Hockey Fever Continues

It’s ongoing in Mary’s kitchen, the endless hockey game, only it’s achieving a new level of sophistication. Perhaps because daddy has been taking Darcy to see high school hockey games, but Darcy has learned to body check.

Yes.

He does it very well, too. Not only has he learned how, but he knows when to do it. It’s quite impressive, really.

This afternoon, Darcy and George were scooting after the puck (a.k.a. a wooden block). Displaying a novel degree of authenticity, they were both in pursuit of the same puck. As you know from previous posts on the subject, there are generally multiple pucks in our games, the ice littered with at least one per player, very often more. Today, however, two boys, one puck. How sophisticated!

But then, it gets even better. George makes it to the puck, which has lodged against the boards, first. George angles himself so as to shoot the puck out into centre ice, when Darcy approaches from his left, and, leading with his shoulder, checks George back a pace and gains control of the puck! It was decisive, it was neat, it was efficient – it was really, really good! Really!

I was so impressed.

George was less so. “Daaarcy!”

Darcy is too busy racing the puck across the ice to answer. George is not letting this go. He “skates” up behind Darcy, and I’m wondering: are we going to get still another level of authenticity? Is there about to be a brawl on the ice?

“Darcy! Darcy, you has to say sorry!” The tears glimmer on his lashes as he holds up his middle finger. “You hurted me!”

I consider intervening with the harsh truth that in a real game the play does not stop so someone can say sorry for a bo-bo on a finger, but I’m curious to see how Darcy decides to handle it. He’s perfectly capable of saying just exactly that.

Nope. Authenticity has its place and all, but George is his friend, and Darcy is a gentle-spirited little guy (with the makings of a great athlete, I might add).

Play stops while Darcy kisses George’s finger better. “All better?” George smiles. And the game commences once more.