Texas is not my style

Well my grandiose trip down to Texas is over and now I can concentrate on hockey. The trip was long, and allowed for a lot of thinking over the two weeks I was visiting the great state of heat and humidity. Nothing makes a cold ice rink cross your mind more than broiling as you walk outside at noon in Houston. I could not wait to head back up across America into the great northern state of New York. As I drove farther north the temperature steadily dropped. It rained along most of the trip, as it had on the way down. Yes I was fortunate enough to drive through Louisiana during a major rain event spurred on by a tropical event in the Gulf. Texas is not my style. Give me rain, snow, and ice any day over intense heat and humidity. If iced tea is the main stay of a hot sunny afternoon down south, than I’d much prefer a cup of hot coffee after shoveling the driveway while the snowstorms whip across the great lakes. I definitely came back at the right time. The temperature has dropped into the forties – pleasantly warm for this area, and Fall is obvious everywhere you look. Some of the higher elevations have seen their first snow fall. It will soon begin to coat the entire area with a nice cold blanket of snow. For now it is the fallen leaves that swirl across the roads in between the rain. I have already had a chance to meet my new team at the rink for our first practice. A few players have returned from last year, and we have picked up a few new skaters. We have a new goalie. I was very impressed with him right off the bat. He will definitely have his work cut out for him this season. Right now it looks like we only have enough players for two lines. That’s not always a bad thing, and it will certainly change the way we play from last year. Last year we had four lines - we used the depth to our advantage. This season we will have to play smart and pace ourselves. Skating strength and stamina will be very important. We won’t want to waste a lot of time and energy making too many avoidable mistakes. We will have to play smart, and practice smart. This group of young players look like they have a lot of potential and that is what we need to develop throughout the season. That is what will make a great team. For now – we begin with the basics. There is nothing better than good hockey, snow, and ice to make one realize how lucky we are to live in the land of ice and snow. For me, Texas looks like a great place for snowmen to go and melt. I of course am not ready to melt away just yet. I am sure ready for another fine season of hockey.