On Thursday night, a full season of practices, hard work, dedication, and determination wrapped up for the local Jr. B hockey team. But the season also came to a close for the many fans that were equally dedicated and determined to see the St. Paul Canadiens succeed.
And over the past few years, that dedication is clearly paying off. When I would cover the odd Jr. B game when I first started working at the Journal, I will admit, it was nearly always disappointing. Not just because the team would lose, often, but because there was no one there to cheer and back up a team that was in desperate need of the support.
The last two seasons have proven that the needed revitalization has arrived, and hopefully it’s here to stay. Attendance has gone from a handful of locals and parents to bleachers that are filled with a lot of regulars, and it’s always a great mixture of people of all ages, with a couple things in common – a love of the sport and pride in their community.
Without a dedicated sports reporter last playoff season, I found myself covering the Canadiens more often than I had in a long time. And this season, after another sports reporter moved on, I again found myself back at the arena.
This year I’ve spent my time split between the two arenas in St. Paul, which means in the last few months I’ve spent more time at a hockey rink than ever before. With an elementary- aged son who has been asking to play hockey since he was five, we finally caved and signed him up for pond hockey this fall.
That season also has been a great one, filled with dedication (waking up before 7 a.m. on Saturdays for practices isn’t really my idea of fun!) and hard work by the players who are learning, but also the coaches who show up every practice to lead the mixture of kids, and skill levels, on the ice.
I feel like it takes a special type of person to coach pond hockey. There are very few big, exciting games, no trophies to work toward. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t hard work being put in – my own son has gone from hardly being able to skate a lap (despite his determination in wanting to be a hockey player), to easily getting on and off the ice, and doing laps around the CAP arena each practice. He might not be the fastest, but the progress in just one season has been amazing.
Although I always knew St. Paul was a hockey town, I’ve actually been able to live that attitude this season. I’ve seen a team of Jr. B players show up and work their hardest to achieve the most successful season they have in over a decade, and I’ve watched a wobbly eight-year-old lace up his skates and try to imitate these players after watching them at their home games.
On Saturday night, the top 10 communities in this year’s Kraft Hockeyville contest were announced, reaffirming that St. Paul truly does live and breath hockey, as the community is one of the top 10 finalists this year.
After watching my son’s season of pond hockey, I can clearly see the cause behind the town’s bid to be this year’s winner of $100,000 for arena repairs. The CAP arena, although smaller than the Clancy Richard arena, is equally important to the community. It’s a busy place, with practices, tournaments and games taking place daily throughout the winter months.
Starting March 13, voting in the contest will begin, and the CAP arena will need the support of the community, and surrounding towns, to be successful, so vote and vote often to prove that St. Paul really is Canada’s greatest hockey community.
