Yesterday I was outside practicing hockey for a bit, when my new neighbor came outside and complimented my wrist shot. He told me a better way to get speed up and how I could improve on keeping my eye on my target instead of my puck. Then he asked to see my slapshot. That didn't go over too well. After he finished laughing he told me he'd seen a player like me a while ago. And he helped me on the slap shot. We got to talking and then he asked who my favorite team was, Colorado Avalanche, he laughed again and said so I'm safe to say Joe Sakic is your favorite player. And I said no Tuomo Ruutu. Then he got into saying (he was born in 1922, but you wouldn't be able to tell by how active he is) how after World War 2 he came back to Navy Peir here in Chicago and settled down with a wife, he worked at Navy Peir from then on. He then went to the Chicago Stanley Cup game with his friends in 1961 and fell in love with hockey and the Hawks. He then started coaching hockey for his sons and then went up to the junior level for a few years. Through connections he met Phil Esposito, Tony Esposito, Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky, Guy Lafleur, and other players including Gump Worsley. He bade hs goodbyes and went for a walk.
Today I come home and there's a gift basket his wife made me sitting on my front porch. He's one cool guy. It included
Martin Havlat Chicago Blackh daawks Home Jersey
NHL 2007 for XBOX
An autographed Nikolai Khabibulin Puck
An autographed Tuomo Ruutu Puck
An autographed Phil Esposito Puck (WHOOHOO)
and finally a new street hockey puck
So I go over to his house to thank him and he invites me upstairs to show me something. I walk into this room and its more memorabilia than I could ever dream of. What caught my eye was a 1980 USA Jersey that said USA and the number 1 on the back, autographed by the entire team.
I'm just telling you, even if you're sad your neighbors are gone, just be happy someone new is coming
