In my sports experience, there is nothing like it. I encourage you to visit Canada and say these two words, “Playoff Hockey” and judge the results for yourself. At its finest, for me hockey is the most entertaining sport to watch. It’s fast and hard-hitting, yes, but it requires grace and coordination, too. And the playing surface is small enough to easily see all of the action. As I said when I was a kid, “Hockey is my favorite sport.”

As I mentioned way back in early October, I was literally stunned to learn that Nantes has an ice hockey team. I just did not expect to find this in France, let alone four tram stops from our house. We missed their first playoff game last Saturday, a game in which the Nantes team, the Corsaires, won 7-1. Now they are in the second round, with their next game scheduled for Saturday night. I fully intend to be there.

Today’s photo is of the sign outside the arena promoting Saturday night’s game. The opponent is Annecy, a town in the French Alps (and a possible site for the 2018 Winter Olympics). Had I known we were so close last week, I might have suggested a scouting trip…