Mate I'm so sorry I didn't think! I've edited the post although alas it's too late for you. Thanks for all the really helpful info, I'll do a proper deep dive later. Are you British? What got you into the game?

Thanks all for your help on picking a game and prepping for it! I've got questions at the end if you want to skip me wittering on about the match. I watched them play and I LOVED it. I barely blinked during play, I was gripped and I'm officially a hockey girl now. I was lucky enough to sit near a huge fan who told me loads through the game, although neither of us took our eyes off the game while talking. Neither team was playing that great, they were a little all over the place, people around me didn't know why. It went to overtime and we won, probably because they heard me repeatedly screaming "COME ON BOYS GET IT TOGETHER!!!" Alas, no fights although there was nearly one. I did see quite a few deliberate barges into the barrier and boy, Merlott is a forceful player! Him and Kempe were my favourites. I really, really enjoyed it and I found it a really welcoming place. Nobody cared that I'm english, and knew little about the game. Everyone I spoke to was genuinely supportive about me making them my team and happy to have me on board. I'm gonna start following hockey now, obviously particularly the kings but are there any other teams that are good to watch? Who is playing best atm?

Thanks all for your help on picking a game and prepping for it! I've got questions at the end if you want to skip me wittering on about the match. I watched them play and I LOVED it. I barely blinked during play, I was gripped and I'm officially a hockey girl now. I was lucky enough to sit near a huge fan who told me loads through the game, although neither of us took our eyes off the game while talking. Neither team was playing that great, they were a little all over the place, people around me didn't know why. It went to overtime and we won, probably because they heard me repeatedly screaming "COME ON BOYS GET IT TOGETHER!!!" Alas, no fights although there was nearly one. I did see quite a few deliberate barges into the barrier and boy, Merlott is a forceful player! Him and Kempe were my favourites. I really, really enjoyed it and I found it a really welcoming place. Nobody cared that I'm english, and knew little about the game. Everyone I spoke to was genuinely supportive about me making them my team and happy to have me on board. I'm gonna start following hockey now, obviously particularly the kings but are there any other teams that are good to watch? Who is playing best atm?

It's worth noting that it's an [Olympic year](https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/schedule/iho), which is always a nationalistic good time.

I had a year travelling in Canada in 2011-12 and flew into Vancouver after watching all the footage of the Olympics in 2010. Got some cheap tickets to watch a game with someone I met at the hostel and saw Canucks vs Sharks and I was hooked from then. And if doesn't matter about the spoiler lol, if you're a Canucks fan you get used to not paying attention to the score lines! Also, the PWHL (women's top tier) is having an explosion in popularity right now and is great hockey but tickets are half the price of NHL. Go Goldeneyes!

Thanks all for your help on picking a game and prepping for it! I've got questions at the end if you want to skip me wittering on about the match. I watched them play and I LOVED it. I barely blinked during play, I was gripped and I'm officially a hockey girl now. I was lucky enough to sit near a huge fan who told me loads through the game, although neither of us took our eyes off the game while talking. Neither team was playing that great, they were a little all over the place, people around me didn't know why. It went to overtime and we won, probably because they heard me repeatedly screaming "COME ON BOYS GET IT TOGETHER!!!" Alas, no fights although there was nearly one. I did see quite a few deliberate barges into the barrier and boy, Merlott is a forceful player! Him and Kempe were my favourites. I really, really enjoyed it and I found it a really welcoming place. Nobody cared that I'm english, and knew little about the game. Everyone I spoke to was genuinely supportive about me making them my team and happy to have me on board. I'm gonna start following hockey now, obviously particularly the kings but are there any other teams that are good to watch? Who is playing best atm?

Every team has some fun talent to watch. Kaprizov plays a shifty game like no one else. McDavid is so fast. Celebrini is on a tear. Also, there are a number of legends still playing. Ovechkin is the all time goal leader and still scoring at 40 years old. Crosby is 38 and still a top tier talent. It's crazy to play a game that physical for 20 years.

The Colorado Avalanche are doing quite well right now. Top of the league and I think they have a 10 game win streak going on right now, or something like that. Of course it's a long season, and we're only a little past a quarter of the way through. The year the Blues won the Cup, they were not doing great going into January. Similarly, the year the Caps won it, no one really expected them to be contenders that year. The Oilers and the Panthers (last year's Cup finalists, which the Panthers won) aren't doing as well as you might expect right now - but a lot of playoff success is getting hot at the right time. The hockey gods giveth and the hockey gods taketh.

This is so wholesome! Thank you for the update. I had a feeling there would be someone nearby who wouldn’t mind chatting about the game! People tend to be quite friendly at hockey games, in my experience.

Thanks all for your help on picking a game and prepping for it! I've got questions at the end if you want to skip me wittering on about the match. I watched them play and I LOVED it. I barely blinked during play, I was gripped and I'm officially a hockey girl now. I was lucky enough to sit near a huge fan who told me loads through the game, although neither of us took our eyes off the game while talking. Neither team was playing that great, they were a little all over the place, people around me didn't know why. It went to overtime and we won, probably because they heard me repeatedly screaming "COME ON BOYS GET IT TOGETHER!!!" Alas, no fights although there was nearly one. I did see quite a few deliberate barges into the barrier and boy, Merlott is a forceful player! Him and Kempe were my favourites. I really, really enjoyed it and I found it a really welcoming place. Nobody cared that I'm english, and knew little about the game. Everyone I spoke to was genuinely supportive about me making them my team and happy to have me on board. I'm gonna start following hockey now, obviously particularly the kings but are there any other teams that are good to watch? Who is playing best atm?