Two weeks ago was a very tough week for me in a few ways.
For starters, it was Father’s Day. My dad died of COVID on March 31, 2020 – my 37th birthday – so not being able to celebrate it with him is something that will always hurt.
Secondly, June 14th was the 29th anniversary of the New York Rangers winning the Stanley Cup. As I have mentioned on this site before, my dad and I are/were huge Ranger fans, so it was hard not to think about him on that day.
Lastly, June 17th was the 29th anniversary of the Rangers’ Stanley Cup parade. My mom and dad took my sister and me out of school to go to the parade, and I remember having such a great time.
While my dad and I did not always have the greatest relationship, one thing we always bonded over was hockey. It is a lifelong bond that I will always carry with me and one that I will carry with an extreme amount of pride.
There’s a lot I miss when it comes to my dad and hockey. For starters, I miss being able to go to Ranger games with him.
Going to a Ranger game with my dad was always a tremendous experience. We would have a great dinner and then go see our favorite team try and win a hockey game.
With that said, it never mattered whether the Blueshirts won or lost. What mattered was that I got to spend time with my dad watching hockey, the thing we loved to do the most.
Speaking of the Rangers, I missed him during the 2021-22 season. That season, the team came within two wins of advancing to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2014.
I also miss when he would take me, my mom, and my son, to a hockey game, whether it was in Bridgeport, CT, to see the Bridgeport Islanders or at Madison Square Garden to see the Rangers. My dad loved being able to watch my son see hockey live.
I am lucky enough that I still get to go to Ranger games. I enjoyed being able to go to three games with my mom this season, and I am really excited to go to some more games with her next season.
Lastly, I am proud to say that I am back to writing about hockey because of my dad. Two years ago was the worst of my life due to some personal things that went on, and because of that, I started to lose my love for not only writing about hockey but hockey in general.
I am proud to say that I am fully back in all things hockey, and I owe much of that to my dad.
