Patrice Bergeron, the Bruins' star and one of Colin's best buds (that's them together, last October, in Tampa), had been hurt, driven head-first into the boards by Philadelphia's Randy Jones. Patrice had been knocked unconscious and had to be taken off the ice, his head and neck immobilized, on a stretcher.Fortunately, and I say that with a great amount of dismay, Patrice suffered only a concussion and a broken nose. Until I read that information, though, I had feared the worst. That's why, for the first time in a very long time, I prayed for a long, long time.
Most of all, I prayed that he would survive. Then, I prayed that his injuries wouldn't be severe. But, if they were, I prayed that he would have the strength and faith to cope. I prayed for his family.
I worried, too, as we drove across a dark Tampa Bay, that I might have to explain something that our 6-year-old, soon embarking on his own hockey journey, would be better off not knowing about.
Now, I'm a firm believer that we all have guardian angels. There have been too many instances in my life where some form of unrequested intervention has arrived in the nick of time. And, for that, I thank my mother, grandparents and cousin, Suzanne. They're no longer with me here on earth, but I've always felt their presence.
Given our family's thoughts for Patrice, who we first met during his rookie season in Beantown, I'd like to believe that my angels, as well as a few others, watched over Patrice in those critical moments of injury and afterward. By doing so, they answered everyone's prayers.
Please keep Patrice, his family and the Bruins in your prayers.
Cool tie, great cause
Last night's game between the Sabres and Lightning was billed as a "Pink Out Night." Fans were encouraged to wear pink in support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and as part of the 10th anniversary of Hockey Fights Cancer.
Though I'm quite comfortable with my masculinity, I have very little pink in my wardrobe. As a result, I felt as though I wasn't doing my bit.That changed, though, when I ponied up $50 for this tie. Granted, I probably could have found four to five ties for that amount, but the money is headed to a good cause. Besides, Halloween is a few days away and, because I'm a journalist with a literal bent, I plan on getting "dressed up" at work for the occasion.
5 Big Sigs
Though I didn't have the best week of hounding, I won't let it deter me from trying to add these to the collection, as only the Atlanta Thrashers come to town:
1.) Bobby Holik, finally, on the 1999 NHL All-Star Game helmet;
2.) Ilya Kovalchuk on the Young Guns stick;
3.) Marian Hossa on a McFarlane SportsPick base;
4.) Garnet Exelby, finally, on a Regina Pats puck; and
5.) Should the planets realign, and I remember to carry a Boston Bruins puck with me, hockey legend Phil Esposito, who works as a analyst/color commentator during radio broadcasts of Lightning games, as he walks out of one of the many side doors at the St. Pete Times Forum.
1 comment:
I'm no advocate of these super-long suspensions that have come recently, but if you give Steve Downie 20 games for a borderline hit, then Randy Jones needs at least 10 games. He went out of his way to send Bergeron face-first into the boards, using his forearm and even leaving his feet a bit at one point. There was an intent to, perhaps not injure, but certainly an intent to send him hard into the boards from behind. Anything less than five games just proves what I've said for years: the tough guys, like Downie, play under a different rulebook.
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