M, the hockey fanatic, planned an office outing to see the Stockton Thunder. To prepare the staff for the game, he created a PowerPoint and a one-page flyer with key terms.
On the way to the Thunder theater (at around the city of Galt) and despite the weather forecast, it started pouring. There was also a car fire that cut traffic to a trickle. Looking at the clock, we knew we were going to miss the face-off and a few minutes of the first period.
As we entered the stadium, I instantly remembered that it is chilly in the stands. Really chilly.
The seats were filled with people wearing gold and black, including people wearing Mohawk wigs or Viking helmets like the team mascot: Thor.
The stadium boomed with the excitement of 6,147 people, especially as scuffles erupted and on power plays.
As the announcer called, “Ontario Reign back at full strength,” we, the fans, responded every time: “And they still suck!”
Even though they sucked, they won by a point (4-3). The Thunder didn’t score until the third period. It never even felt close. But we grew closer watching – and learning – the game together.
