‘Twas the night before hockey, and all through the Can
All the players were stirring, even old Stan;
The jerseys were hung by the lockers with care
In hopes that Lord Stanley soon would be there.
The fans were nestled all snug in their seats
While visions of a the 2022 season still can’t be beat;
And the Avs in their skates, and I in my sweater
We settled our brains for a long season to be even better.
When out on the ice there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my seat to see what was the matter.
Up to the glass, I saw in a flash
Landeskog was back to make a big splash.
And what to my wondering eyes should appear
But Valerie Nichushkin… still in Avs gear!
With his skill and his and his stance
I knew at that moment he had another chance.
*
More rapid than eagles, his skaters they came
And Bedsy whistled and hollered and called them by name:
“Now, Drouin! Now, Cale!, Now Mikko and Mac!
On O’Connor!, On Mittlestadt….Press press the attack”!
“To the top of the crease! In the back of the net!
Keep pushing …keep charging it’s not over yet!”
So up to the net, the opponents now flew
A wrister top shelf, he caught it like glue;
And then, in a twinkling, we saw on the ice
Georiev had saved a goal, not once but twice.
*
After the victory with the press back from the summer
Bednar gave praise to each one and another;
“But one man stood out among the rest of the crew”
And he went on to explain like we didn’t know who.
His eyes - how they focused, his diet, how scary!
His nose like a rose, his cheeks like a cherry!
With Ted Lindsay in one hand, the Hart in the other
Nathan MacKinnon is unlike any mother.
*
After five years, Comcast still won’t discuss
But Avs fans can now stream on Altitude Plus;
With 9 News and Max we can finally make due
And watch the Avs with our old crew.
*
And at the end of the night, he spoke not a word
From his box up above, he couldn’t be heard;
As Super Joe, he doesn’t have to call
With his brains and his skill, he is better than all.
He sprang to his car, and to the fans he gave a small smile
He waved, and had gone but a mile;
When I heard him exclaim, ‘ere the crowd could erupt:
“Happy Hockey Season to all, and let’s raise another Cup!”