The introduction of a second Legacy team meant that we were able to keep both of our goalies. It meant that we could have people play with and against players that were geared more towards their particular skill level, and most importantly, it meant that we had the opportunity to play with literally everyone we knew (including but not limited to one Sir Daniel Sebastian Pickens the 3rd. Okay, I know that’s not his middle name, and I know he’s not the third, but wouldn’t it be awesome if it/he was?)
All at once, everything began to fall in place. The jerseys were ordered. The rosters were set, and after talking to the new hockey director, we got our practice slots set up. Well, we got our practice slot. Yes, slot as in singular, as in one practice slot.
Odd, right?
In the past, Skate Zone has always designated each team with one full sheet practice prior to the start of the season. For some reason, I thought since I was bringing in two teams, that I should be designated, well, one plus one, carry the one, equals, uh, what’s that number? Oh! Yeah. It’s two. I didn’t think that the math was that difficult, but apparently it was to the Skate Zone’s new hockey director, Wayne. When I told him I was bringing in two teams, I thought we should get two practice slots. I know, it sounds a bit ludicrous really, and quite a bit selfish, but I thought maybe because it was highlighted in the brochure that each team got it’s own practice slot, that we should get a practice slot for each team. But then again, why would I realistically expect to receive what I was paying $11,000 for? If the tension between Wayne and myself isn’t evident yet, I can assure you that you might see it a bit later. You have to read between the lines a little bit. You know, because I’m a writer and and there are metaphors and stuff, but trust me, it will be there.
In October of 2010, our 26 game season that would extend through May of the following year began. It’s kind of silly to compare men’s league to professional sports, but in some ways it isn’t all that far off. Long seasons mean that a lot can happen, and trust me when I say that a lot does happen. Injuries keep people off of the ice for entire seasons, egos grow (…and grow, and grow, and grow), rivalries against other teams develop, and different players ride hot streaks to keep the team at the top of the standings (and that’s exactly where we were).
Looking back, I believe that the biggest reason that we were successful as a team is because we were organized. A day or two before every game, I would send out a mass message to find out who was (and wasn’t) going to be at that particular game. From there, I would map out lines and have them ready for each game. At this point, I had played with everyone long enough to know individual strengths and weaknesses. I knew which players were better passers and which were better goal scorers. I knew which players could carry a line, and which ones could be a liability at times. I knew which players worked well together, and could build and sustain chemistry. For example, Mike Benezet often found himself planted just above the blue line in the defensive zone, so I would do my best to pair him with someone like Carl Trainer, someone with a defensive mindset that could put the puck on anyone’s tape, from just about anywhere on the ice.
I had a game plan for Legacy, and it worked. We were winning games, and we were having fun.
In the middle of the season, we were approached by the Ice Devils to play against them at the Wells Fargo Center after a Flyers game. Without asking any questions (or any of my teammates), I agreed. Afterwards, I brought it up to the team, and naturally, everyone was absolutely stoked. We were beyond excited to be able to play on the same ice as the Flyers. However, there was a catch. We had to sell 100 tickets to the Flyers game. Not so bad, right? Right. But there was another catch (there’s always another catch). We had to raise $4,000 in less than a week to pay for the tickets.
So, I did what any responsible college student would do, I charged it.
Fortunately for me, it worked out. We sold the tickets with no problem, and we were on our way to play at the Wells Fargo.
The game against the Ice Devils was much more intense than it should have been. Overall, we didn’t play like a team and it showed. The Ice Devils were a team that we had never lost to in the three years we had played them. Honestly, most of the games weren’t even close. Not even a little bit. However, at the Wells Fargo the game ended in a 3-3 tie (at least we didn’t lose, right?). Either way, it was fun. It was a once in a life time experience that Kent Miller and Andrew Weiss immortalized for us. I literally cannot thank them enough for the photography they did that game (and the shots they will do for us at the Winter Classic on Sunday, January 8th).
Oh.
P.S.
By once in a lifetime, what I really meant was an experience that we would relive roughly a month later when Legacy would take over the Wells Fargo Center.
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