Hockey for Kids

Image from Cincinnati Cyclones website

Apologies for the lack of posts recently, my time to scan in cards has been pretty much non-existant. However, I seem to be getting some of that time back so expect more posts soon. Getting more free time means the family and I can do more fun stuff, like going to a hockey game, which is exactly what the family and I did yesterday.

My wife, son, and I, along with my mom, made the trek down to old U.S. Bank Arena in downtown Cincinnati yesterday to take in the Cyclones kids matinee game. We weren't planning to go at first but when the PBS Kids characters were added, we decided to give it a go.

We got there with about ten minutes to go before puck drop, just enough time to find our seats, even though we had front row. It was a little confusing as the sections sort of blended together that far down but we found them. Here's a picture of us right before puck drop.

A few years ago we tried taking him to a Reds game but it didn't go well and we ended up leaving by the third inning. This time, we had better success. Popcorn is his favorite snack so my mom bought the $10 tub with unlimited refills and some drinks (RC Cola to be exact). That managed to keep him going and keep him focused on the game. By the way, the popcorn was the best I've ever had at an arena or stadium, even better than what you would find in a movie theater honestly.

Here are a few pictures of my son standing at the glass watching the action. There was a guy next to us would occasionally bang on the glass and every time he did so, my son joined in on the action.

As for the game itself, it was a pretty high scoring game. The Cyclones were up 4-0 just after halfway through the second but Fort Wayne came back with two goals in the second and two more in the third to tie it up at 4-4. Overtime didn't solve the situation so the game went to a shootout. Unfortunately, by this time my son was getting fussy and tired so left before the shootout commenced. We didn't leave empty handed though, as we got him a first game certificate, an official game puck that I bough at the merch stand, along with a drawstring carry bag as the free giveaway, and a BOGO coupon for the local burrito chain since the Cyclones scored a power play goal.

The real reason we came though was so my son could meet the PBS Kids characters. He got to meet Super Why and Princess Pea but the main attraction for him was Daniel Tiger. Even though he's grown out of watching Daniel Tiger on TV, he still carries around his Daniel plush with him everywhere. He seemed really happy to have seen Daniel and to have gotten his picture with him.

All in all, it was a really, really fun time had by everyone and we're definitely planning a return trip sometime next season. On the way back to the car, I couldn't help but stop and take this picture of the amazing sunset. A glorious sunset on a day we'll all look back and remember fondly.