1992: when i almost became a hockey star

It's about this time of year , every year, during the NHL playoffs when I think back to the year 1992, when it all could have begun. I could have become a hockey star.

In 1992 the first, of what would eventually become one of the finest sport-action-comedy trilogy movies of all-time, The Mighty Ducks, was released to American households. It was a story of a bunch of misfit hockey players assembled by a coach with a bad history...that coach was played by Emilio Estevez, a brilliant actor I might add. Well this team goes on to win the whole kit and caboodle. You might remember The "Flying V", Quack! Quack! Quack!, and the ever so wise skate shop manager/mentor/obi-wan kenobi like character. The movie had it all, a great story with a good arc.

It was this movie that almost moved me enough to pick up the sport of hockey. I was a young kid-wanting to one day be a champion hoisting some sort of trophy after beating out the much praised and favored opponents. I had visions of playing for the Red Wings, or better yet, the actual Mighty Ducks team. I could play the role of the 'Banks' character-the prep kid who had some sweet game that the coaches would find playing in some local park displaying mad hockey skills on inferior 8 year-old Gretzky wannabe's.

Except, none of that ever happened.

I never played hockey.

and to make matters worse, one time when I went skating at the ice house, the skates cut deep identical lacerations into both of my shins...scarring me forever, reminding me of my shattered hockey dreams.

But, regardless of my shattered dreams, or the "what if''s?", I am who I am, and that story doesn't include hockey star, and you know what? that's okay with me...but at least it almost happened...so I guess I'll just watch the playoff's and smile in satisfaction about a career that could have been.

the almost hockey star,

john