In the next few lines I will try to use different keywords that Internet users could use when looking for a hockey league, an ice hockey league, an adult hockey league, a garage league or simply a beer league in Montreal. In our efforts to position ourselves among the leading leagues in Quebec (which we are, but not in terms of our online positioning even if we have mooved from the number six page to top of number two on Google) we have to use the key words when we write on our website. This is key to increase the value of the League Fédérale des As, of the LFA or the Hockey Brotherhood Association and to peak interest in the eyes of potential sponsors, key partners and players alike. Social networks have become very important in the eyes of potential sponsors or partners when it comes time to invest or not in a business like ours. With over 2000 visitors per month on our site, it highlights an impressive year over year increase as compared to last season, but we can not say the same about the traffic on our Facebook page. We are not doing well with barely 225 LIKES and unfortunately in this online age it is our visibility on social networks that count more that our website. Even with strong traffic on the site, the same comments keep coming back about our following on FB. Therefore, if it is not already done, I invite you to visit our FB page, click on LIKE and share it with ALL your contacts (https://www.facebook.com/lfahockey?ref=hl). Also, if you're comfortable on other social platforms and you want to include the LFA on it, "go for it!" Remember also to share our Youtube address for more people to see our videos https://www.youtube.com/user/LFAHockeyMTL.

Global warming or not, we have had an incredibly beautiful winter for those of us who like to move. Unfortunately, for now, I can not enjoy it because of my knee but for those who have the time and take it, outdoor ice is waiting for you to tweak your technique for our games and enjoy the fresh air. "Winter classics" where impromptu meetings between other passionate fans of our national sport take place. For sure, when playing 12 against 14, it can be boring, especially when there are a couple of Lafleurs on each team and we don't know who to pass to, but there are also those moments of grace like in the movie "Field of Dreams " but a winter version where the right number of players of the same level ignite the ice for hours, as if time stopped. Let it be known that the LFA and the Hockey Brotherhood Association are working on the possibility to recreate these magical moments lived on outdoor ice, bringing the boy inside of you out for a spin.

Sometimes I finish my article in French and before sending it to be translated by either Les, Tom or Mat, I wonder will they catch my drift ? Well in this instance, there is no way as I tried to see what Google translate would do, and it could not define in which language I wrote. If your québéquois is up to par, go for it you will have a laugh. If it isn't don't bother cuz even frenchies have trouble understanding spoken word when it is written. So I will leave out those bits and go straight to the heart of the matter that follows as I decided to take care of the translation this week because of all the Québec slang that was all over my original French article.

For the first time since I started organizing the LFA, I had to stay away from the action yesterday due to some knee issues. So, for this article, I will be brief and prompt you to check the "While sipping a last one" link to view the article written by the hand of the vice president of hockey operations of the LFA, who was on hand to run the show and can give you a recap of the events of Saturday's showdowns. I'll also invite you to visit our picture section to see the best photos of January with several "killer shots" from Larry, Mike and Bruno Petrozza. At the same time, I also would also remind you that the works of Art on the first page signed Jacob Poliquin await your offers in our silent auction which will close at our end of season gala during which 50% of sales revenue will go to funding the league and its numerous activities.

After a week off and back at it yesterday for the first time this season, we had three straight solid games including the spectacular Loggers comeback to end the evening.

Unfortunately, I do not have the chance to sit down and watch all the games for obvious reasons but what I saw and the comments I received afterwards were unanimous, three good games and even the losing teams had fun playing tightly contested battles. It should be noted that there were few regulars missing yesterday so we could see the teams as they are for the most-part as most substitutes resembled the missing players. With the standings getting tight and with just three points separating the first and last place teams, including three squads tied at the back of the pack, the parity is beginning to eliminate the skeptics. There was a lot of work, evaluation, talks and shuffling to get to this point, but if everyone plays to their ability, we should witness a good race to finish of the season where we will crown the champions. All the more reason to arrive early for your games or stay later to encourage your fellow league mates even if it is not always in your nature or your habits, it brings only good to our Saturday get togethers !

Par souci d’efficacité, I'm going to use franglais on this one. There was no game ce week-end mais je trouvais que ça valait la peine to let people know about our new all-star jerseys pour notre match des étoiles sur lequel je travaille depuis un certain temps. Ces derniers furent dévoilés this past Wednesday au pub St-Paul in Old-Montreal où plusieurs membres de la ligue and their friends came to celebrate and and at the same time, watch le come back des Habs on TV. Soirée où everyone got a prix de présence.

Ladies and gentlemen, I know you don’t come to our site to talk politics and religion, but we are bathing in it and whether you are secular or practicing, whether you invest in political debates or change the channel, it’s part of the spectrum we all live in even often on our way to the rink. I won’t go on at length on the subject, but it’s one that is dear to me going back to my own animated films at the end of the 1980s (near the time music was in black-and-white ....)