July 1st. It sneaks up on us, just a few days after the mad scramble of the Draft (which has a capital D for some people). It is a day of excitement for many, but for others, it is a reminder of days gone by, and what the true meaning of NHL Christmas is. Gifts or lumps of coal.

It is now less than 8 hours before free agency starts, and instead of thinking hard about who the Avalanche are going to sign, I am thinking about where I was one year ago. One year ago, I was sitting exactly where I am sitting now, where I will be sitting tomorrow at 10 AM my time, with a cup of coffee, watching my computer screen for any information about who was signed, and who was not. And just like last year, like almost everyone who blogs about hockey, who writes about hockey, who loves and follows the game, I will be wrong.

While hockey blogging is a great sport and art (yes, at the same time), we are all just armchair GMs. The movers and the shakers will be making the hard, cold, and sometimes awful decisions, ones we, as fans, will have to live with. We have our own designs for “our” teams, and they will differ greatly from what really happens. We will spout off about how our beloved franchise missed the mark, did the wrong thing, and couldn’t pull their heads out of a truly dark space. We will lament, react, make excuses and explanations, and eventually concede to reality, because in the end, we have no choice. It is out lot in life, to be hockey fans, and to love our team, no matter what.

There is going to be drama, heartache, anger, love, cheering, jeering, and every emotion you can imagine. And in October, there is going to be hockey, on ice rather than computer screens, and everything is going to go by the wayside. There is going to be our team, and we are going to love them and hate them. This is hockey, and nothing is perfect in it, not in the game, and not in ourselves.

This day, which is not only free agency day, but also Canada Day, will ring in our minds and hearts for the season to come. When someone blows a skate, misses a shot, scores a goal, surpasses a record, or does any number of tiny things, our minds will drift back to this place, to this time, to exactly how we felt when we heard the news, to that fateful moment when we believed, right or wrong, how the season would unfold.

I want to remind you how you felt last season at this time. When you heard about Zdeno Chara signing with the Bruins, or when Roloson resigned with the Oilers. I doubt, in all honesty, that anything turned out like we thought it would. If it did, would we watch the game? Would we care so much? Would we be fans?

So tomorrow, at around 11:55 AM, it’s last call for your team. They will be something different shortly, remade and reshaped in ways you had no control over. They will order another pint, remember the good times, and wish each other good luck. None of the teams, or the players, will be the same. And neither will we.

See you in the morning.