Five Reasons Blogger Tom Benjamin Loves Hockey

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August 20, 2009

Our series "5 Reasons I Love Hockey" features puckheads from all walks of life revealing five things that either made them a fan or that keep them watching hockey. It will run every weekday through August. Enjoy.

Once in a while, someone will ask about the hockey blogs I read, or have read, religiously. Tom Benjamin at Canucks Corner is a name that’s mentioned automatically and without a second thought. I’m a fanboy.

You may remember Tom from that "Hockey Night In Canada" appearance he made along with me and Paul Kukla last season. Benjamin’s blogs were a part of my early Web hockey news consumption (along with guys like McErlain and Mirtle) and continue to be a vital destination for smart, cynical takes on the news of the day.

This recent dressing down of Adam Proteau of The Hockey News is a good example; you can count on one hand the number of hockey blogs that can dissect the meaning of an Aldous Huxley quote while questioning whether another writer is "happy being [Brian] Burke’s tool."

Admittedly, one of the reasons we wanted Tom involved in "5 Reasons I Love Hockey" was to peek behind the cynical veneer and get to the heart of what makes him a damn passionate fan. So, with that, here are 5 Reasons Tom Benjamin Loves Hockey:

1. Fathers and Sons.

I became a hockey fan because my father was a hockey fan. Every Saturday night we ate hamburgers in front of the TV and watched Hockey Night in Canada. My earliest hockey memory is my father telling me that the fat, gray-haired guy in the Montreal uniform was Rocket Richard, the greatest player who ever played.

2. Bobby Orr.

And suddenly there was Bobby, a contemporary, a player of my generation who became the greatest player who ever lived. Only those who saw the game before Orr and watched him change the way it was played can really understand how remarkable he was on the ice. And my goodness he was fun to watch.

3. The 1972 Summit Series.

Anticipation, shock, disappointment, surprise and, finally, a celebration that united a country and sealed forever the Canadian relationship to hockey. Looking back, I’ve often thought it was unfortunate that Canada prevailed in the end. The wrong lesson was learned - that grit and physical intimidation trumped talent - and as a result the series set Canadian hockey back for years.

4. Sons and Fathers.

Like many fans, my interest in the game waned as career and family limited the time I could devote to the game. But then… my sons became hockey fans because I was a hockey fan. Every Saturday night we ate hamburgers in front of the TV and watched Hockey Night in Canada. I got involved in minor hockey and coaching, an experience that taught me as much about the game as anything. I realized hockey was more than a sport. It was family.

5. Habit.

If hockey was family, Gary Bettman is the black sheep, the uncle everybody hoped would not show up to the family reunion. As the game devolved from sport to sports entertainment, my attachment to the NHL has waned considerably. The NHL has always been a dirty business, but these days it is a lot harder to enjoy the sausage while ignoring the way the sausage is made.

Fortunately, happy habits die hard and every Saturday night we eat hamburgers in front of the TV and watch Hockey Night in Canada. And I hope that one day a grandson will become a hockey fan because his father and his grandfather are fans …

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