So the NHL’s season was cancelled a couple of weeks ago. I didn’t notice, honesty. I still consider myself a Rangers fan; I started to follow hockey as the MLB had labor issues, well before the NYR won the Cup in 1994 and even a little bit after that… But, well, when the NHL started having labor problems in the mid 90’s, I lost interest in them. Out of sight, out of mind, I guess. I also moved to a city that doesn’t have a team in the NHL, but, western WA does have a number of minor league WHL teams. I went to a game last night at the KeyArena, thanks to Steve, and I gotta tell ya: I think I like minor league games better.

I’ve been going to minor league hockey games for a long while. New Haven [CT] had a minor league team for a long while – first the Nighthawks, then the Knights, and more recently the Beast – and a few years ago Bridgeport got into the act with the Sound Tigers. The arenas felt more intimate than the pros. Fans cared a bit more (I think they feel more involved) and it’s a cheaper night at the game. Also, the newer teams have pretty good rinks – the Sound Tigers play in Harbor Yard which is as new as the team – that are heated and they even started carrying fan merchandise.

That brings me to the point, though. At the height of my interest in hockey, I started a jersey collection. It started innocently enough: one NYR home jersey. Then an NHL expansion hit an there were a few different teams that had neat designs, like the San Jose Sharks. Then they had an All Star jersey available at some point. And then the USA Olympic team. Shortly after that, I discovered a store in Canada that shipped to the US and the exchange rate was kick-ass, at the time.

And that’s how it snowballed. Some of the more interesting things in the collection now include a replica of a Rangers sweater from 1927, a New Haven Nighthawks jersey (incredibly rare), a 02 USA jersey, and a Sound Tiger’s inaugural year away jersey. It’s a pretty large collection and it’s a pricy one at that.

Yet, I didn’t buy a T-Bird’s jersey last night… Oh I wanted to – after all, the WHL (along with the IHL and AHL) are in full swing. Maybe even more so with the NHL strike. And it was a good game – I recommend it to anyone that has a passing interest in hockey or needs a family night out… it won’t break the bank.

Maybe the jersey thing has finally run its course… doesn’t change the fact that I’ve got over a dozen Yankees jerseys tho, and I’m not giving those up.

Oh, and for the record, the iced mocha in the KeyArena is supplied by Starbucks.