RIO RANCHO, NM – The 2009-2010 hockey season is up and running in the NHL and soon the minor leagues will hit the ice in North America. The United Kingdom and Europe are underway and fans are excited to have their teams on the ice.
For the second time in franchise history, the New Mexico Scorpions went dark following the 2008-2009 season. Financial woes and poor support from the community forced the painful decision.
There was no ‘wait till next year’ refrain in the stands.
So now, rather than sitting in our seats and watching live hockey we are forced to surrender dollars to the NHL Center Ice PackageTM to scratch the hockey itch.
But at this point in the season the itch is persistent and the various online streaming video sites, fantasy sites and sports betting have not yet caught up to satisfying the itch.
For those unsatisfied by the thrill of the live game or the streaming video there are fantasy leagues and NHL betting that add thrills to the entertainment factor of the hockey match.
More than a few minor league clubs ceased operations either during or following last season’s campaign. Augusta, Fresno, New Mexico, Oklahoma City, Dayton (ECHL), and Phoenix (ECHL) are just some of the names of the franchises. For some of the fans of these clubs there are alternatives. Dayton switched to the IHL and Phoenix still has the Coyotes though sportsbooks certainly have picked up the odds of the Coyotes coming back next season in Phoenix.
The fantasy game has never really addressed the hockey itch for me. I enjoy watching matches and enjoying the “game”. Apparently my brain cannot handle watching a a game and following the stats of the players on my “team”.
So for some of us, where our teams have folded and moved on to the heap of defunct teams, there is the video access or travel to live games. For us, the draw is our regional selection of the NHL’s franchises in Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Jose, and Anaheim and Las Vegas in the ECHL.
And for those who think, despite the closing of franchises, that hockey is in a lull, venture through the sportsbooks at the Las Vegas casinos and note the hockey games on the screens. Betting on hockey is big business and unless you know the game there is no point in throwing your money away on a bet. I still have my winning ticket for the last Super Bowl win by the Steelers in my wallet. I enjoy the thrill of a little something on the game.
The Rio Rancho arena is dark and quiet, the real reason the Scorpions folded, and there is no distinctive sound of skates cutting into the ice or the crack of the stick on the puck and the blast of the goal horn. Disappointing for a hockey fan, really.
But the outlets available may serve well enough to quell the itch and soothe the failure of the local club to come back this season.
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