Where are the fans?

The other day, someone stopped me on the street and commented on the Boston Red Sox cap I was wearing, suggesting it was great to see I had jumped on the bandwagon now the Sox had won the World Series again.

I’ve been a Red Sox fan for years, through all the highs and lows, and I make a practice of wearing my Boston cap - even when they’re losing.

Which brings me around to the subject of loyalty.

I was at Acadia Arena the other night for an Acadia/ UNB hockey game. It had all the ingredients of a blowout: the number one team in the country (UNB) against a young Axemen team that’s had real trouble scoring goals so far this season. Surprise: Acadia made a real game of it for 50 minutes or more before fading in a 6-3 loss.

What bothered me was the less-than-inspiring number of fans on hand. I can remember - not that long ago - when you couldn’t shoehorn your way into Acadia Arena for a regular season game. Of course, those were the days when the Axemen were not only winning just about every night, but winning by lopsided scores and competing for national championships.

I’d hate to think we are a community of “fair-weather” fans but, until I’m proven otherwise, as my late father used to say, if the shoe fits, wear it.

I’ve heard for years the hockey Axemen are “the Valley’s team,” supported throughout a wide region. That might still be the case, but it’s hard to tell from the attendance at a lot of the games.

To me, the Axemen especially need the support of their fans at times like this, when the team is rebuilding and, frankly, struggling more than a bit not only to win but to simply score.

I look at this year’s Axemen – who, by the way, have no fewer than 14 brand new faces on the roster, including a core of pretty impressive-looking youngsters – as being very similar to the team’s makeup when Burns first took over as coach. In three or four years’ time, that team was skating around the rink with the AUHC championship trophy.

That’s not to say that will happen again with this group of young players but, from what I’m seeing of their work ethic and willingness to scrap and compete, I wouldn’t count it out - especially if Burns is able to recruit the same kind of players. Just because someone isn’t a recognizable name or didn’t play for a “marquee” major junior program – or maybe didn’t play major junior at all – doesn’t mean they don’t have the potential to become a solid AUHC player.

It’s not practical to expect the Axemen, despite their strong work ethic, to be instantly competitive. There are teams in the AUHC chock full of veterans and, frankly, built to win a championship this year. One can expect the same kind of support from the fan base when they’re not as successful.

The Axemen play the next two Fridays at home, against St. F.X. and Dal respectively, to close out the pre-Christmas schedule. There’s no time like the present for Axemen fans out there to come out and show your support.

For all Acadia hockey has done for the Valley over the past 15-plus years, the program – not to mention this current group of players – deserves no less.