Hello out there hockey friends, are you going as crazy as I am without your regular hockey fix? We should be deep into the first round of the playoffs right about now, and while I know its absolutely the right thing for EVERYONE, my heart still aches every time I think about it. As this pause will seemingly last for a long while(and already has), I have been racking my brain to think of a fun way to pass the time. The one that kept coming back to me, was the fans and their stories. It’s no secret that some of my favourite stories are those fellow fans and how hockey stole their hearts. So, I open this up to ALL of you whether you are a fellow Vancouver Canucks fan, rival fan, front line hero, local or halfway across the globe, if you have a hockey story to share, I’m happy to put the spotlight on YOU.

Even though we are apart, we’re all in this together, and we’ll get through it one day at a time. What I’m asking is for you to share what the game means to you or maybe you have a funny anecdote or a moment that you’d like to share that changed the way you see the game. What you share is up to you.

Today, I present to you the first two participants in the Nucksaid Suspended Series. Below you will find their words and if you’re not following them on twitter, make sure to note their handles below & give them both a follow!).

1. Tina Poole(@tpoole00): “I got into hockey in the early 90’s. It was kind of a family tradition. My mom’s side of the family was always big into sports, be it hockey, CFL football or baseball in the summers. My mom is originally from Winnipeg and moved out here when she was 9. When I was growing up, if it was a Saturday or there was a Canucks game on, everyone would be watching.

Christmas gifts(starting in 1994) always involved tickets to a game of the latest EA Sports NHL PC game. Another memorable Christmas gift was the year I got a wooden hockey stick. It helped me out in many street hockey games. The camaraderie of those games remains in my memory. Another memorable gift was the white skate jersey I got for my 7th birthday. I currently use it to collect autographs. Cliff Ronning was the first Canuck to autograph my jersey.

One thing I miss that I wish the Canucks would bring back is fan appreciation day where the fans got to meet the team after the season ended. I appreciate the open practices that take place throughout the season.

My cousin played hockey through high school. He got as far as Junior B with the Salmon Arm Salmonbellies. He had a tryout with the Junior A Coquitlam Express.

I also enjoy the social media aspect of hockey. I blog about hockey, contributing to Total Canucks and my own personal blog. Most of the time, twitter is a great forum to follow hockey during games. I also take part in a couple of game threads on Facebook during games.

The experience of watching hockey has definitely evolved with the emergence of the internet and social meda.

I am excited to see the Canucks finally hoist the Stanley Cup in the next several years.”

2. Jen Allan(@getthepuckuout): “When Ben Hutton was a rookie, he partook in the ice & dice fundraiser. He had to lip sync and chose the song, “In a Barbie World.” I watched the stream of his performance and laughed really hard. Years pass, I believe 4. I go to an autograph signing and as I’m putting down my jersey in front of Ben Hutton, I say to him, ‘Every time I see one of your highlights, all I hear in my head is “In a Barbie World.”‘ He burst out laughing. He really does have a great smile and laugh.”

Special thank-you to both Tina & Jen for sharing their stories with me and all of you! I look forward to bringing you many more stories as we navigate through this new normal of the suspended season and await the return of the game that means so much more than a game to all of us. If you’d like to be featured or know someone who should be featured simply send me an email(nucksaid@gmail.com) or find me on twitter(@nucksaid) and we will make it happen.

As always, until next time, nuck said.

Sarah E.L.