Hockey Is On the Horizon

Hockey is on the horizon here in New Brunswick, but we shouldn’t lose sight of the resiliency and perseverance that many players have showed throughout this season.

The game means so much to so many people, for so many different reasons.

If the last few months have taught us anything it has taught us all to appreciate what matters most and to take nothing for granted.

The game needed to take a back seat to life for awhile. Sure everyone missed playing games and the atmosphere around the rink, but everyone had to do what was right for the sake of everyone’s health.

The health and the safety of everyone involved needed to be the top priority and it was. During the Orange Phase players had the opportunity to practice and continue to work on their foundational skills. During the Red Phase all that went away. Being able to step on the ice and train safely during the Orange Phase will undoubtedly pay dividends in the long run for everyone’s skill set, but not playing games has no doubt taken a toll on people’s mental health.

One could only imagine how sick and tired players were getting with practice, but deep down hopefully every player and parent understood the magnitude of just being able to go to the rink. Obviously, that has taken on entirely new meaning this season.

In a year with so much uncertainty young athletes across the province have showed tremendous resiliency which needs to be admired and celebrated.

From the outside looking in, no one really knows their struggle, what they have experienced or the effect that this long pause has taken on their psyche and mental health. Let’s hope players, coaches and officials have sought help for any mental health issues that these long pauses may have caused.

Hockey is on the horizon which is outstanding news for all of us. This most recent extended pause and transition from Red back to Orange and now into the “new” Yellow is just another great reminder that the game that we all love and sacrifice for is still just a game. A game that connects us, a game that inspires us, a game that dreams are made of. Hockey players all across the province will now have a chance to live out those dreams once again.

Hockey is on the horizon, this time around we all know how special it really is. Let’s never forget what it means or take it and the people involved in the game for granted ever again.

Hockey is on the horizon, but let’s never lose sight of what matters most and what it has taken to get back to this point.