Erika from All Things E asks,
How did you meet your hockey-playing husband?
Steve and I met over 10 years ago in high school, while he was playing junior hockey in my home town. We were good friends in high school, but didn't end up dating until a few years later when I was in university. After junior hockey, Steve pursued a career playing professional hockey in Florida, NY, Pennsylvania and North Carolina (with a few other pitstops in between) and I always looked forward to visiting for a long weekend. After I finished school, the plan was to move in together while he was playing in South Carolina, but an unexpected move took us from the sunny south over 4500 miles from home to Alaska. Long story short, after eight years of dating, countless miles travelled and hockey games played, we got engaged and married this past summer.
Is there a community of "hockey wives" that you've found while moving around?
The hockey world is very small. No matter what city, or country for that matter, that you live in, chances are you know someone on the team from a previous season, or they know someone you know, etc. As a hockey player, my husband spends many hours of his life surrounded by his teammates, both at the rink, on the road and even at home. The guys have a special relationship, but so do all of the women standing beside those guys. Like the guys, we build a very strong bond during the season, and often very quickly. And while the number of women varies per season, for those 8 months we are each other's support networks - we celebrate, we cry, we console. The girls easily spend as many hours together as the guys do, especially when the guys are on the road - you have wine nights, dog and baby play dates, go to the gym, watch the games, carpool to games and even babysit for one another. I have been very fortunate to meet many amazing women throughout Steve's career - some sadly I don't keep in touch with at all, some I occasionally talk to, but also some that I consider lifelong friends.
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Sarah Grace asks,
What would you recommend someone do/see/visit if they were to spend a long weekend in Toronto? Any recommendations on a central place to stay or favourite spots to eat?
Whether you visit Toronto in winter, spring, summer or fall, the city is always alive with activity. Some of the must sees: CN Tower, Toronto Zoo, Ripley's Aquarium of Canada, Royal Ontario Museum and Art Gallery of Ontario, just to name a few. If you're lucky to visit in the summer, checking out a Blue Jays game in always a good time. Getting from point A to B in the city is easy and taxis and public transit options can be found on every block. Hotels are abundant downtown Toronto, which one you chose really just depends on your budget. Restaurants are also extremely abundant, some of my favourite can be found in the Entertainment District on King St. West. One of my favourite websites to keep up to date with city happenings, including restaurant reviews, festivals and free events, is BlogTO.
How do you keep your passion alive for hockey knowing that at times, the people involved in the sports world are prone to "real people behaviour" that you don't often hear about on TSN/CBC?
I grew up in a hockey-loving family and my brother, sister and I all played growing up. While I don't play today, my passion remains strong for the game because of my husband. My husband started playing hockey at a very young age and today is lucky enough to have made a career out of it. Because of his love for the game, and how happy it makes him to play, I enjoy watching him play. Not only that, it has created lifelong relationships, given us incredible experiences, and pays the bills. It is a HUGE part of our daily lives. At the end of the day, hockey players, and really any other professional athlete, are real people too. It just happens to be that their lives are just a little more public than others.
Ask Me Anything, Part I
Ask Me Anything, Part I
Thanks to everyone who sent in questions! Stay tuned for my answers to the final questions next week!
