The coronavirus crisis has hit Canada hard, with hockey games called off as a result. Hockey fans stuck in lockdown might now be struggling to fill their days without their favourite sport.
What are hockey fans searching for online during the lockdown. Let’s take a look!
How are Hockey Fans Coping
Hockey-themed TV and movies
With no live hockey to watch, fans of the sport are likely to turn to TV and movies to get their fix. Great hockey movies are out there, but there are some that you can certainly afford to miss. Seann William Scott-fronted comedy Goon is widely considered to be one of the funniest hockey movies. Its 2017 sequel, Goon: Last of the Enforcers, was forgettable, however.
Canada-Russia ’72 and Red Army should both be added to your watchlist, though, while 2017’s Indian Horse acknowledges some of the sport’s troubled history. If that all sounds a bit deep, then maybe go with nostalgia?
Digging back into the Mighty Ducks franchise could be a great idea for lockdown. All three films starring Emilio Estevez available to watch. And did you know that a new Mighty Ducks TV series is being made for the new Disney+ online platform? Estevez will be revisiting his role and Lauren Graham has joined the cast. However, the pandemic might well delay its 2020 release.
Slap Shot has long been thought of as one of cinema’s greatest hockey films. However, the Paul Newman movie has not dated particularly well. Anyone who is even slightly interested in the history of women’s hockey should definitely use the pandemic as a chance to see The Game of Her Life. The documentary examines the build-up to the clash between the Canada and United States teams at the 1998 Winter Olympics.
Hockey-themed online slot games
With land-based casinos across Canada having to be closed because of the coronavirus crisis, anyone who likes a bet has been left with little option but to go online. Hockey fans are in luck as there are a few games based on the sport that are available to play at online casinos.
And there is even more good news – you can play these with free spins offers that you can find on this page. So you do not even have to risk any of your own cash to play hockey slot games! Hockey Hero Slot is one of the top hockey-themed slots out there. Alternatives that are worth hunting out for a spin of the reels include Hockey League and one that is just called Ice Hockey.
If those hockey games do not catch your fancy, you could always use this time to learn how to play online poker. Or perhaps try out your luck at the blackjack table, or the roulette wheel!
Hockey video games
Playing hockey video games could be another great way to fill the void before the season can restart. EA Sports has something of a monopoly in this area through its popular NHL series. The latest game in the EA series, NHL 20, came out with Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews as the cover star towards the end of last year and the game got positive reviews.
Older games could prove to be a bargain way to get through lockdown, though. If you have a Wii, then NHL Slapshot might be a decent purchase. With Kidz Sports Ice Hockey an alternative that is aimed at quite a young audience. PC players could also enjoy a game from the NHL Eastside Hockey Manager series. That puts players in charge of a team.
How will the hockey season finish?
One of the top lockdown topics is talking about how the season will be completed. With little information about when hockey games might be able to resume, it is all speculation at this point.
However, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has already stated that it might not be possible to hold the Stanley Cup as usual this year. With a number of players for the Colorado Avalanche having tested positive for COVID-19, this news will come as no surprise to hockey fans.
It is approaching a month since the season was suspended. However, Bettman does not expect to be able to make a plan about how to proceed until the end of the month. Whenever the action can restart, it seems likely that the playoffs will have to change to a new format due to the outbreak. It has even been suggested that a 31-team tournament could even be the best way to decide the 2020 champion. What is for sure is that there are a lot of ideas being debated right now.
Hockey fans will be hoping the pandemic clears up sooner rather than later. That way, they can start enjoying the game once more. But the wait for sport to resume could go on for some time yet.
