Friday, February 25, 2011

The Sketchy Side of Hockey

First and foremost...my man is SAFELY HOME, Wohoo! Looking forward to an amazing off season, wedding and honeymoon in Cancun here we come!


But getting him here was not so smooth.  As I mentioned in my last post, Jokipojat's season had come to an end and he was basically partying waiting around for the team to fulfill his contract terms.  The terms were that he would be paid a certain amount every month and he would receive ALL of his money BEFORE he left Finland. Lets just say without going into to much personal detail, this did not exactly happen.  Which leads me to my blog title, the sketchy side of hockey.

Getting paid to play hockey most definitely sounds glamorous, but when you are actually living the lifestyle you get a big smack of reality now and again.  You have to remember that these guys' livelihood depend on them having a good game/bad game, what league they get signed to, how healthy and in shape they are, or how they get along with their teammates/coaches.  People often forget to take these variables (among others) into consideration when they are looking from the outside in.  Sure, it sounds awesome to play a sport you love and get paid for it when your are working a 9-5 job M-F, trust me I know, but there is literally NO JOB SECURITY.  All of that pressure along with a team that is sketchy about money makes me appreciate that pay check I know will be transferred into my bank account every Thursday that much more.

I have heard horror stories  from fellow bloggers (shout out to you hockey wife ;o), and quite frankly we were  LUCKY that Jokipojat honored most of Jordan's contract. We were also really lucky that he made some really awesome friends in Finland who helped him out when he was in a pinch this past week.  So I always say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger...and in this case SMARTER.  This year was tough but I feel we have learned a lot about playing in Europe and ins and outs of contracts.  Granted not every team will be the same but at least we can recognize those sketchy warning signs.  Here's to a hopefully not-so-sketchy season next year!

4 comments:

  1. I really don't envy professional hockey players - I couldn't put up with what they have to deal with day in and day out. I know how often I have bad days - they have one bad night and people spend the next several days analyzing it. Or in cases such as the finals - they spend the ENTIRE SUMMER analyzing it! Hey... HE HAD A BAD GAME! It's not science... Goalies - I would think - have it the worst. Bless you for putting up with it!

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  2. Im so happy for you guys that you are finally together!!! Im sorry to hear about the bad season in Finland but as you said It can only get better..I know exactly how it feels with this crazy hockey business!!!
    But leave that behind and now you have soooo much fun to look forward too!!! Wedding and Honeymoon..ahhhh maybe I should get re-married with the hubs in Vegas..lol

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  3. ugh... that's shitty.. thank goodness you all got just about everything (hopefully).. very sketchy... we've seen it before too. Here's to a great season next year for sure!! Do you all know where you'll be yet??

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  4. @YotesDiva, I am so THANKFUL Jordan isn't a goalie...they are usually the first line of attack in terms of blame for a loss which has GOT to weigh pretty haevy on your psyche.

    @Mrs. K, I think renewing your vows in Vegas would be AMAZING!!!!

    @Laura, No we aren't sure where we'll be next year...hopefully somewhere a little warmer then Finland ;o)

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