blog post Exclaim! Cup Day Three: Shut Out In The Semis

I'm back at work in Vancouver, I'm aching from head to toe, and the Flying Vees didn't win the Exclaim! Cup.

It must be Tuesday.

Yes, the 9th Annual Exclaim! Cup Hockey Summit Of The Arts has wrapped for another year. Thirty arts-based Canadian teams battled valiantly for the Cup, with many getting knocked out fast and early. Twelve teams advanced to the playoffs on Easter Sunday, including my Vancouver Flying Vees.

Our competition in the semi-final was the Gas Station Islanders, a very nice team featuring Don Kerr (of Sexsmith & Kerr), and Tim Vesely (the recently retired Rheostatic and current Violet Archers). We had a spectacular, end-to-end game at the Ted Reeve community centre in east Toronto. In the middle of the first period, one of the Islanders blasted a slap-shot at me which I attempted to snag with my glove. The puck hit the edge of the mitt and disappeared from view. Turns out it went straight up about ten feet in the air, then dropped straight down into the crease. A melee ensued, the puck was knocked in, but the goal post got knocked off in the process.

I protested vehemently but to no avail - the goal stood and it turned out that was all they needed - the Gas Station Islanders knocked out the Vancouver Flying Vees, and went on to face Montreal's Bande Apart in the Tier III final.

Congratulations to the three winning teams of this year's Exclaim! Cup: The Nightmares (tier I), The Jokers (tier 2) and Band Aparte (tier 3). Band Aparte's flying frenchman Louis-Richard Tremblay scored an unbelievable goal in the final that brought those in attendance out of their seats.

After the finals wrapped up we all congregated at the Gladstone Hotel on Queen Street for the awards ceremony. The Flying Vees are happy to annouce that, among a few other accolades, we won the Lady Bong trophy, given out to the team with the fewest penalty minutes!

There were many incredible moments of the weekend, but I will sum up my top five to wrap up this report...

5. Finally seeing The Zambonis perform live at the Hockey Hootenanny at Lee's Palace.

4. Having our team theme of "Vancouver is the Hawaii of Canada" realized.

3. Seeing my teammate, bandmate and best friend Beez win the Peter Kesper trophy, given to the person who shows "the most perseverance in the face of adversity" (Beez recovered from a heart attack and appendectomy to play in this year's tournament).

2. Getting a shut out against the Guelph 3-Gut Feelings.

1. Live At The Durango, the Flying Vees annual, unofficial parking lot closing party, complete with crowd surfing, mosh pit, "Durango diving", sing-alongs and a bonfire.

Thanks to all who make this incredible event a reality, most especially to Tom Goodwin, Canada's renaissance man of hockey.

It's finally time to put my massive goalie bag away until September... until then, bring on the summer!