Terri Theodore of the Canadian Press has a hockey story you don’t come across every day.

Vinnie Danes came to the west coast seven years ago, after losing his wife and unborn baby in a car accident. He’s been living among the army of homeless in Vancouver since then, and is currently ‘hosting’ hockey nights for his friends on the street.

But when the Stanley Cup playoffs are on, Vinnie Danes is just like most Canadians who want to kick back and watch the game.

Not far from the pricey rink-side seats in Rogers Arena and the booming outdoor sites where jersey-clad masses cheer the Vancouver Canucks, Danes has set up his own viewing area where he and his friends can watch the game.

Tucked inside a back alley carport, Danes’ tiny TV sits atop of an industrial garbage bin surrounded by half a dozen chairs rescued from the garbage dump.

The picture is grainy, despite a 15-metre antenna that snakes around two old shopping carts filled with bottles and reaches up to the roof.

But the sound is good and the back alley seems no different than many homes when the hockey game is on: men yelling at the TV, criticizing the players or the referees and cracking open a beer.

Story continued here.