During the NHL-playoff-free days of 2005, we invited readers to write through the pain by creating examples of the hockey haiku. a Canada literary form that Geist has nurtured since 1997.

Like the NHL labour dispute, the Geist 2005 Haiku Night in Canada Contest went on for 301 days, but no deadline was ever set and no one knew how long it would last.

Here are the runner-ups:

Phil Esposito,

in 1972:

"we're in a war, man."

—Rob “Left” Winger, Ottawa

my son at five skates

badly wants to play the game

what's five hundred bucks?

—J.A. McDougall, Calgary

The bathroom door jams

On her hockey bag again

The damned thing lives there

—Jon Stewart, Vancouver

6 a.m. practice,

dad in the bleachers sipping Tim's,

they are tied too tight.

—Derek Dunn, Ottawa

dropped puck struck centre ice

the arena rose to roar

dropped coke struck my crotch

—Glenn Kletke, Ottawa (Senators!)

the well-held blade; a

wooden ear. a finely grained

listening to what's passed.

—Matt Robinson, Fredericton

overtime? a throat

blood-ready to roar, or be

slit by one quick blade.

—Matt Robinson, Fredericton

Hockey is like sex

Men play with their sticks while

women feign interest

—Tina Smith, Windsor

In our closed garage,

shoots, he scores! Hoist that tiny

coke-can Stanley cup

—Adrian Burrus, Seoul

ten-year-old girls play

only when their brothers' friends

don't show for the game

—Wanda Nolan, Halifax

my nights were finally silent

the puck would not be dropped.

oh, dream on.

—Kera McHugh, Gibsons BC

"Testicle-faggot"

His Russian is a bit bad.

Punch him in the head.

—Tarek Suliman, Surrey BC