AMHL Thursday: Wings

“What’s on your iPod?” George Morton asks me on the drive from Concord Valley Sports to Maynard (MA).

Clapton? Meat Loaf? The Beatles?

I don’t tell George about Alberta's Paul Brandt, whose song “I’m Gonna Fly” was stuck in my head thirty minutes before my game against Aaron Sherman and the Bruins.

Early in the first period a Bruins’ defenseman fell down near center ice. Avalanche left wing Scott Harvey snared the loose puck and flew past the D-man.

Breakaway…score!

But then Sherman took control. He snuck up the middle on breakaways and waited for pucks to ping-pong right to him—just before he would tuck them past or slap them over my goalie..

With less than five minutes in the game, the Bruins were looking like the Red Wings. They led 8–2, but Sherman’s squad showed no mercy.

Brent Delehey had the puck in his own zone, scanning the ice for break-out options. His left-winger was along the boards, fewer than five feet in front of me and about a foot to my right. I was poised to intercept a pass if he angled toward center, so instead he charged straight ahead.

Because Aaron Sherman was scoring points like he was Kevin Garnett, I figured I’d draw the charging foul. I was conflicted about playing the body in a no-check league, but I couldn’t help myself.

I planted myself in his path. Wham!

Sherm flattened me. The ref blew his whistle and then ordered both of us to serve two minutes.

Aaron argued. Loudly. Make that four minutes for the Sherminator.

Forty-five minutes later, in the donut room, I placed my right arm on his back and my hand on his shoulder. “I love you, man.” (Translation: Do you forgive me?)

“Jimmy,” he says is a soft tone, “You drive me insane.” (Translation: It’s hockey, so you’re forgiven.)

George Morton isn’t so magnanimous when I tell him what’s on my iPod.

Gloria Estefan. A little country and a little rock ‘n’ roll but no Donnie and Marie. Anne Murray.

I grab my hockey gear from the back of his Subaru and sing, “Could I have this dance for the rest of my life…”

He laughs, not knowing that ten minutes later, as I walk to work Annie’s, “Snowbird” (duet with Sarah Brightman) is streaming into my ear buds.

“Spread your tiny wings and fly away…”

Perfect. I play it again so it might be stuck in my head all day.

AMHL Thursday Championship: Mike and Meat Loaf

“Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”, which could be the AMHL’s theme song, was playing on the car radio this morning. Of course, I was singing along to Wham!’s big hit from 1984, the radio tuned to 93.7 Mike-FM.

Last Thursday, Avalanche teammate and all-around good guy Mike DeLeo had his radio tuned to the same station, listening to Meat Loaf on his way to our championship game against the Bruins.

The Bs bounced out to an early lead and led 3–1 after the first period. Billy Whynot scored in the first minute of the second period to complete a hat trick, but we countered with a goal.

Down 2–4 in the third period, we watched Marshall McLean disassemble our comeback. Marshall scored two more goals to complete a McHat trick, and the Bruins’
7–3 victory awarded Marshall his first encounter with the Koffey Cup.

DeLeo, who won championships on Tuesday and Wednesday, would have completed his own hat trick had we overcome McLean’s exploits. Mike wasn’t too disappointed, though, because everyone who was listening to Mike-FM last Thursday morning or who’s seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show knows “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad”.

And on that note, it’s time for me to go-go get ready for bed. First game of the new season—against my ex-teammate DeLeo—is tomorrow morning.