A writer's most prized possession is their tool of trade, their pen or in this era of digital mayhem, their computer.  This time I will pack my Toshiba satellite laptop safely in its case as it will be inspected by airport security and dragged into a show all X-ray line.  My computer with its crack around the top right hand corner and flickering screen accompanies me on every hockey trip.   Interestingly enough scout Mark Howe, son of NHL legend Gordie Howe, meanders around hockey arenas with the same type of injury prone laptop.   None of the dents or injuries were inflicted by hockey pucks or angry players, he assured me. 

Along with my Toshiba satellite, I will pack tons of pens.  I'm always afraid the ink will run out or my voice recorder will stop mid sentence.   I believe that I was interviewing Sidney Crosby when I figured out that my recorder battery was dead.  Quickly, I grabbed one of my trusty pens and scribbled in doctor's handwriting some notes.  I confess that I will grab pens if I see them on desk surfaces around hockey arenas.   Most of these pens are major chain hotel branded and of poor quality.  They are usually left by player scratches counting face-offs or distracted scouts.  In my mind, I wonder what fan would buy these on E-bay if they knew who wrote with them.  But my weakness is that of ink gel pens which I will definitely take possession rights until the next game.  At that time, I will return the pen to its owner who probably has no idea where he left it at all and is searching for it desperately to write up a roster.

My notes are usually scribbled on a legal notepad.  Most of the time they look like Picasso drawings and don't make much sense until I read them out loud.  I tend to avoid the clich