Over the course of my internship with the Cincinnati Cyclones, I have learned more than in most of my schooling years combined. Unfortunately, the team fell just two wins shy of hoisting their third 'Kelly Cup Champions' banner in franchise history. Needless to say, it was an awesome season and a valuable learning experience. I can't thank the organization, the staff, the team, and the friends I made along the way enough for the opportunity.
That's not to say there weren't a few bumps in the road - literally. Between the four-hour round-trip commute for games, the chaotic parking situation, and a couple other issues, I experienced my fair share of headaches. But, as is often the case with life, the positives greatly outweighed the negatives and here I am, already fondly reflecting on the experience.
Here are just a few of the things I'm taking away from my time at U.S. Bank Arena:
1. The long, grueling season. Man, hockey season is long. It feels particularly long when the team you work for makes it to the finals. If I counted correctly, there were 49 home games, including the playoffs, and I think I only covered three of those games remotely. Between practices, morning skates, and away games, I can't even begin to imagine how the full-time staff and players must feel after a marathon season like this. Rest up, boys. You're back at it in four months.
2. The lingo. Hockey players, unlike most professional athletes, seem to have a vocabulary of their own. Some examples: A 'duster' is a player who doesn't play much and spends the bulk of his time on the bench. When you 'chirp' someone, you are trash-talking. A 'bucket' is a helmet. When you 'dangle,' you misdirect your opponent with the puck (in other words, a deke). And my personal favorite - A 'sieve' is a bad goalie who lets the puck through.
3. The smell. This is pretty self-explanatory. Imagine what you think a hockey locker room smells like. Now, add three box fans and multiply the smell by five. There you go. That's more like it.
4. Deadlines. I came into this internship worried about my ability to finish a story in a timely fashion. That is no longer a problem, at least not with a game recap. It's amazing how much quicker I got over the course of the season. I did, however, have a bad habit of attempting to write a lede ahead of time only to scrap it when the outcome totally changes. I can't tell you how many times I thought I knew how a game would end, only to be proven wrong by a last-second goal. Oh, a related note: Overtime might be fun for fans, but free hockey isn't as enjoyable for those trying to write a timely game story.
5. Hockey is the best. I already knew I loved hockey heading into this internship, but now my love of the game is reaffirmed in full. In fact, I'm positive that this is what makes me happy and what I want to do. Thanks to this internship, I was able to witness some pretty incredible things: awesome goals, a few hat tricks, spectacular saves, come-from-behind wins, and even a shorthanded goal in overtime to win the Eastern Conference title. I also don't think it's out-of-line to say that the hockey community as a whole is a great place to be. Everyone is just so unbelievably nice. From the players to the staff to my fellow interns, I met some really awesome, cooperative people this season and I'm so grateful to them for really making the experience.
Over the course of the season, I got to see Josh Hutcherson, Nick Goepper, and some actual penguins drop the puck, heard some great (and some not-so-great) renditions of "The Star-Spangled Banner," ate more soft pretzels than I care to admit, got my picture taken with the Stanley Cup and met Phil Pritchard, witnessed both baby and wiener dog races during intermissions, and watched Twister slide on his head more times than I can count.
More importantly, I think I grew as a writer. I challenged myself to write faster, to write better, to ask questions, and to venture outside of my comfort zone. All of my work was published on the Cyclones website and I even had a few stories run by the Cincinnati Enquirer. I also got to share the experience with most of my family, Wheat, and Jenn, who all came to games to cheer on the Cyclones and support me.
As it turns out, I have a pretty good cheering section myself.
Congrats to the best hockey writer -- scratch that, writer (of any kind) -- I know! So proud of all you accomplished this season, and I know that this is just the tip of the ICEberg (see what I did there?).
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