The Power is Strong with This One

As you all should know by now, last night the Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks to win the Stanley Cup. This was a monumental achievement for a team no one really expected to make it much further than the first round. However, I am not here to talk about the Boston Bruins. I’m also not here to talk about the behaviour (see, I can speak Canadian) of the Canucks fans after their team’s loss last night. No, this seems like the perfect opportunity to talk about me!

So, let’s go back to last hockey season. It was a season of promise for my San Jose Sharks…and I wanted to experience it in new and exciting ways! I had been to home games, been a season ticket holder, attended the loudest playoff games the Tank had ever seen. So what was next? ROAD TRIP!

For as long as I had been a Sharks fan (20 years plus, now), I had never seen them play a game on the road. I had never ventured into hostile territory decked out in teal. It was time. This year also provided the perfect opportunity, as the Chicago Blackhawks were honoring my favorite player of all time, Jeremy Roenick, at the Hawks-Sharks game that November. It also happened to be a Sunday game, and I had never been to Chicago and really wanted to explore.

Turns out two other Sharks fans I had never met before in my life were planning on making the trip as well (Mr. K and the Lurker), so we met up in the Windy City to join forces and watch the Sharks take on the Blackhawks, and to honor Mr. Roenick. It was a bonding moment, to be sure…and would lead to a friendship that would span the ages and define us all as human beings. But, that is a story for another time.

The fans were mostly nice…except for the one guy who liked to turn around and flip us (and the small child in front of us, inadvertently) the bird. The Hawks won in OT as the Sharks surrendered a 3rd period lead (they do that a lot). It was the first time I really learned to loathe Chelsea Dagger. And that was that. My first road game. It would end up being my only road game that season. And, wouldn’t you know it, that hockey season ended with the Chicago Blackhawks hoisting the Stanley Cup.

Chicago was favored to win the Cup all season, so it really wasn’t a huge shock. But, at the time, I thought to myself “of course the one team I see on the road goes on to win the Cup…how random is that?”

Maybe it wasn’t so random. Maybe there were other forces at play here…

Skip forward to this season. My Sharks were once again expected to be contenders…although I, personally, was not sold. The Defense was shaky and I thought very little of our new goaltender. However, I pretty much bleed teal, so I still went to games, still cheered them on. And I still bitched about them on the internet to those who would listen.

And I still planned to go see the Sharks on the road for one road trip. This year, Mr. K and I decided to head to Boston to see the Sharks take on the Boston Bruins.

I’m sure you can see where this is going, so I’ll keep it short. The game was fun…the Sharks won this time. The fans were nice enough…they were mostly just angry at their own team for sucking rather than the Sharks fans. As we’re leaving, I mention to Mr. K, “you know, if the Bruins end up winning the Cup this year, I’m totally whoring myself out on eBay next season to hockey fans.” And we laughed…Boston wasn’t expected to win the Cup, and it’s not like I have special powers or anything.

Or so we thought…

Flash ahead to today, and we are looking at one of the more unlikely Stanley Cup Champions we’ve had in a while. Boston was a solid team, but not a single person this season, or this postseason, ever thought they would win the whole thing. Even going into Game 7, having just obliterated the Canucks in Game 6, most people still thought there was no way the Bruins could win the Cup. And yet here we are. Needless to say, I’m a little freaked out right now.

Two Sharks road trips, two Stanley Cups for the teams I visited. It’s a freaky coincidence, to say the least.

So, now I need to figure out what to do next season. Ultimately, I desperately want the Sharks to win the Cup. It’s been mentioned that perhaps I should stay home next season. However, I’ve done that in the past…and it led to 18 seasons of no Cup. Heck, since I started doing the Sharks Road Trip thing, the Sharks have done a little better in the postseason than before, getting to back to back Western Conference Finals. So I’m not sure just staying home will have the desired effect.

So if I cannot use my powers to get the Sharks a Cup, maybe I can use it to get one of my other preferred teams the Cup. Personally, I’m a fan of the Washington Capitals in the East, so maybe I should trek out there next season for the Caps-Sharks game, and see if I can’t at least get Ovie and the Caps a Cup. The other option would be Mr. K’s preferred destination (he has been with me for both road trips), Buffalo…as he is a Sabres fan in the East. Both are possibilities. The third possibility is to actually put myself up on eBay and get someone to pay me to come out and use my good road trip juju on their team! I could make a killing, right? I’m sure Toronto would pay through the nose. Philly has to be getting antsy. Hell, after last night, Vancouver might be desperate enough to pay me for something like this…and they’re rich as shit up there! Maybe I’ll move this offseason, and then make my one “road trip” to San Jose! That seems like a hassle, though. And I like living here.

So, alas, decisions will have to be made! So, watch out hockey fans! I might be coming to an arena near you next season. And if I do, prepare yourselves for hockey glory!