Anyone feel something's been missing from Hockey for awhile? Something that has been missing since they made the crease useless and they tried the "glowing puck" crap?

Remember back when you heard the venerable Howie Meeker calling the plays made by speedy Guy Lafleur and the Canuck's own toothless Tiger Williams? Remember the fun it was to watch before it all became so much about big business and not the love of the game?

I do. I might be showing my age a bit by saying those names, but it just seemed more fun back then. I'd been feeling this way about hockey for awhile, still watching it with my friends. We all swear and scream in disgust at the even-up reffing and some of the high pay divers and loafers.

But I got a breath of fresh air just the other day when I was flipping channels. I put the remote down and thoroughly enjoyed the next hour and some odd minutes when I stumbled across one of the final regular-season games of the NLL. That's the National Lacrosse League to the uninitiated.

Now, it may just be that it's because I used to be on the Abbotsford Warriors Lacrosse team back in the day, but I really enjoyed watching that Lacrosse game. It's essentially a faster-paced and more physically aggressive version of hockey with no ice and no giant contract deals. All these guys have regular jobs and yet play their asses off - just because they love it. Kinda how it should be, I say. The NLL is only really starting to get coverage now, so don't miss out on the early days before it goes too commercial!

Anyone interested can see the next Vancouver game on Sportsnet (check your local listings) on Saturday, April 19th @ 7pm PST. It's Vancouver Ravens vs. Colorado Mammoth in Colorado. It's the playoffs! A friend of mine is looking into pricing and availability for tickets for any remaining local games. Anyone interested in learning more about the game, watching it on the tube, or even going to a game, feel free to get in touch and we can hook it up!