Blunder Years: Presents and Pucks! What a wonderful time of year

I was very fortunate to grow up in Canada. I loved hockey, so it just fit. I am not sure if I loved hockey BECAUSE I grew up in Canada, or if my love was a product of my environment. It doesn't matter either way to me really, I am just thankful for all the joy that loving hockey has provided for me from the first time I strapped on a pair or skates and chased the puck down the ice, right up until this afternoon when I plan to brew a nice pot of peppermint tea and tune into the IIHF U20 Tournament, more commonly known as the World Junior Hockey Championships. Thank God for cable TV by the way!

Growing up Canadian was wonderful for many reasons, most of which I won't get into, you have to experience it to understand. Christmas is a wonderful tie of year, no matter what country you call home, but in Canada, as soon as the gifts are unwrapped and played with, and put on the shelf so the house isn't a mess when company comes over, they have Boxing Day, which rivals Black Friday as a shopping day with amazing sales and huge crowds, and when you grown up in a small town, you make a point of heading to gatherings like this. The Malls would be bustling, the shops a buzz, I always told my parents we should delay Christmas at our house until the 27th, so the dollar could stretch further by taking advantage of the Boxing Day sale. You could get Christmas ornaments for a song, popular Christmas toys half off, there was always a great deal at all the restaurants in town. It was as Canadian as toques and beer. Boxing day was extra special to the hockey fan. This is the day that our countries future heroes started the pursuit of the Gold Medal at the IIHF U20 Tournament. In Canada, this is bigger than March Madness, bigger that the World Cup, and if Canada made it to the finals, the TV ratings would make Americans seem disinterested in the Superbowl by comparison. This is an entire country united by the purest form of sport. Amateurs playing for national pride, and maybe a little bit to increase their draft position, but rarely do you see selfish play by the Canadian squad at the World Jr's. Rarely do you ever hear a coach in a press conference after a game say, "We lacked emotion." How refreshing it that? In a world where so many athletes play for "me first" seeing a group of young men, unpaid, and giving it every ounce to bring glory back to the great country of Canada, to me is the purest form of sport remaining in this day and age. If you haven't ever had the pleasure of watching this tournament, you would be doing yourself a favor by tuning in. The NHL network now covers it in the US, and TSN in Canada. You can also watch the games streamed online for free through the IIHF website.

Now that Christmas has passed, do yourself a favor today. If you are living in Canada, go take advantage of the amazing sales at Zellers today, and no matter where you live, tune in to the World Juniors as they kick off the 2011 Tournament. Today's schedule in Eastern Standard Time: