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I have a new favorite player.

Although, the way I like to word it is:  I have a NEXT favorite player.

My favorites never stop being favorites.  I'll always love Bobby Ryan and Matthew Lombardi and I'll always wish the best for them, their careers, and their families.  But it's hard for me to make the continued time investment, the way I want to make it, without a player to emotionally invest in.  And that player kinda has to be relatively easy for me to follow... a country and three time zones away (for Bobby) or halfway across the world (for Lombo) doesn't cut it.

That's just how it works for me.  There's a lot of things in this world to be involved in.  And yeah, there has to be something in it for me if I'm going to take time and money away from other things to be a huge hockey fan.  I mean, I love the game, don't get me wrong.  But the feeling that someone appreciates the support you're giving them, that's the little extra I get from this which feels most rewarding beyond an entertainment level.

So yes.  My next favorite player. 

He wasn't with the Coyotes when I first started following them, during Lombardi's first stint with the team.  But he was there during the 2nd.  And he's been close to phenomenal this season, especially with Shane Doan needing to take care of his health and the near month of empty captaincy that resulted.

Even now, Doan isn't 100%.  When I saw him earlier this month, he looked tired.  Dark circles under his eyes.  He admitted he still felt the fatigue.  Rocky Mountain Fever ain't no joke, people die from that!  So while he gets his feet back under him, guys have stepped up.

One of those guys is center Antoine Vermette.  Honestly, I didn't notice him or pay much attention to him at the beginning of the season.  I picked him up during my fantasy hockey draft because he has an excellent faceoff percentage, and the commish has a new FO category this season.  As the season started, he was indeed good in the faceoff circle, but I also started to admire his work on the penalty kill.

Not to mention, he has a penchant for speed on the breakaway.  This is not unlike one of my other favorites... ahem, Lombo!  (How do you think I first noticed him? A breakaway during a Flames-Duck game).  Apparently, my taste is consistent!  He also happens to be from Quebec (what's it with me and Quebec players anyway?), drafted the same year as Lombo, and... they even played on the Victoriaville Tigres together before making the big show.

Almost seems like fate, right?  But I digress...

So he's vital on the PK.  He's effective in the faceoff.  He blocks shots and is willing to go into the dirty areas for deflections and rebounds.  And he plays for the Coyotes so nobody knows who the hell he is.  It just screams unsung hero... and you know what a sucker I am for that.

Cut to December 21, 2013.  Coyotes are playing the Ottawa Senators, in Ottawa.  It's the team that initially drafted Vermette, and the team that now owns Bobby.  Tongue in cheek, I hafta say the Senators kinda suck this year.  Bobby's having a career season, but the rest of the guys... not so much.  Except for maybe Kyle Turris, ex-Yote.  Either way, it's a tight game between the Yotes and the Sens.  This was during the time Doan was out and Vermette and Martin Hanzal wore 'A's on their sweaters.  Vermette scores once, twice, and the game goes into OT.  As the boys assembled briefly before the fourth period, I made the promise: "Coyotes, if you win this one, I'm getting a Vermette home jersey."

I was probably going to anyway, as I've wanted a Coyotes home jersey for a while now and the branding will be different next season with the new ownership.  I just couldn't decide who's name, if any, to get on the back.  Whatever.  I made the promise.

And the hockey gods delivered.  Not only did the Coyotes win, they did so with Vermette scoring the game-winning goal, in overtime, to complete his 2nd career hat-trick.  FATE, right??

Next criteria, have you seen the guy???  My goodness, "blessed" is an understatement.  That's not what I noticed first, but it's a nice touch to have on the resume!

And finally, the true test.  Are you fan-friendly and humble?  Or do you know you're good and expect everyone else to know it too?  Whenever the Coyotes visit the Ducks, I always attend warmups on the visitors side of the ice.  Yes, the Ducks are my team, but I can see them at any and every home game I attend.  My second favorite team only visits three times a season.  So when the Yotes came to the Ponda for the game on November 6th, I had made a sign for warmups.  It read: "Chippy and Vermette, my unsung heroes!"

(If you want the background, I've always liked Kyle Chipchura.  Got to know him through events with the Ducks, even though he didn't stay long.  I was a little sad to see him go, but he's so much more appreciated in Phoenix... he gets ice time and they use his skill set much more effectively.  So I'm happy for him.  He couldn't quite reach that favorite player status with me, not sure why, but I still love to cheer him on.  4th line grinder, potential journeyman, you gotta give those guys love when you can.  And he always reciprocates with big smiles, hello waves, and other signs of goofy recognition when he sees me.)

Anyway, Chippy saw the sign and gave me a big smile.  Satisfying, but expected.  This was the first time I would acknowledge Vermette so I was interested to see how he'd receive the attention.

It's always an almost nervous thing to be in this position.  It's a unique fan experience that is both exciting and potentially heartbreaking at the same time.  A moment of truth, you could say.  I don't think I've truly gotten "used to" doing this, because I don't do it often, but I've done it enough that I don't really get as disappointed anymore when it doesn't work out.

Probably the best state of mind to be in.

You see, it could go one of three ways.  1) The player never sees the sign.  Doesn't look at you, doesn't read your sign, doesn't acknowledge you're there.  Or anyone else for that matter.  Not a bad thing really, because a lot of guys use warmups to get focused on the game.  They don't all look into the crowd or pay attention to signs cuz it could just as well be a heckling fan of the opposing team writing something not very nice.  Don't need that kind of distraction going into a game.  Although for me, if I realize a player is not one who pays any attention to fans or signs during warmups, I don't bother to try again with a sign for that player.

Don't need to waste valuable real estate that way when someone else could get so much more out of your efforts.

2) The player reads the sign, but chooses not to do anything to acknowledge it or the person holding the sign.  There's a chance maybe he didn't see his name written on it.  Maybe there's a language barrier.  Maybe you wrote too much or too small and he couldn't actually read what you had to say.  Possible excuses, but even still, you're left feeling a little foolish.  And if you're me, that's pretty much a done deal.

Mama didn't raise no fool.

I mean, it doesn't take much to simply make eye contact with the sign holder.  A quick smile or a nod is all it takes to make the entire endeavor successful.  Anything more is just icing on the cake.

And by "endeavor," it really is an endeavor on the part of the fan.  A lot goes into planning a warmup sign.  At least for me, it does, because there are only a limited number of games I can make warmups for.  You have to get there early enough to secure a good spot along the glass.  If you've done signs before, you know where you should stand to get the best chance of being seen.  You have to plan out what you're going to say, because it needs to be big enough and succinct enough for someone to read quickly... while they're flying by you trying to juggle a puck.  And don't even get me started on how awkward and cumbersome it can be to get a big piece of posterboard into the arena.

It's an endeavor.  And that's why it has to be worthwhile.  I used to make a lot of signs.  But I don't anymore.  I've always needed something worthwhile to say, and that inspiration doesn't always come to me in time.  Anyway, I'm getting sidetracked...

3) The player reads the sign AND acknowledges it/you.  This is obviously the best case scenario and can range anywhere from a quick nod, to a stick tap on the glass, to a smile or a wave, or even a puck thrown over the glass for you.  Whatever it is, it'll make your day.

When Antoine read the sign, I got a nice big smile from him.  His beautiful face positively lit up.  And he continued to flash me smiles as he circled the ice.  110% worth it.  And I became actively aware that hey, I might have a next favorite Coyote on my hands!

(This is turning into a much longer post than expected, so I'll continue a little later...)

So... now what?

Been a long time since writing here.  I'm sure I don't have to explain why, but just in case you're new, let me put it in a nutshell for you:

July 1, 2013: lost Matthew Lombardi to free agency.  This one wasn't a surprise to me.  He told me himself that he wouldn't be staying and, with a less than stellar record in his mere 7 games with the Ducks, I'm pretty sure they didn't want him back either.  His skill set as a player would never work in this system.  Just a bad fit.

July 5, 2013: the Ducks trade Bobby Ryan to the Ottawa Senators.  Despite years of trade rumors concerning Bobby, you're never really quite prepared for when it actually happens.  At least, I wasn't.  DEVASTATING is putting it mildly.

And now, it's January 2014 and I've noticed a few things since the dust and tears have settled. 

Bobby Ryan was the reason I became a huge Anaheim Ducks fan.  I'd watched games before and I'd cheered for the team before.  But it wasn't until Bobby that I felt I had a real emotional connection to the game.  This is just how it works for me.  People point out that stupid cliche: "The name on the front [of the jersey] is more important than the name on the back."  Well, that's all very good and fine for YOU as a fan, but for me, my fandom isn't rooted in teams.  It's the struggle of the individual that generates my investment.

My interest in his team and their success follows.

It isn't new, I realize this is how it's always been for me.  Why follow Matthew Lombardi from the Flames, to the Coyotes, to the Predators, to the Leafs, back to the Coyotes, and then to the Ducks?  Not because I'm a fan of any of those teams, but because I'm a fan of the player first.  I admire his game, I feel for the struggles he's had to go through to realize his dreams, I recognize the appreciation he has for his fans... these are the things that speak to me and make me want to see the guy succeed.

That's all it is, and I don't know why other fans of these teams get so upset about it.  Why do you care about my reasons for being a fan??  I'm buying the tickets and the merchandise, I'm supporting the team, who cares WHY?  I don't care why you're a fan, you shouldn't care why I'm one either.  In fact, I'll bet you that I'm spending more money on the team than you are, what with season tickets and charity events, so how about putting your money where your mouth is?

Anyway, I digress...

With Bobby, it was like a situation of perfect timing.  I'd just began to notice the way he played.  Lots of passion, drive, maybe a little sloppy, but with flashes of pure brilliance and talent that made me believe he would be a legend someday.  I started to go out of my way to watch the Anaheim Ducks, especially once he started to break into the regular lineup.  Then I read about his story, the one people seem to be just now finding out about now that he's in Ottawa and being exposed to a much larger hockey market.

And then I actually met him in person.  You couldn't meet a more humble, down-to-earth, fan-friendly athlete.  Yeah, you can cheer for the name on the front of the jersey, but it's the name on the back that gives you a hug when he sees you.  The name on the back asks how you are, how your family is, and is genuinely appreciative when you tell him you've become a huge hockey fan because of him.  The name on the front is a team, but the name on the back is a FRIEND.

Bobby's in Ottawa now, and as much as I try to watch Senators games and keep track of how he's doing, it's not easy to do from the opposite coast.  Time differences land every Senators home game while I'm at work.  Not to mention, there's very little local hockey news out here anyway, more or less a team in a different country.  I haven't been able to really speak to him since he left, but I've been to a few of his games and he has let me know he appreciates it.  He's having the season of his career out there and I'm so happy to see that he's being warmly embraced by the fans there.

Matthew Lombardi left the NHL entirely, and has been spending this season playing on the other side of the world in the Swiss league.  And I thought it was hard keeping track of him in Phoenix!  He's the point-scoring leader for his team which, I hope, is restoring his confidence.  No doubt spending the last season on three different NHL teams was hard for him.

So this season has felt really different for me.  Still watching Ducks games, and Coyotes games (one of Lombo's teams did rub off on me), but it's definitely a different feeling not having that extra investment.  Maybe it's that I'm used to being more emotionally involved, and now it's just "normal."  Whatever the reason, doesn't lead me any closer to knowing what I should do with this blog!