By Eric Miller
I’m getting older. I guess my friends are getting older too.
“Get on the list,” he texted.
“What list?”
“Geezer hockey, Friday morning, minimum age is 50.”
“It’s been a while since I skated on ice.”
“You’ll be fine. Other geezers will be there. They’re cool guys.”
With that my brother threw down the gauntlet. After years and miles away from ice hockey, Kirk dialed me in to play pick-up with a bunch of old farts. … Continue Reading
by Eric Miller
“I always liked speed.” Guy Lafleur, Montreal Canadiens
They are not Ferrari fast. But they’re quicker than my old Lego® block wheels.
“Get decent wheels dude,” Tex advised. A regular season Blazer teammate, Tex joined fellow teammate Roxanne and me to play summer hockey. Northern California’s heat is unfriendly hockey weather where temperatures regularly pass the century mark. Our in-line hockey arena, a former warehouse, can reach 105 F. With wind chill conditions. … Continue Reading
Zero, ten, two isn’t a bike lock combination. It was last season’s hockey record. My Blazers suffered more takedowns last Fall than MMA wrestlers. The losses really sucked when we went 1-12 a few years back. But 0-10-2 really, really, sucks. … Continue Reading
By Eric Miller
Readers: This article previously appeared in Hockey Player Magazine and in several newspapers. I tweaked it last year upon the passing of a good friend and former teammate. I edit this piece again and added an epilogue in memory of Wayne Marshall, my former coach. Coach Marshall, thank you for your leadership, encouragement, and love for the game. ###
“I thought this may interest you,” the email said. In the subject heading was a name, Wayne Marshall, my high school hockey coach. I expected the worst, to see an obituary. … Continue Reading
By Eric Miller
“It’s improper to criticize someone 30 years later.” Bobby Clarke, Philadelphia Flyers
If I found Darius Fooberman on Facebook I’d hesitate friending him.
A garish bully during my bantam years, Darius stood nearly six feet without skates. With gear bag in tow his knuckles dragged as he walked into the arena. The oaf knocked over chairs and small kids sitting on them. Mrs. Fooberman, a square jawed bow-legged woman was shaped like a bowling pin and sported a bee-hive hairdo. She screeched to her boy, “Darius! You knocked over a kid. Pick up that brat!” … Continue Reading
by Eric Miller
Readers, a prologue: This article previously appeared in several newspapers and on my blog. I share it again in memory of Eric Trivedi, a fellow hockey buddy. Originally from Dearborn, Michigan, Eric started playing hockey at age 5 and was a founding member of the California State University-Chico inline hockey team. Eric not only had a rapid shot but also a quick wit. He even gave me one of his old sticks—the one that never scored. Eric passed away unexpectedly last month at age 43. Eric, you were too young to say goodbye to.
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“I thought this may interest you,” the email said. In the subject heading was a name, Wayne Marshall, my high school hockey coach. I expected the worst, to see an obituary. … Continue Reading
By Eric Miller
“A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.” Wayne Gretzky
Some scoring statistics are best forgotten.
You’re not a hockey player until you’ve scored on yourself a saying goes, quoted by an anonymous player too embarrassed to admit doing it. In hockey we score on opponents—not on one’s own team. Gretzky prophesied that great hockey players don’t play where the puck is but where it will be. That being said, I’m a great player behind my own goalie’s rear end. … Continue Reading
By Eric Miller
“You can’t applaud a referee.” Alex Ferguson, Coach, Manchester United
They are jeered, never cheered. It’s black and white.
Great referees are invisible to the general fan but invincible to the general jerk. Officiating is not for the faint hearted. Hockey refs need thick skin—crocodile skin–beneath the stripes. … Continue Reading
By Eric Miller
Every team has one. Whether its baseball, basketball or badminton, there’s always that one guy who doesn’t quite enmesh locker room society. Maybe it’s his or her lousy jokes, bad breath, or that they wear turtlenecks year round. For me it was Marvin Smellmoore’s nose. The average length of an adult nose is about 5.8 centimeters, two-thirds the diameter of a hockey puck. Marv’s beak, shy of 8 centimeters, poked outside his helmet’s cage. Migrant birds eyed Marv’s nose as a potential perch. … Continue Reading
by Eric Miller
It’s only an eight game schedule but my body thinks otherwise—the season feels like 80 games. My legs burn with each stride while my lungs gasp for more air than a carburetor. But we’re in the playoffs and complaining is for sissies. Everybody’s whipped, even our rivals, and it’s time to separate the wheat from the chaff. Lose two games and we’re out until September. No one wants to hang up their skates in early May. … Continue Reading
