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COLUMN: We Need Sports, We Need Hockey, We Need Togetherness

By John Manzo

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 07: Frans Nielsen #81 of the Detroit Red Wings celebrates his second period goal with Givani Smith #48 and Madison Bowey #74 while playing the Montreal Canadiens at Little Caesars Arena on January 07, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit won the game 4-3. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 07: Frans Nielsen #81 of the Detroit Red Wings celebrates his second period goal with Givani Smith #48 and Madison Bowey #74 while playing the Montreal Canadiens at Little Caesars Arena on January 07, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit won the game 4-3. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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The Detroit Red Wings won’t play another game this season, but we need sports back to remind us all about togetherness.

The Detroit Red Wings goal siren hasn’t gone off since March 10.

Christoffer Ehn gave us the joy of hearing that beloved sound one more time after tapping in the tying goal past former Red Wings goalie Petr Mrazek in a 5-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Spoiler: If you click the link, it likely will trigger emotions.

It will bring back memories, good memories as hard as that can be to believe because having hockey versus not having it is night and day.

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More seriously, having that siren go off night in and night out is leaps and bounds better than the ambulance sirens going off across the country as protesters go to the streets to exercise their first amendment rights. And rightfully so, if done safely.

However, right now we are a country hurting. Not only are we amid a pandemic, but there’s more division as ever because of the unforgivable acts that happened last week in Minneapolis.

And it’s why we need sports, hockey included.

You know the story; sports are the building blocks of youth. The games teach you how to interact socially with others, how to honor others with sportsmanship, and equally as important, it teaches you how to be part of a team.

In hockey, specifically the NHL, each TEAM begins the season chasing the Stanley Cup. Those Detroit Red Wings have done it 11 times. Not in the past decade, though, but it doesn’t matter.

Win or lose – sports such as hockey – create a bond, a unity, that we need more than ever right now. It’s that feeling of being inside Little Caesars Arena, clapping another Red Wings fan’s hand as you celebrate a moment as a team and city.

Because of COVID-19, we’re forgetting what it’s like to celebrate those moments. Because of not having sports at all, we’re forgetting what those qualities of togetherness are.

And right now, we need them to be a team.

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