And we’re all in the playoffs

Four years ago I was watching a Mariners home playoff game in Halifax on Fast Hockey. We had reporters at the Mariners Centre in Yarmouth and my heart was there too, but I needed to be in Halifax for another reason – likely a March break hockey tournament with one of my kids.

I get to my sister’s house in Beaver Bank, just outside of Lower Sackville, about 40 minutes before game time. Apparently, I was a bit distracted waiting for the game to start. She asked me where we had eaten supper.

“East Side Mariners,” I sponded.

As she was laughing her head off I looked at her dumbfounded and said, “Did I say East Side Mariners?” re-

Then my brother- in- law chimed in, “Soon we’ll have to pull out the lawn Mariner to mow the lawn.”

Let’s just say the conversation went downhill from there – at my expense.

I know as a journalist I am supposed to remain impartial and unbiased, but it’s hard to apply that rule to Mariners junior A hockey.

Of course, I’m going to cheer for the home team.

Our family, namely my parents, have had season tickets since the year the franchise first came to Yarmouth and we don’t miss any games unless we absolutely can’t help it.

I remember the year the Mariners played in the Fred Page Cup – which is the eastern junior A championship tournament – in New Glasgow. Myself and my kids went up with other hockey moms and kids. My parents were there too.

I can remember myself, another hockey mom and our kids jumping out of my van when we saw Ryan Penney walking near the arena. We wanted to let him know we had his biggest fan in the van with us. Out popped my youngest son, all four feet of him, wearing his Ryan Penney jersey. Instant photo opt.

It was very rare during those few days to go anywhere in Pictou where you didn’t see people from Yarmouth coming out of the arena, out of restaurants, of stores and of hotels. I even dare say we outnumbered the Pictou fans inside the rink when the Mariners were playing.

I don’t remember the exact circumstances now, but I do remember there was some heartbreak involved in the Mariners not advancing to the championship game. On the drive back to Yarmouth my parents and kids and I stopped at my sister’s house.

My parents, my sister and I were sitting around her kitchen table and the conversation was all about the Mariners as we played over and over again the “If only…” and the “What if…” scenarios.

After a while my sister asked if we could talk about something else since we had stopped in for a visit. We apologized and said of course we could.

For the next few minutes we all sat there in silence with nothing to talk about until finally my sister said, “Fine, you can talk about the Mariners.”

This week the playoffs start. The Mariners, who finished their season in first place in their division and second overall in the league, will be playing the Truro Bearcats. The first game is March 15.

As any loyal sports fan does, our family assumes they will make it all the way to the championship game of the final Kent Cup series.

On May 2, I have tickets for my mom, my sister and I to go see Mamma Mia at Neptune in Halifax. Not remembering when playoffs ended I momentarily panicked at my mom’s house the other night.

“What if the Mariners are playing that night?” I said. “What if it’s the last night of the playoffs?”

I love ABBA, but do I love them enough to miss a possibly championship-deciding game?

Oh boy, Mamma Mia.

My mom said we’d still go to the show at Neptune, but even I could hear the hesitation in her voice.

After Googling the Fred Page Cup that is being hosted in Ottawa I saw the dates coincide with our Neptune trip so we’re fine.

Still, every time our family makes plans for something or somewhere this March or April the familiar question is asked again, “What about the Mariners?”

The other day I asked my mom jokingly, “Do you think there will ever be a time when our lives aren’t planned around the Mariners hockey schedule?”

It’s probably better to ask her than my sister.