Seven-year-old Blake Williams said he is "super duper" excited to watch hockey again after four months off. His favourite teams are the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Prince Albert Raiders. (Submitted Photo/Melissa McDonald)                                                                                           

By Trevor Redden

Game On

Local hockey fans excited for NHL’s mid-summer return

Jul 29, 2020 | 12:00 PM

Despite the hottest temperatures of the year outside, hockey fans in northern Saskatchewan are excited to settle in front of the TV as National Hockey League (NHL) action returns after being shut down for more than four months.

The league suspended its season on March 12 as COVID-19 began to spread across North America, putting the remainder of the regular season and playoffs into limbo. Tuesday, a brief exhibition schedule kicked off in the two hub cities of Edmonton and Toronto before the play-in round begins on Saturday.

Seven-year-old Blake Williams has been missing hockey since the season shut down, and he had to miss Tuesday night’s action as he was coming home from the lake. The Pittsburgh Penguins fan said he would rather be watching hockey than being outside in the summer, because nothing beats his favourite game.

“They get to win and get trophies and score goals,” Williams explained when asked what makes him love the sport.

He believes his beloved Penguins, led by his favourite player Sidney Crosby, will win the Stanley Cup this year. He’s also excited to get back to the Art Hauser Centre to watch the Raiders when they return to action.

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From the front-row vantage point of his section seven season seats, he loves to watch his favourite player Max Paddock play goal for the green and gold.

As for his favourite Raider game he’s attended, there was no hesitation.

“When they won the [Ed Chynoweth] Cup when Dante Hannoun scored,” Williams said.

He’s also a hockey player himself, and he can’t wait until he can lace up his skates again with his Red Raiders team.

Troy Bushey is a die-hard Edmonton Oilers fan from Prince Albert, and he assured paNOW he would be settled in front of his TV as the Oilers met the Calgary Flames in an exhibition game Tuesday night.

“I’m so excited for [Flames Oilers], hopefully Kassian and Tkachuk get to meet each other on the ice once again,” he explained. “At least they were friends after, they left everything on the ice.”

Bushey is cheering for the Oilers as they prepare for a best-of-five play-in series against Chicago beginning on Saturday, but he admitted he is just happy to have hockey back in general whether the Oilers are successful or not. He does think Edmonton will handle Chicago, but then it will depend who the Oilers draw in round one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

As for the new-look game with no fans in the stands, Bushey is expecting a strange feel but he likes the NHL’s approach to covering the stands based on what he’s seen so far.

“It’s going to definitely be different. I’m used to watching games with the stands being completely packed with fans cheering, that’s all you hear over the TV most of the time,” Bushey said.

“I’m happy they’re not doing what the MLB did, with the fake cardboard fans in the stands.”

Although he is a big Oilers supporter, Bushey is most passionate about the Raiders, as evidenced by his attendance at all but five home games in the last two seasons. His passion shows through in the arena, as he believes he’s “probably one of the loudest [fans] in the Art Hauser.”

Although NHL hockey has never been played in July, the league made a bet fans would still be tuning in. So far, it seems they were on the money.

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trevor.redden@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Trevor_Redden