Ouch ...

I can't say that I was ever a great hockey player ... I wasn't even a good hockey player. I was what you would call a "utility player" I could skate around, every once in ashile I could actually pass the puck where I wanted it to got, and every once in a long while I would be in the right place at the right time to pop the puck in the net ... But I was never great.

I love to skate around the ice, and I still after all these years hold to thoughts of skating like Sittler, Mahovolich, Richard, LaFleur or any of the stars I watched on Hockey Night In Canada in my youth ... But, it has been a long time since I laced up my skates and hit the ice for a game of shinny ...

Tonight, Noahkila and I went to the elementary school to play some shinny ... we had to help clean off the snow on the outdoor rink, but after 45 minutes of work, we were ready to go ... So, we started skating and playing aorund with two of his buddies ... it was alot of fun. My almost 40 year old body felt good gliding over the ice, as I handled and passed the puck, I felt like a 12 year old again trying to be LaFleur on a break away ...

Then it happened ... a bone jarring collision with 12 year old Noahkila ... he remained standing (and impressive feat in and of itself), I went down hard ... the hit from him was hard, the hit form the ice was harder ...

The pain was impressive and debilitating ... I felt like I had shattered my hip ... IT HURT THAT MUCH !!! After he stopped laughing, Noahkila asked if I was alright ... his buddy C asked if he should call an ambulance ... Eventually I got back to my feet ... and made my way painfully to the bench where I tenderly removed my skates and made my way home ...

As I write this, the pain has subsided, and I am almost comfortable ... but I have little doubt that tomorrow my hip and my leg will hurt EVEN more ... but, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it ... for now, I can look back and know that I got over and hour and a half of good exercise with the boys before it came crashing to an end ... Thankfully my end hasn't been left with lasting damage ...

And at some point, I will lace up the skates again and re-live that feeling of gliding down the ice and even for a moment pretending I'm Guy LaFleur on the break away up the side and breaking in on the net ... and Foster's voice will ring: "He shoots. He SCORES !! And the Habs win the CUP !!!" Ah ... even after twenty five years I can still dream it ...