Our first ice skating lesson was cancelled tonight because of the EXTREME WIND CHILL WARNING (also known as the polar vortex which is crippling a lot of North America at the moment). It’s –16°C tonight but feels much colder because of the wind. So we weren’t too upset about missing out on skating around an ice rink tonight, particularly on one that’s right on the harbourfront.

We did, however, go to see an ice hockey match (or hockey match as it’s called here) at the Air Canada Centre: the Toronto Maple Leafs versus the New York Islanders.

(I shudder every time I see the non-word Leafs. Why couldn’t they name the team the Maple Leaves? There’s probably some explanation somewhere.)

A friend gave us a couple of tickets so we got to see the match and had a great view of the rink too.

Now, I’m not much of a sports fan but I did find myself getting into it, even swearing when the Leafs missed a goal (though I didn’t hear anybody around us quite so forthright with the expletives so thought I’d better tone it down a bit. In fact, everyone was pretty well behaved). There are only three periods of about 20 minutes each so it doesn’t feel like an overly long game (at least tonight’s didn’t).

I was amazed at how these big guys are able to glide around on the surface of the ice with such grace and speed. It’s something to watch. And then they slam into each other with a force that makes me go “oooo” but also laugh, which is weird.

Glen and I felt a bit like Niles and Frasier in one of the episodes where they go to some game and have no clue about what’s going on so instead play I-spy. We weren’t that bad though and we had fun talking about how the players ended up in the naughty box because they were trying to hug each other. This explanation made infinitely more sense than “tripping” or “delaying play”.

The Islanders beat the Leafs five goals to three, and it got very exciting towards the end when the Leafs substituted their goalie for another player, leaving their goal open and vulnerable to attack. At this point, the Islanders scored their fifth goal in the closing minute and a half of the game. Then most of the people in the stadium stood up to leave. Talk about unsupportive.

All in all, I had a pretty good time. There was no really big punch-up and therefore no blood on the ice, which is what I’d been expecting. I guess that sort of thing doesn’t happen quite so much anymore. Maybe next time.

Excitement!

Get that puck!

The Leafs having a pep-talk.