There was a time when it was considered high treason, punishable by death, to refer to the Sovereign offensively in public writing. Fortunately, those days have passed, and now we see these kinds of violent, retributive actions as barbaric. 

Today we value free speech — I can say and write pretty much anything I want so long as it’s not slanderous, libelous or promoting hate or genocide.

I think that’s good, and I just wanted to remind readers of that before my next paragraph:

I don’t care if the hockey lockout ever ends; in fact, I hope it doesn’t.

When I weigh the pros and cons of the strike, the balance clearly lies on the pro side. What have I gained through the strike? More time (not being sucked in to the game as it plays on the TV) and more money (not losing yet another hockey pool).

And what have I lost? Well, nothing. The NHL has done little for me over the past several years. It has not even provided me with a modicum of entertainment value.

Professional hockey has become such a Gong Show that I can hardly watch a game anymore. The games are too violent and long; the season is interminable; and the analysis too earnest.

My disdain for it has grown over the past two years to the point where not having the distraction of the NHL and the Canucks is a godsend — the proverbial sound of silence.

No longer do I have to hear from Canucks fans what a disappointment the year is. No longer do I have to listen to news reports about the state of this or that team. It’s all gone and I think that I’m better off for it.

There’s still hockey out there if you want it. There are lots minor hockey league games played in arenas around the province; the Vancouver Giants put on a good show for a good price.

Of course, I feel badly for all the workers and business people who rely on the Canucks for their business (but ask yourself, would you ever rely on the Canucks for anything but disappointment?). Those are true victims in this whole thing: not the players, not the owners and not even the fans.

Hockey, though, will be back, and I will be sucked back into watching it. I might even fool myself into believing that it matters.

 Oh well. There’s nothing to say but God save the Kings…er, I mean the Canucks.