What I Did On My Summer Vacation
The seven Canadians on our team can relate to the fact that we all feel a calling to return to the old country each summer. Maybe it's to visit with relatives or maybe it's to reacquaint ourselves to Tim Hortons, butter tarts, and real beer. Or maybe it's a mandatory debriefing with the RCMP on what we've learned about Americans in preparation for our eventual invasion. Er, ... liberation.
On our way to the beautiful Bruce Peninsula, The Fam and I decided to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame (HHOF) in downtown Toronto. It was gratifying to see all the Hurricanes gear and an actual Stanley Cup display case featuring lots of details about our beloved 2005-6 team.
It felt so overwhelming that when my youngest spilled his Dr. Pepper on the floor, I insisted that my wife clean it up at once, so as not to sully this hallowed hall.
All was not glory and grace, however. It was my sad duty to debunk what I suppose now was a family myth - that my great Uncle Les' name was on the cup. I was told
that he played on the Red Wings team one of the 2 times they won it in the late 30's. Searching HockeyDB, I only found Les Tooke playing for the '38-9 Hershey Cubs. Convinced that the hardware would prove otherwise, I eagerly scanned all of the retired rings...but found nada. Nothing. Nyet. Bupkiss.
My whole Canadian hockey heritage gone up in smoke - like my skills would magically reconnect with the dormant hockey genes deep within... But all is not lost - my grandfather (Bert Tooke) played a couple of seasons with professional teams until a skate sliced his knee and prevented him from continuing.
Our trip to Canada was beset by waiting, delays, and obstacles, and even resulted in a missed-plane layover in Buffalo (me having nothing to wear but a Brind' Amour T-shirt). Got up at 4:30a this morning, but determined to play tonight. And as if the Hockey Gods wanted to punctuate my disappointment a little further, I managed to ruin our chances to beat the league-leading Eye Care Center by centering a pass right to an opponent's tape, which he promptly delivered to the back of our goal. Final score: Ringers 3; Eye Care Center 5.
Maybe a trip to Tim Horton's would make me feel better...
On our way to the beautiful Bruce Peninsula, The Fam and I decided to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame (HHOF) in downtown Toronto. It was gratifying to see all the Hurricanes gear and an actual Stanley Cup display case featuring lots of details about our beloved 2005-6 team.
It felt so overwhelming that when my youngest spilled his Dr. Pepper on the floor, I insisted that my wife clean it up at once, so as not to sully this hallowed hall.
All was not glory and grace, however. It was my sad duty to debunk what I suppose now was a family myth - that my great Uncle Les' name was on the cup. I was told
that he played on the Red Wings team one of the 2 times they won it in the late 30's. Searching HockeyDB, I only found Les Tooke playing for the '38-9 Hershey Cubs. Convinced that the hardware would prove otherwise, I eagerly scanned all of the retired rings...but found nada. Nothing. Nyet. Bupkiss.My whole Canadian hockey heritage gone up in smoke - like my skills would magically reconnect with the dormant hockey genes deep within... But all is not lost - my grandfather (Bert Tooke) played a couple of seasons with professional teams until a skate sliced his knee and prevented him from continuing.
Our trip to Canada was beset by waiting, delays, and obstacles, and even resulted in a missed-plane layover in Buffalo (me having nothing to wear but a Brind' Amour T-shirt). Got up at 4:30a this morning, but determined to play tonight. And as if the Hockey Gods wanted to punctuate my disappointment a little further, I managed to ruin our chances to beat the league-leading Eye Care Center by centering a pass right to an opponent's tape, which he promptly delivered to the back of our goal. Final score: Ringers 3; Eye Care Center 5.
Maybe a trip to Tim Horton's would make me feel better...
posted by Richard Tooke at 1:55 AM
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