In what may become an annual event, teachers Scott Falk, Tom McEntee and Greg Stobbe drove to San Jose to watch a National Hockey League (NHL) game on Nov.3. All three teachers have lived in British Columbia for part of their lives and continue to follow Canada’s national past time.
“When I lived in Langley, B.C. in the early ?90s, the Canadians taught me how to watch and love the game,” McEntee said. “The big rivalry back then was Calgary and Edmonton when the great Wayne Gretzky was playing. I remember the sadest day in hockey history when they lost their icon to the Los Angeles Kings and the U.S.”
McEntee attended Trinity Western University and whenever the pond on campus froze found himself literally crawling on the ice until he learned to skate.
“Their passion for the game was infectious and now I love it too,” McEntee said. “Going with Stobbe and Falk on a traditional trip to watch an NHL game is an automatic.”
McEntee now plays inline hockey every week as part of the weekly pickup hockey games at the tennis courts behind Macy’s store at Fashion Faire on Fresno Street. He often leads his team in scoring on the courts.
On the way to San Jose, the hockey trio were sighted by a number of students.
“We were driving down the 41 freeway and Rachel (Boik, ?02) said,…’I think it’s Mr. Stobbe-look!’ I looked and Stobbe, Mr. Falk and Tom Mac all waved,” Anthony Pellouso, ?02, said. Stobbe went crazy of course….They were on their way to a hockey game together; how wierd is that? It’s the funniest thing I have ever seen.”
While the displaced group was on the 101 freeway in San Jose, Jeff Torosian and his dad passed the group on a way to a concert.
Falk spent three years pastoring a church near Vancouver, B.C. in the early 1990s. During this time he got to know the Canadian passion of hockey. He even read autobiographies of many Canadian superstars.
“It (going to the game) was like nothing else,” Falk said. “Spending the day with Stobbe and Mac was great. My only disappointment was that my team, the Vancouver Canucks, lost, 5-1. We even got on Canadian t.v. again for the second consecutive year. That was huge.”
Last year, Stobbe and Falk had better luck with their team as Vancouver edged San Jose, 6-2. The hockey trip was a brain child of Falk and was instrumental in getting Stobbe hyped for a trip to rediscover his Canadian roots.
“Falk got me excited to see hockey,” Stobbe said. “I used to go to a lot of games when I was a kid back in Vancouver. I used to walk to school in my skates and check out the frozen pond during lunch and then walk home with them. I even ate dinner in them because I would go out later and play and didn’t want to retie them. Mom wouldn’t let me sleep in them though.”
While Falk and Stobbe keep one eye on the box scores with the Canucks in mind, McEntee follows the Sharks.
“I really wanted the Sharks to win,” McEntee said. “However, I felt bad for Stobbe and Falk when the score was 4-1 and started cheering for the Canucks. But they’ll have a chance next year.”
All three plan on returning to San Jose next year to keep the tradition going. For more information on NHL hockey please log on to www.faceoff.com/home/ or www.nhl.com.
” “Unknown Sharks fan” “After traveling three hours to San Jose, FC teachers Scott Falk (left to right), Greg Stobbe and Tom McEntee pose before the Sharks-Vancouver Canucks hockey game on Nov. 3. This is the second annual hockey related road trip for the group.” “Unknown Canucks fan near ice level.” “While both Greg Stobbe, left, and Scott Falk were all smiles before the game, San Jose beat Vancouver, 5-1, in a third period rally in which the Sharks scored three times in 19 seconds to take over a 1-1 game on Nov. 2.” “nhl.com
