“Hockey Rituals” by Brandon Schall

As the new year of hockey begins it is a bitter sweet feeling. This is the first time in 10 years that I will not be playing hockey. I have achieved most things throughout my life that a hockey player would want to achieve. I have made it through 4 years of college hockey. As the season begins I start to get back to my rituals for the season. Although I no longer have to practice and I do not get to play this year I still do the same things with my team that we have always done. Each Tuesday and Thursday we get together for lunch and talk about the game, each Friday and Saturday we relax all day together and watch movies and prepare for the game. Also, on Thursday nights we get together to have a pasta dinner at one of the guy’s houses. Although each team’s rituals are different these are the rituals that have been passed down through our team and we continue follow them today as a team.