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about 1 month ago: PITTSBURGH - JULY 27: Sidney Crosby (L) of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Mike Knuble of the Washington Capitals pose for a photo at the 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic press conference on July 27 2010 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

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We’re in the long dog-days of summer. The middle of the hockey drought. Free agency has died down, arbitration hasn’t yet started up, and all anyone can do is count down the days until training camps open. And, of course, keep asking, "Is it October yet?"

It is, as I like to call it, the hockey desert. People are quenching their thirst with video games and game replays of Stanley Cup Playoffs in days gone by. Some are resorting to reading books about hockey. And everyone is waiting breathlessly for the newest piece of hockey gossip to hit the interwebs.

We’re a sad, sad bunch, aren’t we?

What other sports fans do this with such single-minded purpose? Most football fans are also baseball fans. Those who aren’t football fans are likely basketball fans, and those who aren’t baseball fans like soccer. So they’re set year ‘round, really.

Outside of perhaps hockey fans, rare is the individual who only likes one sport and nothing else.

Though, there are a number of hockey fans who are also baseball fans. There are plenty of Canadian baseball players in Major League Baseball, after all. The Toronto Blue Jays may be the only baseball team in Canada currently, but plenty of Canadians like other teams in the MLB. For instance, in British Columbia, many are Seattle Mariners fans and not Toronto Blue Jays fans.

(Incidentally, is there a reason why Toronto likes two-named teams? Maple Leafs? Blue Jays? I realize that the Raptors (NBA) and the Argonauts (CFL) are single names – and that their soccer team doesn’t even have a nickname, it’s just Toronto FC – but still. Two out of their five biggest teams have two names. I don’t know why, but I find that odd. Sorry – random tangent. Anyways, moving on….)

Thankfully, summer is a season of being outside and doing other things. Well, for most places. Here on the East Coast this summer, it’s been too hot at times to be outside for very long, so it’s been more difficult than usual to be without hockey. While hockey doesn’t always translate very well on to TV, it’s still easier to watch than baseball – which is better watched live as well. For most of the same reasons as hockey is better live, I think.

Hockey is still alive and well in my world. I write for the Tampa Bay Lightning, and this is the summer of Steve Yzerman. There are plenty of things to keep me occupied, even if it isn’t live games just yet. New owners, new GM, new coaches, new CEO, new players – the hits just keep on coming. I keep waiting for a week where nothing happens in Tampa, but that hasn’t happened just yet. And the closer to the start of training camps we get, the more I wonder if it’ll ever happen. And, believe me, I’d be totally okay if there’s hockey-related news every week this summer from that team.

So as hockey is all of our favorite addiction, what do you do in the summer to get your fix? Street hockey? Video games? Watching past games again? Or do you cultivate a substitute to get you by until the real thing comes along?

UPDATE: I completely forgot about golfing in the poll! What the heck was I thinking?! I'm so sorry that I missed the obvious. If golfing is what you do, or you have more than one thing that helps you get by, then feel free to list them in the comments. Thanks!