Well, they're finally over for another year...the NHL playoffs that is. I can't say I'm disappointed with the ending, with the Anaheim (still Mighty) Ducks taking home the big prize (the Stanley Cup).

But now that hockey has ended, there's a summer sporty emptiness that baseball, golf, and extreme horseshoeing just can't fill. You'd think they could help hockey fanatics ease their way out of their icy addiction by filling the off-season with world championships, all-star games, or even roller hockey, but no, once the cup has been raised, the end has already been signalled.

Sure, there's the hockey draft, and there's always talk and speculation about free-agent signings, and off-season deals, but that's hardly enough to keep the average hard-core hockey fan satisfied.

Maybe if the hockey season finished earlier in the Spring, we would have more time to adjust. We could spend a few weeks watching the NBA playoffs, slowly weaning us from competitive team sports, and by the time the hardcourt finals were over, we would be ready for Canadian Football. By then it will be September, and we can start the delicious hockey process all over again.

Hockey, my sweet mistress, I will see you again this Fall. Until then...