Russian Hockey Action!

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To most Americans, hockey is the bastard child of professional sports. With so many other sporting options to choose from, the Stanley Cup Finals take a far backseat to the World Series, Superbowl, and dare I say it, the NBA Playoffs. Head up north to Canada, and hockey is a way of life. Head across the pond to Russia, and hockey is, well, a great way to spend a Wednesday night.

On our last day of study tour, our group was presented with an interesting option. Shell out over $100 to see a performance of the Nutcracker ballet near the Hermitage, or, spend about $20 and see a Russian hockey game. While a few chose an evening some may call high brow, the rest of us wanted a real local experience. As we arrived at the stadium, we saw a good crowd that was going to be in attendance. Walking up to the main entry gates, we were greeted by proper Soviet policeman who gave us a thorough patdown. Good thing no one in our group was packing heat that night. We rushed to our seats which were low to the rink and got ready for some SKA Saint Petersburg action!

There were definitely a few things I noticed right off the bat that were clearly different from an American, or even a Western European sporting event. To start, there wasn't an army of vendors trying to sell you beer or hot dogs, nor was anyone chomping on a bowl of nachos in the stands. It was great not to have those distractions during the game, and it really made everyone pay attention to what was happening on the ice. Needless to say, we weren't going to find any great stadium food here. Like most sporting events, the hometown fans were cheering and screaming during the whole game, with all kinds of Russian chants we didn't understand. We did play along with one chat that basically sounded like the following: "Ahhh - Ahhhh- S-K-A" And you better believe when SKA scored, we were on our feet with the crowd. When they booed, so did we. During stoppage, we were delighted by the SKA dance team, which turned out to be scantily clad Russian teenage girls in mini-skirts and tanktops dancing to bad Euro pop music. While everyone in the stands was wearing a winter coat and warm hat, these girls had no problem getting down in next to nothing. Unlike a lot of American sporting events, there were no t-shirt tosses, or kiss cams, or fans of the game. But you better believe there was a zamboni between periods cleaning the ice! For about a 2 1/2 hour game, SKA destroyed the opposing team 5-1, with plenty of fights, checks, and smashes along the way. I don't know if they made the playoffs or won the season, but it was a win for us. A few of my friends bought some authentic SKA garb to wear back here in the states, and we were off.

While it wasn't the "Miracle" game of the 80s, seeing a live Russian hockey game was a pretty awesome experience. If you ever find yourself over in Saint Petersburg, make sure you don some red and blue for SKA. Oh yea, and eat before you go to the game.

-Kacz

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