It’s New Years Day 2008. The snow outside is falling at an alarming pace. I’m nervous about getting home from the holiday tomorrow. The family is across the street on the ski mountain enjoying these “white out” conditions that NH has begged for the last two years. Big Angry Man fulfilled his New Years resolution at 10 am this morning: He took snowboard lessons. Oddly, there were two other almost 40 year-olds learning with him. Must have been a popular resolution in these parts, or the other guys were just still drunk from last night.

Of course, my resolutions will take far longer to fulfill, if ever. Or maybe they will just go back into the wish list for yet another year. We’ll see. Only time will tell. But the NHL got it’s New Years wish as I am sitting here watching the Winter Classic on NBC. I wondered about the weather delay that was predicted, but this is hockey, and hockey finds a way. The snow is falling, the wind is blowing, the ice looks down right awful, and they’re still playing. Bob Costas looks a little lost, but he’s surrounded by enough REAL hockey media to get by. So far I’ve seen Mike Milbury, Darren Pang, Eddie “O” and Mike Emric. They can carry him. (Milbury makes Costas look like a dwarf, and he looks much better today than he did on Friday on NESN when he looked much heavier than he did when he left Uniondale.)

The hockey related commercials have been perfect; well produced, entertaining and featuring our current stars on these two teams, Crosby and Miller. I would love to see these commercials during regular broadcast hours on non-hockey shows. I think people would be curious about the game then. You can’t get a better face for the league than Crosby. He acts almost as well as he plays. Milbury even compared him to Bobby Orr in many ways. I can’t dispute it.

The retro jerseys that both teams have opted for are translating very well to network TV. They are bringing back lots of great memories to older Saber and Penguins fans. Plus, that pale blue the Penguins are wearing is very striking against the white ice and falling snow.

As far as attendance goes, think of this: There are over 70,000 people sitting in that outdoor arena right now in the snow. Granted, this is the first time a game like this has been played on American soil, but I’m certain if they did this once a year, no matter what state they hosted it in, the attendance would be the same…. Overwhelming! If the NHL could pull it off, imagine what would happen if they could host TWO outdoor games in two cities (as long as one is somewhere in Minn.), think of how many hockey fans would show up then!

In order to make every hockey fan feel involved, NBC is running a crawl of standings for each of the 30 teams. NBC also just announced their first national broadcast game will be Bruins vs. Rangers at MSG 1/20/08. In the “you’ll never live this down till you die” category, they just aired Milbury beating a fan with his own shoe episode. Haven’t those tapes disintegrated by now with age? Amazingly, he is always affable about it.

The game goes into overtime as they are tied at 1. Eddie “O’ is completely entertaining even standing in a snow storm, freezing. He even takes a turn at doing the weather as NBC has been having technical difficulties all day. If they cut away before the real end of this game, I will completely lose respect for NBC. If it goes to a shoot-out, they better be able to finalize it in just three rounds. To be fair to both teams under these brutal weather conditions, the teams change ice sides at the half way mark of each period, including the OT.

There is now about two feet of snow outside my condo windows. But this is New England, and if I ultimately move here, I had better get used to this vision of white and slow moving trucks. The family has come back and my daughter and her friend are now full-fledged “shredders.” I’m doomed. This is just going to mean I’ll be spending far more time alone with the computer during these little winter vacations. But actually that would work into fulfilling my own New Years Resolutions. Well, at least maybe one of them. That book in my head better find it’s way to paper. Those skating lessons I’ve been trying to find time for these last eight years may be an easier resolution to keep and probably better for my health, but that book haunts my dreams. Maybe 2008 will be the starting point.

There’s a little confusion as both teams will be using the same side of the ice for the shoot-out. It didn’t look as if the Zamboni went out again to clear the ice. More than likely because of time constraints. And the shoot out victory goes to none other than the savior of the NHL, Sidney Crosby as he placed the puck between the legs of Ryan Miller. He celebrates like the kid he is, and off go the fireworks as both teams salute the fans at center ice.

The year is a fresh canvas for all of us, including the NHL. They’re starting with a broad stroke and some bright colors. I’m starting with a warm fire, a major snowstorm and Hockey on NBC in the afternoon. Life is good. Here’s wishing all of you a year of beautifully colored memories and dreams come true.

7^th