Happy Thanksgiving, Hockey Fans!

April 21, 2012; Glendale, AZ, USA; Members of the Phoenix Coyotes and the Chicago Blackhawks stand for the national anthem in game five of the 2012 Western Conference quarterfinals at Jobing.com Arena. The Blackhawks beat the Coyotes 2-1 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-US PRESSWIRE

There are countless things to be thankful for today, but the one I want to mention specifically is hockey. It’s just a sport, a game. It doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things, but its atmosphere means the world.

Since becoming a hockey fan four years ago in college, I have created and built stronger friendships around the sport and spent more time with my family teaching, learning and enjoying the game together. I’ve discovered and become a part of a whole community of people who not only love the game but also everything that surrounds it. Hockey has given me an opportunity to connect with family, friends and strangers who should be my friends. I also get to write about hockey! I’m so thankful for the people that make that happen, from the FanSided staff to the readers and the game itself.

While there is still plenty of hockey going on during the lockout, I hope that we can as fans share it again soon on a much larger, more common scale.

Happy Thanksgiving!

How are you thankful for hockey this year?

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