It's an timeless story, really. Boston vs. Minnestota. Celtics vs. Lakers. Biggie vs. Tupac. East vs. West.
The 2009 Frozen Four Skills Competition.
Composed of players from men's and women's teams nationwide, the Skills Competition is a perennial fan favorite. And like the NHL model, there are competitions for puck handling, speed, accuracy, shot speed, goaltending and the encore: breakaway. Points are awarded to each team, as well as the individual winners of each event.
The West jumped out to an early lead in the puck handling event. But the East quickly jumped back into it, and never looked back.
I'm a fan of skills competitions in general -- with the possible exception of the shootout in the NHL, sarcastically dubbed the "Skills Competition" for the fact that it takes 65 minutes of team play and reduces it to a one-on-one. The players are relaxed and enjoying themselves, the atmosphere is about fun and not winning or losing, and the fans love interacting with the players.
And that's what these events showcase: a game full of players who just love playing hockey. These players took plenty of time out to interact with the fans between events: tossing pucks to little kids, throwing t-shirts into the stands, signing a quick autograph before it was back between the pipes.
Overall, the East won the event in runaway fashion, but that was beside the point. Friends, family and fans had gathered to support players from schools that you wouldn't normally hear of: Colorado College, Colgate, Elmira, Clarkson, Hobart, Wayne State, St. Cloud State, and Merceyhurst. But these are college hockey fans, where pride seems to come before recognition.
So the East has dominated the Hobey Baker and the Skills Competition. How's it going to turn out tomorrow night?
Great post!