Top 5: Things I'll Miss About The Lockout

So, hockey is back, according to the email I just got from Geoff Molson, and also everyone on the Internet who is unable to talk about anything else. I'm not going to miss living a life without P.K. Subban - or, rather, a life with minimal P.K. Subban - but there are some things I'll miss about this lockout.

Being spared from idiots. Most hockey idiots didn't really follow CBA negotiations. I'm not saying that I'm a hockey genius, but I'm not a hockey idiot all the time either. It was nice to not have to talk to people who clearly only read a headline or listen to a Michel Bergeron soundbite once every few weeks. You know, the people who literally have one opinion about the entire sport? I'm not looking forward to hearing my cousin's boyfriend use literally every opportunity to say that the Habs should trade for Milan Lucic. And, unfortunately, I didn't spend enough time during this lockout trying to figure out creative ways to change the subject.

Quiet evenings at work. I work a lot of overtime. I will likely work a lot of overtime during the postseason, when games start half an hour earlier than they do in the regular season. And I work the late shift on Tuesdays. Every Tuesday. When I was assigned the Tuesday late shift back in June, this was not a problem. Now, well, I guess I can look forward to watching the Habs' western swing, if there is one.

Not having to deal with casual sexism. Yeah, I know, some people don't want to hear this, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I kind of enjoyed not being on the receiving end of comments implying that I only watch hockey because Carey Price is really really ridiculously good-looking. I also enjoyed not trying to make small talk with a co-worker about last night's game, only to have him answer "I don't watch hockey," when I know that he does, because he talks hockey with the guys at the office. Oh, well. Time to build up some walls and deal with it again, I guess.

Identifying people by their character, not by the team they cheer for. Sometimes these are one and the same. Sometimes, though, they're not. A lockout was a great opportunity to see people for who they really are. Now, am I going to have to start liking the jerkstores who are Habs fans and hating the rare person who is both decent and a Bruins fan?

Having more time to watch TV. And partake in other social activities as well. As my longtime readers (if they still exist) already know, I became a hockey fan during the 2007 Writer's Guild strike, during which there was almost no good TV of which to speak. Seriously. Every network was putting out FOX-style reality shows. It was atrocious. It was worse than finding out that TSN is showing a game from you don't even know what year. During this lockout, I had a little bit more time to reacquaint myself with TV, and not load up my DVR with so many episodes that I didn't know where to start. Now, I'll be torn between two worlds again. Oh well.

Welcome back, NHL.