There's a song that I'm particularly fond of titled "I'm my own Grandpa." This song has been performed and recorded by a number of artists, but I'm most familiar with the version that was done by Homer and Jethro, who just happen to be members of the Country Music Hall of Fame. This humorous little song chronicles how, through a series of unorthodox events, and if you happen to marry the right person, you COULD become your own grandpa (not in an incestual way, though. Seriously). This particular tune was running through my head while I was playing hockey last night, because I just happened to be playing AGAINST, and beating, my own team. How could something like this happen? Easy...I'll fill the details in for you right about...now...

I've mentioned before that I play hockey. It's good exercise and it's also a lot of fun. I've been playing goalie for the same team, sponsored by Big O Tires, at the Chapel Hills Mall for damn near 8 years now. This is all well and good, but if you take into account the fact that, as a team, we're finding wins extremely hard to come by and also that I'm now living about as far away from the mall as I possibly can, playing in that league, and on that team, is getting a bit tedious. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy the games and I get along well with the other players, I just thought that, for my own sanity, it might be a good idea to find another place to play. There are a number of leagues here in town, and a lot of the games are played at rinks that are considerably closer to my house, but there's one little tiny problem with my joining some of them...

I'm not particularly well liked by some of the other "hockey people" here in town...

I know that it may sound crazy, but my occasional nutty hijinks aren't universally viewed as "cool." As such, I'm often wary of joining other teams blindly on the off chance that said hockey team MAY include someone who, in a moment of youthful enthusiasm, I have "knocked over" or, God forbid, "smacked around." Despite this (very real) possibility, I boldly fired off an email to a guy who, according to the Colorado Springs World Arena Ice Hall website, was putting together a league. Then, I waited...

I didn't have to wait a whole heck of a long time, actually. Soon enough, he emailed me back and told me that the league was already set, but that I could (if I wanted) be an "on call" goalie for the league. In addition, one of the teams (the Sharks) would be losing their goalie sometime during the season. Again, if I were willing (hint: I am), I could join them full-time once they needed me. I agreed. Everyone who needed to agree to this arrangement agreed. I filled out paperwork and paid to renew my USA Hockey membership.

I was in...

The first order of business was to attend an informal practice/scrimmage with this new team of mine. It seems that the Sharks were simply thrown together from the people who expressed interest outside of the established teams (like me). Kind of a group of stragglers, if you will. As such, it was decided that we should at least have a chance to play together prior to the start of the season. I attended the scrimmage and felt that I performed well. I also had fun and it felt like the team had accepted me. I figured that there would be no confidence problem once I took over for their current goalie...Still, I always wonder...

In the interim between that scrimmage and our first game, I mentioned to Scott, who's running the team, that I COULD play wing if they happened to be short skaters. In turn, he asked the guy who runs the league if I could simply join their team as a skater until I took over the goalie duties. It was decided that I could, but there might be a snag for the first game. The Blue Dawgs, whom the Sharks were scheduled to play in their first game, were in need of a goalie. If a suitable replacement couldn't be found, I would be asked to the one between the pipes for the Dawgs, charged with the responsibility of stopping the team that I had so recently joined up with...

Long story short, the two goalies that were asked to fill in could not do so. The onus then was upon me to stand in. An interesting quandary!..I'd get to play, but it's possible that, by doing so, I could tarnish the record of my own team...Still, I wanted to get out and stop some pucks, so I agreed to the arrangement. The Blue Dawgs team rep was notified and everyone was happy...

In the locker room prior to last night's game, the members of the Blue Dawgs were all very friendly toward me, mostly due to the fact that, simply by showing up, I had saved their ass, so to speak. It's hard enough to find a full-time goalie in some leagues, let alone find someone to fill in when your first choice can't make it...A warm body is better than nothing, but, in the long run, everyone wants to win. As such, I had to field the obligatory "So is there a reason they sent YOU over to us" or "don't let in TOO many obvious goals for your team" comments. I responded by telling my temporary teammates that, in essence, the game was kind of a tryout for me. I definitely want the Sharks to be comfortable and confident in my abilities once I take over for them so, with this in mind, I wanted to not only shut them down, I wanted to shut them out. This revelation seemed to ease any concerns the Dawgs players had...

Of course, I'd opened my mouth...Now, I had something to prove...

Early in the game, I faced a decent number of shots. Early on, it appeared that, if the Dawgs didn't get their collective butts in gear, it would be a long night for me. Luckily, due to my affiliation with subpar teams, I'm used to facing an inordinate amount of shots and was able to hang on through the initial rush. Soon enough, the Dawgs found their bearings, so to speak, and began to turn the tide. They popped in a goal late in the first period, giving me a lead that I would not relinquish.

Between the first and second periods, I chatted with some of the shark players, including the goalie about how close the game was. During the second period, the ice tilted and the Dawgs put up three more goals, where the Sharks managed only one, coming on a good shot off of an even better pass. Between the second and third periods, things had obviously changed. No member of the Sharks wanted to speak with me. I was now responsible for ruining their night and they were determined that I was the enemy. Just as well, I still felt as if I had something to prove. I didn't want to give up ANY goals, even if it were a good one...I certainly didn't want to give up any more...

I had to hang on for one more stinking period of hockey...

During the third period, the Dawgs managed 2 more goals. The Sharks goalie had seemingly given up late in the period with no comeback in sight. The game, predictably, got a bit chippy and, during the ensuing moments of altercation, I felt torn. Nether team was the bad guy in my mind. After all, they were both mine. The Sharks WERE able to put one more puck behind me, the result of a breakaway where I went for the poke check but mistimed it, putting myself in an awkward position which allowed the skater to slide the puck into the net. Being that the goal truly was "too little, too late," it didn't bother me much. I turned away the rest of the Shark scoring chances en route to a commanding 6-2 victory.

6 to 2! Hell, I'd almost forgot what it felt like to win.

All in all, I think I played pretty good. Certainly, I've played worse AND we...Well, I won. I had set out to prove to my new team that I was a capable goalie and I did it. I also wanted my temporarily adopted team to have confidence in my abilities and they had nothing but praise for me in the locker room. The nicest part of the whole night for me, though, came after the game during the handshakes. The Dawgs team rep came off the bench, skated over to me and said, simply, "they sure picked the wrong goalie to play against." Granted, the Sharks didn't have much of a choice, but it still feels good to be regarded as "better." Good is good, but it really feels good to be better, even if it IS better than your own team...

Of course, eventually, I'll have to face the Blue Dawgs...I'll let you know how THAT goes when it happens...

Labels: hockey stuff, lame stories, sports, tales of triumph