Several months ago, I, like many others, bought into the hockey show hype, and since then, my social media feed slowly shifted to… real hockey.
Before I knew it, I found myself on the edge of my seat following actual National Hockey League games, learning about stats and trades, and for the first time in my life, I was kind of enjoying watching a sport.
So when I learned that Israel has its own hockey league, I knew what I had to do.
The Jerusalem Post was going to the boy aquarium, and I was going to get us there.
I’ll admit, I was quite nervous to meet Isaac Levy, a prominent figure in Israel’s hockey scene and the captain of the Jerusalem Capitals, but Levy – and the entire Israel Elite Hockey League – welcomed me with open arms as their newest fan.
The craziest thing is: the hockey is good. Like, it’s really good
Despite going hard on the ice, Israel’s greatest hockey players are all good friends when off it, and Levy actually rooms with Maverick Cortes, a defenseman for Tel Aviv’s team, the aptly-named Hockey Club Tel Aviv, who joined us for a quick chat before the season began.
After the pair confirmed they had not seen Heated Rivalry – though they did share their respect for anything that encourages diversity in sports – the two explained how they ended up in Israel.
“I was born in Israel but grew up in Canada,” Levy said. “When I was about 15, I was recruited to play for Israel’s national team because I have dual citizenship. I’ve played for Israel ever since, from the U18s all the way to the senior national team for more than 20 years.”
“I grew up in Denver, Colorado,” Cortes added. “I always heard about Israel growing up, went to Jewish school, had my bar mitzvah here, and loved it. A few years later, I was scrolling through Instagram and found the league. I thought, ‘This is perfect.’ It combines hockey with my connection to Israel.”
Cortes and Levy are prime examples of the people that the league is looking for: high-level players from abroad with a connection to Israel, combining a love of both the game and the country.
Levy took his love for both Israel and hockey to another level, finding love here and working alongside his brother to open Ashdod’s Blue Ice Arena, where the southern division competes.
The league was formed about five years ago, and has already grown from four teams to eight, with a northern and southern division.
The craziest thing is: The hockey is good. Like, it’s really good.
Like a tournament, with a giant trophy and bragging rights
Israel’s hockey season is more like a tournament, with games happening one after the other until one can be crowned the winner, complete with a giant trophy and bragging rights in the group chat.
The Jerusalem Post’s breaking news desk was honored to be invited to the opening game, to watch Jerusalem’s Capitals – for whom we were practically contractually obligated to cheer – take on the Ashdod Dolphins.
I’ll admit, this was the first time I’ve ever watched a sports game of any kind in my adult life, and I could not believe how much fun it was. Unlike with major league sports, Israel’s players have more than just respect for each other; there’s real love there.
Each pass, save, and goal was met with cheers and hugs as if they’d won the Stanley Cup.
Our group was on the edge of our seats the whole time as the teams went into a first, and then a second overtime. Seriously, we hadn’t realized sports could have such drama.
A sudden death shootout? With knives taped to their feet? Immediately obsessed.
In the end, Ashdod clinched it, but we didn’t leave with any real feelings of loss. Sure, we were a little upset that our home team had lost, but even in defeat, our group was already making plans to come back – or at least catch a livestream.
What struck me most, though, was that as the final buzzer neared, we saw players from other teams watching from the sidelines, on their feet, cheering for their friends on both sides of the ice.
By the end of the night, no one seemed to care for whom they were supposed to be rooting. It was the kind of thing that made it obvious this isn’t a league built on rivalries – heated or otherwise – so much as it’s built on camaraderie, and people who genuinely love the game and love each other.
Our trip to the boy aquarium was better than we could’ve imagined, proving that you can find genuine, ice-taped-knives-and-all sports drama right here at home. Consider me a Capitals fan for life – shootout losses and all.
Source:
www.jpost.com
