I know I just covered this, but it bears repeating. Hockey players are different.
When my pre-school aged daughter takes a tumble, knocks her head, pinches a finger in a door, whatever, then shakes it off, we smile and say, "she's a hockey player." She says it, too. "I'm ok. I'm a hockey player."
That's no joke. The other day, I limped off the ice with three minutes to go in a game that was basically decided and I called it a night. A hard smack on my knee, and I'm still having trouble with stairs. Hey, it was a fun game, and no doubt worth it, but not going back on the ice calls my cred into question.
Our goaltender? (A different one, this time.) He's a hockey player. Three weeks ago, early in the second period, he's facing a 1-on-0, the forward rockets a shot high to the stick side, and our guy makes a sweet save, getting just enough of it to knock it down. But now it's dangling there, just beside him, as the forward speeds in, to tap it home. Our goalie does what any netminder would do, and dives on it, gloves first, making the second save. As luck would have it, he gets his finger stuck between his stick and the ice. Ouch. Sure enough, it's bleeding profusely and hurts like a mother. He comes to the bench, someone grabs some white athletic tape (no guaze or anything), and he tapes the blood in. A little later he has someone tape his pinkie and his ring finger (the bloody one) together, becuase he's having a hard time holding his stick.
He plays the remainder of the game, giving up only one more goal as we hang on for the win. Next stop, the hospital.
Move over Donovan McNabb -- you were getting paid big money to play that football game on a broken ankle. Our guy played two periods of REC HOCKEY on a broken finger and torn nail. For free.
He's a hockey player.
