Someone should win the Stanley Cup this year.

I really don't give a crap about billionaire hockey owners and millionaire hockey players,
but I give a crap about hockey.

When I was growing up, I never really blossomed as a player, but loved to watch the men's commercial -league games at the Cochenour Arena (northern Ontario). My father was a linesman and referee for the league for several seasons; eventually I began to work the timekeeping box. I loved being at ice level. I loved transcribing the referee's list of player's transgressions and penances. I loved watching a rising slapshot travel from ice level, just inside the blueline, up and over the outside shoulder of a competent goalie and just under the crossbar. I loved hearing the scissor cuts of pumping skates on hardened ice, the crunch of bodies on boards, pucks ringing off posts and the rattle of ancient plexiglas. I also loved the timebox: It was situated between the opposing teams penalty boxes and locked from the inside so that players in the penalty box couldn't go through us to get at each other. It also had crosslink fencing on top of the booth so that noone could go over the top.

(EDIT: After double-checking my dates; Kenora won the Stanley Cup in the 1906/07 season, not 1916. Thanks, John. They beat a Montreal team and became smallest town to ever win the cup. Pop. approx. 4000.)

It was at an early age that I became aware that the nearest big town, Kenora, had won the Stanley Cup in 1906/07. At that time and for much of its history, the Stanley Cup was a "challenge cup" that any "champion" team could vie for. It was at about the same time that I learned that there was only one year in which no Stanley Cup had been awarded since its inception.1918-1919. The only reason that there was no Cup that year was the quick-travelling, worlwide pandemic influenza that killed tens of millions of people. Okay... that's a pretty good reason not to travel.

But the sh*t were seeing this year with the NHL labour dispute is no reason not to have a Stanley Cup champion. This is a great opportunity (not likely to be seen again, soon) to add another challenge cup-winner to the silver plaques on the base of the trophy. Add a new name to the likes of the Kenora Thistles.

So... email the "Stanley Cup Trustees" at info@hhof.com and request that the Stanley Cup be won by someone this year. Screw the NHL (maybe don't put that in your email).

More info at www.freestanley.com