The Bell Centre

Just a quick note about our trip to Montreal, we got to finally go inside of the famous Bell Center, which was actually more famous as the Forum when the Canadiens were completely dominating hockey, but as it got older even the Forum was not immune to progress. They tore it down and replaced it with the Bell Center, so it was a close to legend as we were going to get.

The reason we were there was because the guys needed something to do while the girls were off at the art museum. I like art museums but N was not as thrilled, so as we looked for other options, the World Junior Hockey Championships came up. Junior teams from all over the world were there to compete, and at our desired time slot was Sweden vs the Czech Republic, both solid hockey countries. We looked for tickets online but they seemed to be in demand and really expensive. We decided to walk to the arena and see for ourselves, and sure enough they had plenty of tickets available. We paid $33 Canadian, which worked out to about $25 US. If you charge things you really benefit from the exchange rate. It was also a good lesson in not believing everything you learn online and making sure for yourself because the internet made it seem like tickets were outrageously expensive and impossible to get.

Anyway, the Bell Center was cool, and it's always fun to get the live hockey experience, or any live sporting event for that matter. I know it's nice to sit at home and watch the big game on TV, where we can sit in their underwear and eat potato chips and see instant replay. But it really makes a difference seeing it live. Plus it gets you out of the house and off your big butt. The arena was probably only about 2/3 full, so there were plenty of seats. In fact, we didn't even bother sitting in our assigned seats because so many were available, we just grabbed the first ones we could find. It was also fun because the fans from the host countries get into it and like to rib each other. Plus, they tend to paint themselves in the colors of their country, which makes it fun to see.

The game was fun, too. These guys are the real deal, and the quality of play was high. I thought they seemed slower than a Dartmouth game, but N pointed out that they were more skilled and polished. It takes a real hockey player to see this. We also got to eat nachos and hot dogs, which were a little pricey but less so with the exchange rate. We were rooting for Sweden and they won, 5-2... or maybe it was 5-3. I can't remember, it was so long ago.

After the game we braved the arctic tundra and walked back to our hotel. I'm glad I was with N because I had no clue how to get there. We warmed up and chilled in the room until the girls returned, and then it was time to ring in the new year.

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Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Kwong Yee Cheng for the pic.