More Than A Game

Written in July and August of 2008 in McKellar, Ontario

We play hockey on the streets
We play shinny on sheets of ice when the weather starts to change
And if its Saturday night, well then it’s hockey night
A tradition that’ll always be the same
Mom’s drinking double-double
And you’re Dad’s got stubble on his chin ‘cause it’s an early morning game
And there’s no one in the stands, save friends and family for fans
But you feel like Gretzky on a breakaway

Hey hey yeah, it’s more than a game

The backyard is flooded and lit
So we all throw our sticks in the middle so we can pick teams
That ain’t a jersey, it’s a sweater
Man, there’s nothing better, throw one on and start reliving all your dreams
Someone was always Bobby Orr
Someone always said “He shoots He scores”
9, 27, 4, 99 and 10
Bending stick ‘neath the door
To get just a little more of a blade with a perfect bend
As long as you can’t slide a quarter on end

Hey hey yeah, it’s more than a game

Losing pucks in the snow
Where did that one go?
I can’t believe it’s the third one today
But when the springtime would come
We’d find every single one
And talk hockey all the livelong day

Hey hey yeah, it’s more than a game

Clicking sticks three times
Drawing ‘er back to your own line
Top shelf and we’re up by one
Ringing ‘em off the crossbars
Moving our nets for the cars
And all together we’d yell “Game on!”
And then our folks would call us in
And we all agreed “Next goal wins”
But it didn’t’ matter how the game would end
Because the season never ended
On these rinks where we pretended
And tomorrow we’d play for the cup again
Yeah tomorrow we’d play for the cup again
We’d sing “O Canada” and play that game again

Hey hey yeah, it’s more than a game

Sittler tearing off his “C”
And Bobby Clark without his teeth
And Gerry Cheevers with them stitches on his mask
When the Nordiques went away
And the Jets did the same
Do you think the fans were ever really asked?

Hey hey yeah, it’s more than a game