I'm gonna spend my Christmas with a Dalek

I have my quirks and obsessions outside of hockey, and one such obsession is Doctor Who. When I was younger I was fortunate that despite the fact my school started super early, it ended at 2:30 so I could always catch the tail end of the PBS Doctor Who reruns. Tom Baker's head floating through credits usually made me laugh before it was time for cartoons and homework. And as I got older I dove into the earlier series, seeking every episode that still exists from Hartnell and Troughton, listening to audios of those that were erased or lost forever in a fire, taking in Pertwee and Baker and absolutely obsessing myself with the often misunderstood but greatest "modern" Doctor Peter Davison (who had some of the weirdest episodes ever, and probably the most violent). I waned on the Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy, with or without the Candyman... And that was pretty much the end of a great series gone astray. Never mind the "movie", Paul Mcgann was never given a good opportunity except in audio plays, which have now turned a little rediculous themselves.

Kind and gentle, yet always so sad... And the only man able to wear a piece of celery on his jacket like it was perfectly normal and get away with it. That's the 5th Doctor! It's the 1980s, and that was MY Doctor.

It came back, from the mind of Russell T Davies who did well to revive a lost series with Christopher Eccleston, known to me as the crazy man in the attic in Shallow Grave. But Eccleston didn't stay long, and was regenerated into the lanky David Tennant. Things were going well! The now traditional Christmas specials brought him into our living rooms, and a new series was born. But something was always bothering me... Something that continued on from Eccleston's great version: a stupid annoying girl following the Doctor arround. Nowhere near the companions of Sarah Jane, or Nyssa, or the bitchy Tegan, or even Troughton's Jamie (a boy!). It was not until Donna appeared that the series felt more like the zany old ones. Recently it was some "I love you" companion, but not her. She was a bit like Tegan and just as much a smartass. For too long the Doctor and his companion went from being that best friend or zany uncle, to some bizarre lovey dubby crap... Last season reminded me a lot of the 5th Doctor. And then RTD regurgitated characters, brought back Rose and Martha and their families (rolls eyes) and all the baggage that comes with it. Our beloved 10th Doctor was turning into a farce, and as his series ends I can only say this: it's about bloody time.

Not only is RTD regurgitating characters (though more Bernard Cribbins is a must!), he seems to be running out of ideas. So with this latest Christmas special, I'm saying adieu to the latest incarnation of my favourite 903-year-old Time Lord... And not a moment too soon... A world of John Simms doing the worst version of the Master is pretty much a memo in stating this puppy needs to be put down. I only hope the 11th Doctor (Matt Smith) who's young, eyebrowless face really brings me back to Davison and with clothes that's a cross between Henry Jones and the 2nd Doctor Patrick Troughton, put in the crafty hands of Steven Moffat can rekindle the show I love. Because right now it's going through the motions, and is kind of sad...

Unfortunately once this latest Christmas/New Year's two-part special is over, the 11th won't grace our screens for a while. So hurray for hockey!

And there's also something called the World Juniors going on. We get to see Trunev! And Nattinen! And the Count, Danny Kristo! Good luck boys! And hope Team Canada counts how many men they have on the ice.