the ringer

Right wing on the second line is not a bad place to be. Able to pull a regular shift I was happy with my good fortune. Although this coach schooled his wingers to play north south, opportunity's to tally were many as our center could dish with the best of them. Its really quite amazing how in tune players can be, such an exhilarating phenomena is team chemistry. I have had experiences when I swear at any given time I could find the tape or put my stick down and have the disc there. Its like you can will it to happen, really.

Doing well at the halfway point of a thirty five game schedule our hopes for a playoff run were for real. It was about than that the grumbling began. Names of players I had not met yet began to be whispered by veterans and training staff. Guys who I had presumed had moved on were still active hidden in the IR and healthy scratch columns were long time team members. As the time to compete for top honors approached these guys began showing up for the few team practices preparing to play. My line stopped producing.The zip and confidences once shared gone replaced by disappointment and dread.

We had ranked high in the post season. My fellow winger and I had put up acceptable numbers definably proving our worth. Yet the word comes down . Demoted to fourth line was our fate. Just as we had anticipated the ringers had arrived we were now role players at best. As it turned out my Hawks won the top prize in no small way helped by the superior talent these late additions brought to the table. I played two shifts that post season both in relief of my former line serving time for bad behaver. Funny thing is I can remember every stride every pass and every hit, all performed with every ounce of team fervor I could muster.

This team I speak of was minor league compared to the NHL. The prize not even definable when compared to the Stanley Cup I can't help but wonder how disappointed players in the bigs must feel when roster spots are lost to late arrivals. Now consider the mental fortitude it must take to overcome the fact that someone will lose their standing to make room. It becomes painfully obvious even to the fan of hockey some player is robbed of their dream. When you consider the total commitment demanded from the game it just doesn't seem fair the team chemistry should be tampered with for the sake of a rental player .

Than again,as this minor leaguer has been schooled,the game is bigger than any one player...or is it ?