Remember the excitement and anticipation of the last week of school? The eagerness in the days leading up to Christmas? The way time moved so slowly leading up to your birthday, a visit by a favorite relative or some other long-awaited event? I do, and for the last couple of weeks I have been experiencing all of that and more.

Faithful readers will know I enjoy sports. And while many in our region are in full-on fan mode for the beginning of the baseball season, I am beside myself with excitement — not for our national pastime, but rather for Canada’s — because it is playoff time for hockey.

Truth be told, around my house there are two seasons: hockey season and waiting-for-hockey season. And when it gets to the hockey post-season, well, I am a happy fellow. The same may not necessarily be true for my family. I must confess that I’m a loud hockey fan. Not one to yell at players or even referees, I do, however, tend to get a little excited when my favorite St. Louis Blues put the puck in the net. More than once while watching an away game on the West Coast (which often starts as late as 9:30 p.m.), I have been responsible for rousing my wife and kids from their peaceful sleep with a loud exclamation. “SCOOOOOOOOOORE!” I will yell, sounding much like a South American soccer announcer.

I don’t mean to do it. It’s just a reflex action, similar to how you yawn just after someone else in the room yawns. It’s automatic, just like how people fall in love with hockey once they actually attend a game live and in person. I know it’s said of many things, but television truly does not give hockey a fair shake. By sitting in front of a TV set, you can’t gain an appreciation for the game and the athleticism of players.

Sure, there are people who say it’s too violent. Let me remind them that — unlike their professional counterparts in basketball and football — when was the last time they recall a hockey player being booked for domestic battery? And sure, I did once attend a game where 206 minutes in penalties were assessed before the game even actually started. I’ll confess, it was fun.

Even without the fights, big hits and penalties, I’d still be a hockey fan. The speed of the game draws you in, the simplicity keeps you and the excitement keeps you on the edge of your seat (or sofa). Plus, hockey is unique. There are all of the great-sounding French and Eastern European names, the spectacle of the Stanley Cup and the unique rules.

I love that the players on the ice change while play progresses. They do it all on the fly. And when a player commits a foul, the game I love is unique in that players guilty of a penalty have to spend two minutes, five minutes or (sometimes) the rest of the game off the ice. Most often, they cannot be replaced — leaving one team short-handed while the other is on the power play. They spend time in the penalty box (or as my youngest calls it, “timeout”). It makes for a great few minutes of action.

So my extra season of action is underway, and I’m looking forward to every single moment of it. Let’s pop open a soda, order a pizza and let hockey begin! Just try not to wake the family when the Blues score.

Les O’Dell is an average guy writing about life from his home in Carbondale. Visit him at www.lesodell.com.