Big League Dreams

Growing up in Edmonton, I had a rink across the street from my house. In winter, I would play shinny on it every day, often till my feet were numb from cold, pretending I was a star in the big league. Now, Making the Cut offers a chance at realizing my dream.

No, “Making the Cut” is not a reality show about the day-to-day exploits of hairdressers or plastic surgery gone awry, but rather “a coast-to-coast search for the best unsigned hockey players in Canada” says the website press release.

The concept goes like this: NHL wannabes can sign up for a series of cross-country tryouts led by NHL coaching legends Scotty Bowman and “Iron” Mike Keenan. Anyone willing to pay the $55 fee can enter. From these tryouts — which will likely draw thousands — 68 players will be selected to advance to a two-week intensive training camp where they’ll battle for the ultimate prize – an invitation to attend a real NHL training camp. Through it all, cameras will capture the gripping action both on and off the ice. CBC intends to broadcast the results over 13 episodes next fall. I picture a lot of locker room machismo, off-ice backbiting and ill-conceived alliances between competing players.

The idea of practicing with Bowman is alluring, if for no other reason then to see what kind of drills he would run. But then I have horrific visions of flailing, spread-eagled, through a line of practice pylons after attempting a basic stick-handling maneuver. No doubt the bulk of the competitors will be fresh-faced twenty-somethings bent on grinding up old guys like me. But what the hell – I’m going to sign up anyways.

Finally, I get my shot at the big league.
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As this is my first post, here’s a quick bio:
I’m an independent marketing/technical writer specializing in the technology sector (sound like someone you know?), mid-thirties, living happily in Vancouver’s Kitsilano district with my girlfriend and two black cats.

My personal interests include jembe drums — which I thump spastically — as well as independent film and documentary (a doc project is in the works), most sports, design, photography, and traveling (successive summers have been spent in Italy and France/Scandinavia/Berlin).