Breaking the ice on hockey

Adam Braidwood usually takes plenty of flak from his own teammates for being Canadian. But we couldn’t let the British Columbia native get away this week without talking about the return of the NHL, back on the ice after a labor dispute resulted in a one-year hiatus.

He and fellow defensive end Mkristo Bruce dropped the gloves and weighed in on the NHL, skating lessons and weird people behind the wheel of a Zamboni.

AB: I only follow the (Vancouver) Canucks and they don’t show too many games down here. I always watch them in the playoffs. Vancouver is a hockey town through and through, so I get pretty excited. My favorite player is Todd Bertuzzi – he’s been out for a while, and I’ve got to see if he’s playing this year.

(Bertuzzi was recently reinstated after a suspension for an illegal hit from behind that broke another player’s neck.)

With him, we’re going to go to the Cup this year, I promise you.

MB: If Braidwood played hockey, he wouldn’t have a stick. He’d just be out there on skates.

AB: I played hockey for a little while. I wasn’t very good – couldn’t score any goals. I got a lot of penalties. A lot of penalties. My own brother used to ref hockey games and he gave me a lot of penalties. But it was fun.

MB: I don’t follow hockey. I don’t watch it.

AB: I just follow the Canucks.

MB: I can’t ice skate, and if you can’t skate, why watch it?

AB: I’ll teach you how to skate. I can still skate.

MB: No, you can’t.

AB: I can. I guarantee I can still skate. I went out there last year. I can skate.

MB: Just because you’re from Canada doesn’t mean you can skate.

AB (growing indignant): I skated for like six years. I can still skate. I did it last year. We’ll go on a date. I’ll take you on a little skate trip.

MB: Fine. You’re buying, big guy.

AB: I still have my skates down here, I think.

S-R: If (Adam) offered to take you to a hockey game, would you go?

MB: Oh, I’ve been to a hockey game. It’s probably one of the (most fun) things ever. The fights, the crowds, the Zamboni man’s going crazy. The minor league team in Seattle – I forget what they’re called – but there were four fights and the Zamboni man was this crazy guy with a hippie shirt and he was dancing.

AB: Hockey games are fun, man.