Reasons to be thankful shared by NHL.com writers

Thanksgiving is a day where people in the United States gather with family and friends to count their blessings and take the time to appreciate the things they have.
With that in mind, NHL.com asked several of its staff writers to express what they are thankful for this year when it comes to hockey.
Even though Canadian Thanksgiving was celebrated in October, one of our writers in Canada pitched in as well.
Here are their responses:

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For having full houses

I'm thankful for fans being back in NHL arenas. Hockey without fans? It was necessary, obviously, considering where the COVID-19 pandemic was earlier this year. But I agree with what many players and coaches were saying: it just wasn't the same. So as fans came back at the start of this season, it was a welcome sight. Cheering, booing, I don't care what they were doing. Fans were back, and so was the atmosphere. So was the exuberance and, for those of us in Chicago, so was the standing and cheering of the national anthem. We're still not back to pre-pandemic normalcy and who knows if we ever will be. But fans returning is a sample of normalcy, and I'm happy it's back. -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

For those making first impressions

I'm thankful for the large number of rookies doing so much to help their respective teams this season around the NHL. It'll make for an interesting race for the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year. The Detroit Red Wings have two of the Calder frontrunners in forward Lucas Raymond (No. 4, 2020 NHL Draft) and defenseman Moritz Seider (No. 6, 2019 NHL Draft). New Jersey Devils forward Dawson Mercer (No. 18, 2020 Draft) has filled in nicely at No. 2 center in the absence of the injured Jack Hughes. The surprising Anaheim Ducks have something special in center Trevor Zegras (No. 9, 2019 Draft). And those are just a few of the exciting, young players in the game right now. -- Mike G. Morreale, staff writer

For Saturdays at the rink

The book "Guinness World Records" lists "Hockey Night in Canada" as the longest-running sports TV program in history. On every hockey Saturday since 1952, it's been part of Canada's cultural fabric. It certainly was for me. Growing up in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough, Ontario, watching "HNIC" with my mom and dad on a Saturday was a ritual even before I tied up my first pair of blades at 5 years old. It was as much a part of our weekends as Sunday dinners. It's what you did, no questions asked. It sparked my love of the game at a young age and gave me the urge to play. For years after that, Saturdays were split into three parts: We played for the league team at the local rink in the morning, played road hockey all afternoon on our dead-end street, then watched "HNIC" at night. Decades later I'm so thankful that I've been able to earn a living being involved in the game that I love. I never take it for granted. Thanks to "HNIC" for igniting that passion all those years ago. -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

For being back in the saddle

I truly am thankful for being back in hockey arenas and rinks to watch games in person. Seeing NHL games on TV or experiencing them in arenas with limited capacity due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus was a welcome relief from a bleak pandemic. But there's nothing like enjoying the sport in person with friends and colleagues. That was reinforced when I traveled to El Paso, Texas, to cover the 2020 Kraft Hockeyville USA preseason game between the Arizona Coyotes and Dallas Stars on Oct. 3. The game had been postponed in 2020 out of an abundance of caution. When the teams took to the ice, the renovated El Paso County Events Center became electric with the sights and sounds of hockey -- skates gliding on ice, pucks and bodies crashing against the boards, fans cheering as loud as they could. Hockey was back the way it should be, and it felt wonderful. -- William Douglas, staff writer

For return of Bruins-Canadiens

When the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens played Nov. 14, it had been nearly two years, a span of 641 days, since they last had played, Feb. 12, 2020. And though the game wasn't exactly an all-timer, there was something comforting about the renewal of the rivalry. There was a bit more oomph at TD Garden, a bit more energy in the cheering, a bit more pep, another step toward normalcy. It was something even the players and staffs from each team acknowledged. "It's not one of 82 when it's Montreal," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. "It isn't for me anyway." Not for those in the stands either. So this year -- another abnormal one by any other measure -- I'm thankful to regain some of the best hockey traditions, including Bruins-Canadiens. -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer

For a sense of normalcy

We aren't back to normal yet. Not quite. We're still in a pandemic, and there still are problems now and then. Health and safety first. But there's no doubt we've made significant progress and are returning to normalcy, and the pandemic has reinforced that we should take nothing for granted. After two shortened, disrupted seasons, I'm thankful to have a full 82-game schedule and fans in the stands, thankful simply to be able to go to NHL games and hear the roar of the crowd and follow the rhythms of a regular season. -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

For a hockey holiday

This Thanksgiving, I simply am thankful for being back in arenas filled with fans to watch the game we all love. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving usually is one of the busiest on the NHL schedule (there were 14 games this season), but the arenas were quiet last year because the start of the season was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. It was an empty feeling having no hockey around the holidays. And when the 2020-21 season started in January, fans were not permitted in most of the arenas initially. The players did their best, but the atmosphere was not the same. Although we're not back to normal completely this season, having full crowds in attendance makes the atmosphere in the buildings feel normal and the game experience feel normal, and I'm grateful for that. -- Tom Gulitti, staff writer