Growing up, we had always been a football family with a strong affinity for college games over the professional league. My grandpa lived his whole life cheering for the Chicago Cubs, no matter how many seasons ended in disappointment, and we never gave up on them either. I played softball as a kid and I loved nothing more than the dirt on my knees and the sun in my eyes in the outfield. So when my sister started getting into hockey during college, I looked on with interest. Her enthusiasm was, of course, contagious, and she was more than happy to share her wealth of knowledge and heart for the sport and its players.
A few months ago, when I was going to be sitting at home alone again, recovering after a breakup, she suggested I go to the Avalanche’s Pride Night game. I was immediately interested and texted one of the few friends I still have and luckily she was interested in going with me. I got lucky again when I met some other women at the event who were friendly and have been great friends to me since then, but more on that later!
Before the game, my sister gave me a quick rundown on the rules I needed to know in order to follow the game. Nothing too crazy. She also shared some select videos, interviews, social media, everything one might need to get started. And I was intrigued! All this time I had been enjoying football and baseball, never had I seen such active team social media accounts and such a dedicated female fanbase who was just as creative and funny as they were insightful and analytical, and they were VERY insightful and analytical. It was refreshing.
In March, I was one of the many who heard about a new disease spreading rapidly overseas and didn’t know what to make of it. I had already planned a short trip home and, with proper precautions, took the flight without problems. Things were getting worse by the end of the week and, with nothing to return to and parents who were — blessedly — able and willing to keep me, I decided to stay. This was already the prime moment for me to look around and make decisions about what I actually value and what I want to cultivate in my life. Having my sister and my parents by my side was instrumental in this journey, with my friends just a Zoom call away.
Once the playoffs got underway, it was clear to me that with my sister’s and my new friends’ encouragement and education, I was definitely a hockey fan. I was tuning in for every game, had my bracket made, and was asking questions to make sure I was learning everything I could. My new friends from the Pride Night game were always there for me and never made me feel like I was asking stupid questions whenever I wasn’t sure what was going on, or what they were referencing in the group chat. They have been quick to share memes, iconic photos and videos, everything that a budding hockey fan needs to know.
Two critical moments so far: The five OT Columbus Blue Jackets and Tampa Bay Lightning game, when I spent six hours of my day watching a game I previously knew nothing about, and the second game in the St. Louis Blues and Vancouver Canucks series back in the first round of playoffs. My friends had moved on to the Hurricanes game but I had become so invested in the Canucks’s victory. I was shouting, alone in my backyard, at my computer screen, and I cheered and threw my hands in the air when they won. I felt so much joy, and I knew then that I am now a fan for life.