Goodbye 2009...

As the new year opens with an epic Winter Classic in one of my favourite sports venues between two of my most hated hockey teams, I'm getting ready to say goodbye to 2009, The Year That Hurt. Too many injuries and too much to stomach. Sure, this was also the year that we got hired for jobs in sports and media, and the year that we started this blog, and the year that we used our hockey knowledge to get ourselves on TV and radio, and then used the blog, TV, and radio to prove a point: that smart female hockey fans exist... but we and the team could probably benefit from the fresh start that everyone associates with a new year, so, goodbye, old year.

Goodbye, injuries that cost players a game, a week, a month, or half a season.
Goodbye, nasty newspaper rumours.
Goodbye, stupid trade rumours.
Goodbye, everyone else complaining about the centennial logos. (One of them really isn't so bad!)

Goodbye, hardworking homeboy who's spending his New Year's Day outdoors, behind enemy lines.
Goodbye, guy who played like one game as a Hab who I don't even know anything about.
Goodbye, guy who played like six games as a Hab but wasn't really needed enough for more than that.
Goodbye, New York's biggest Habs fan.
Goodbye, defenceman who could have been captain someday.
Goodbye, star forward who could bring the city to its feet with a single flick of his wrist.
Goodbye, veteran d-man. Some team will be lucky to have you for the second half of the season.
Goodbye, Bulldogs who got put on waivers, even though no one's snatched you up yet.
Goodbye, energetic francophone forward. Thanks for the assists.
Goodbye, Mr. Chips.
Goodbye, veteran Czech with a surprisingly great head of hair.
Goodbye, former fan favourite.
Goodbye, forward/d-man/forward/d-man and back and forth again.
Goodbye, TKO.
Goodbye, Breezer. Happy trails... or racetracks.
Goodbye, little defenceman that could.

Goodbye, captain. We never gave up on you.

Happy 2010.