Mom Mondays: To the New Kids on the Block

Right NOW, thousands of hockey moms all across Canada are gearing up for the 2017-18 hockey season. If Hockey Canada’s annual report is any indication, at least 75,000 of those hockey players will be brand new players to the game and come September, many of those initiation level kids will be chauffeured to the arena by brand new hockey moms.

Mom Mondays: Soon it will be hockey season... and email season

Mom Mondays - The Hockey Logo Breaks the Ice

“How ‘bout them Leafs?”  Have you ever noticed when travelling that a simple hockey t-shirt or ball cap can be a conversation starter? Of course you have! It happens all the time.

Mom Mondays: Locker Room Talk – Size Matters!

Most of the lockers rooms in our neck of the woods are quiet this time of the year. The hockey players have wrapped up their seasons and have passed the locker room torch on to lacrosse players for the next few months. 

Mom Mondays: A Season in Summary

After the last puck is fired into the net, the final post-game handshake exchanged, one closing locker room speech given by the coach, the game jerseys washed and returned to the association, the hockey equipment sent out for deep-cleaning, and those hockey socks incinerated, there is but one remaining action item on a team’s game plan: the year-end party.

Mom Mondays: Tournaments by the Ages

“Why didn’t we go to the Cornwall tournament this year, Mom?” asked my daughter, as she and I prepare for her team’s year-end hockey party.

Mom Mondays: Happy Hockey Mom’s Day!

By the time you read this, Mother’s Day will just have passed. My own Mother’s Days have evolved over the years. My earliest ones were largely planned by my husband – a gift and a card signed as best possible by all the kids.

Mom Mondays: The Carpool Car Chats

Of all the wonderful things a hockey mom does day in and day out, it’s safe to say that “driving” probably tops the list. I don’t even want to think about the amount of time I have spent in a car driving to or from a hockey arena.

Mom Mondays: The Playoff Brackets for a Hockey Mom

Every year, our friends and neighbours put together a playoff hockey pool. The brackets are distributed as soon as they are made known by the league, we make our picks, and all chip in five bucks to the pot.

Mom Mondays: Sunken Treasure SOS!

It’s been a tough season for hockey nets. As my family and I drove back to Ottawa from the Collingwood area last weekend, we decided to take smaller two-lane highways in an attempt to avoid all the long weekend traffic along the 400 series of highways.

Mom Mondays: Hockey Bribes and Ultimatums

According to parenting experts, you’re not supposed to bribe your children to get them to do things. It makes them believe there’s no value in doing anything unless they’re rewarded for it. 

Mom Mondays: What’s in a Name(bar)?

The minor hockey season is winding down and we are in the throes of preparing for the grand finale – which is of course the year-end team party! Before the year-end party can take place, there are a bucket load of little ‘jobs’ that need to be taken care of.

Mom Mondays: Holy Holey Hockey Socks!

Every hockey season, my kids would receive a brand new pair of hockey socks from their association. This annual offering generally takes place when game jerseys are distributed for the season, which generally follows the passionate deliberations over who is wearing what number.

Mom Mondays: The Hockey House for Sale – Caveat Emptor!

I was telling my husband the other day that we needed to fix the dents in the wall in the rec room. My frequent declarations about ‘no playing sports in the house!’ have fallen on deaf ears due in large part to any meaningful consequences on my part. 

Mom Mondays: Playoff Advice for Newbie Hockey Moms

If you’re a new hockey mom, you are this close to the end of your very first year of hockey. Congratulations! It’s been exciting hasn’t it? You’re on the home stretch now and playoffs are underway. It’s a cake walk, right? Not so fast.