Ice hockey is one of the four major North American professional sports, and the national winter sport of Canada. Given the country's level of emphasis and high regard for the game, thousands of Canadians flock to watch their favourite teams in action every season.
Winnipeg is home to The Manitoba Moose (which is really very-cute a name for an ice hockey team, haha) - I've heard of others such as the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Ottawa Senators and Vancouver Canucks, which really sound more cool! But oh oh, here's another also listed under the National Hockey League, the Pittsburgh Penguins! Haha.
So this was last Friday (14 Nov), and we were scheduled for a homecoming game at the MTS Centre between the Manitoba Moose and Toronto Marlies. AIMS organizes a trip to the games every season at this time of the year for us exchange students. Along with their group ticket purchases are lil' freebies that serve as souvenirs; this year we each took a hockey puck home! And of course - as some of you'd prolly know by now - I was selected to go onto the big screen too, and my stint at guessing that night's attendance granted me more collectibles than others! Haha.. quite cool for a virgin experience at a live hockey game! :)
The night was just exciting and adrenaline-rushing, especially for first-timers like us. We just felt so thrilled to be watching a live game in action in this part of the world, where everyone's so crazy and "patriotic" about their own provincial teams! The atmosphere was professionally created too - fascinating myraid of lights and hyped-up music which greatly heightened audience expectations and mood. I felt like I haven't watched anything of such magnitude in years; the only thing that comes close is probably Jay's concert (!?!) Haha, I know it's a bad comparison, but the ambience was sooooo intense it was as if we're watching a live concert! Haha.
Manitoba Moose vs Toronto Marlies - 2:1 - we won!
It's fun when there's a bus-stop/bus full of your friends - we had about 60 people altogether, all super enthu and rah-rah in initiating waves and cheers during the game! Heh.. to the right is the SMU gang.
See! Even the pre-games ambience was fascinating, and that's the iconic Moose hyping up the audience
Canadians singing the National Anthem with pride (while I snapped away, quite disrespectful!)
The screen up there is very cool, it plays ads and even introduces the various groups of people who'd come to the game on a company initiative or school event (like us)! Sometimes it also displays captions such as "GOAL!" or "NOISE!" to erm, instigate the crowd to be rowdy. Haha. But yea, the spurts of ads at random timings was weird at times though, talking about washing machines and sponsors.. tskk. But all in all a really cool big screen..
Especially when you see yourself up there big time! HAHA. My answer for the night's attendance was 7,422 people (it was multiple-choice) - and erm, according to tips from the AIMS execs, just go for the largest number la. Haha.. just very exciting to be "interviewed" and tell people where you come from!
The Moose's signature cheer - "Let's go Moo-oose, let's go!" *clap clap* - sometimes the word "Moose" is also replaced by "Bisons", cos both are iconic symbols of the Manitoban province. Heh.
Really hardcore hockey la - it's so violent! Players deliberately crash into one another at the sides, and although the rink's all "fenced" up with some hardy plastic/glass material, front-row spectators had to be constantly on the alert, heh. We kept exclaiming "oohs" and "ahhs" so loudly whenever they crashed..!
My loot for the day - souvenir hockey puck, Manitoba Moose Mug (that wasn't supposed to be free cos you had to buy the beer with it), and the prize for the question, an autographed picture of erm, I-dono-who from the team! Haha. :)
Whiskey Dix
After the game w proceeded to Whiskey Dix, a Western cowboy-themed club downtown. It's actually a popular hangout cos it's one of the bigger bars around - 2-storeyed, although the larger foyer plays country music (again, an all-time favourite here somehow), and there's only a small dance floor downstairs for pop or R&B..
Bathroom sign says "Chix" and "Dix" respectively, quite novel I think! Haha.