Attending my first-ever Hockey Game!

By Essence Aikman, Queen’s University, Canada

Hello everyone! I hope you’re all doing well. This time around I’m going down memory lane to share my experience attending my first hockey game in Kingston, Canada.

The wonderful ladies I lived with while studying abroad made it their mission to take me to a game at some point during my time with them. We went in the month of January, when the snow was white and the sky an ice-blue – let me tell you it was freezing. I still have photos of my hair turning to ice at the tips because of the cold. We attended an OHL hockey game which stands for “Ontario Hockey League” and watched the Kingston Frontenacs play at the Leon’s Centre.

The energy was lively and everyone was ready to have a good time. I prepared for the game with a poutine, a Candian staple, along with a hotdog and drink. We sat relatively close to the ice which was great so I got to see the sport in action. My flatmates would say the game we attended was boring as it didn’t feature much action but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. The game ended with a 1-0, our team won yay, but it was a low scoring game. There was a lot of skating up and down the ice, really close calls, and nearly a tussle toward the end. We were seated near the team’s bear which was cute, lots of kids got to take their photo with him which was nice to see.

I threw a red puck into the ice, if you got it the closest to the centre you’d win a prize. I sadly did not do that so I didn’t win anything but I did buy myself a puck to bring back from the gift shop which I was pleased with. I struggle to understand how these players can skate so efficiently at such great speeds while also shuffling around a puck the whole time. This game gave me a new level of respect for ice sports because skating alone is hard but to apply these extra conditions makes it extra challenging. The players were really nice too, they waved up at us as they went into their changing rooms during breaks.

Overall, the game was really fun and I had a blast! If you’re in Canada you must attend a game of any league just to be a part of the energy in the room – an experience I’ll never forget! When I return, this is one of the events I will be attending again.

Thanks for reading!