November 5, 2008

Cheering on Your Team In Enemy Territory

Tomorrow I will make the 9 hour drive to Boston to watch my beloved Maple Leaf take on the Bruins. This is not my first road trip into enemy territory, as I have made the 90 minute drive to Buffalo twice, and the 5 hour drive to Montreal twice.

Which leads me to my point. If you really love hockey, then one thing to do before you die is go see your home team play in another team's building. It's exhilarating when your team wins, and you want to leave as fast as you can when they lose.

Previously in Buffalo I saw the Leafs lose 6-0 the day after they were eliminated from making the playoffs. Two years later, I went back to the HSBC Arena and saw them thump the Sabres 4-1. Buffalo is a lot easier to deal with than Montreal, as 50% of the fans are Leafs fans anyways.

Different story in Montreal. If you ever feel like you're behind enemy lines, Montreal is the place. The people there love their hockey, and even more so, their Canadiens. I think some Habs fans even take more joy in seeing the Leafs lose rather than the Habs winning. In October of 2005, I saw the Leafs defeat the Habs 3-2 (most fun ever!). Last year I saw the Leafs lose 3-1 to the Habs in the last game of the season. The city celebrated as if they had just won the Cup!

Another thing to do before you die is get to an NHL game in Montreal. The buzz in and around the building during the hockey season is phenomenal.

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