a kid sitting nearby.

• Seeing a player sacrifice his body to block a point shot while killing a penalty in the third period.

• Concession-stand hot chocolate.

• Making that extra pass on an odd-man rush to attractively finish off a highlight-reel scoring play.

• Entering the arena and taking in the boisterous student section, energetic pep band, and vibrant discussion throughout the arena ...