Pre-season hockey starts in September, but the official start of hockey is October 1st and it is one of my favorite days of the year!

There is nothing more exciting than the smell of the ice, the sound of the skates cutting through the ice, the ping of the puck hitting the crossbars of the goal, and the players chirping at each other.

From October until June, I will rework my entire schedule around hockey. That’s how much the game means to me. It has helped me through some bad times, some sad times, the rough days, and has made the good days better.

The above photo collage from my alter ego The Hockey Maven sums up how I feel about hockey. I don’t expect anyone to understand, but there a few things in my life that mean the world to me (besides family & friends) and that’s writing, music, and hockey.

Hockey, welcome back to my life. You have been greatly missed.