Posted by
CDB on Monday, October 16, 2006 8:04:12 PM
The 2006-2007 National Hockey League season started about ten days ago. Hockey, like football, is a sport that is closely associated with the arrival of fall. The changing of the leaves, the start of the new school year, and the looming approach of winter are just a number of factors that trigger the awareness of the start of hockey season for the fans. Which is why a story that I saw in July has more relevance in the month of October.
Simply stated, I have a very good reason for fans and non-fans alike to cheer for the Carolina Hurricanes. I am not a Hurricanes fan. However when I saw the following story, I became one (that is, unless they are playing my beloved Penguins). More specifically, I became a fan of Glen Wesley, a defenseman for the Stanley Cup-winning Hurricanes. The following is taken from an article written by John McGourty and was posted on NHL.com on July 19, 2006. As hockey fans well know, each member of the Stanley Cup winning team is given the opportunity to possess the Cup for a day. What players have done with the Cup has become the stuff of hockey legend. As far as I am concerned, no single day with the Cup compares with the following account.
[BEGIN EXCERPT]
"Wesley Shares Stanley Cup with U.S. Marines"
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Glen Wesley and his wife, Barb, have
often passed by Jacksonville, N.C., home of the U.S. Marines' Camp Lejeune, when
they take their three children to the beach. Camp Lejeune is the East Coast base for Marines.
Wesley knew that many Marines injured in battle rehabilitate at the base
and he is aware of the debt that we all owe to these valiant soldiers.
As a member of the Stanley Cup-winning Hurricanes, Wesley was entitled
to one day with the Stanley Cup and he decided to spend part of that day with
members of Wounded Warrior Barracks at Camp Lejeune.
Wesley hoped it would help pay respect and raise the spirits of the
wounded Marines and that it did.
Glen, Barb and their three kids spent last Thursday with the II Marine
Expeditionary Force, sharing the Stanley Cup.
"The idea to visit came from my wife and me," said Wesley. "We pass by
this base all the time, and we wanted to stop by to visit some of the
Marines here."
It was an amazing visit. The Marines joked with Wesley about his
injuries and theirs. Some compared the severity of the injuries that he's
suffered stopping pucks and being banged into the boards to the injuries
they've received from suicide bombers, improvised explosive devices and
conventional ordnance.
...
Wesley brought the Stanley Cup into the Wounded Warrior Barracks and
placed it on a table. The Marines gathered round to read the names
inscribed on the Cup's rings and point out their favorite players and
teams. Then they engaged Wesley in a round of questions and answers.
...
The Wounded Warrior Barracks house 43 Marines who were injured while
fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, Lt. Col. Tim Maxwell told Jennifer
Brevorka of the Raleigh News and Observer.
"The barracks provide a sense of purpose and support for men who
suffered injuries that keep them separated from their units and families,"
Maxwell said.
The group, as befits a military unit, even has its own ranking
officers.
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Glen Wesley was able to lift the spirits of the Marines at Camp Lejeune.
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One of them hails from a suburban Philadelphia hockey hotbed.
"I've been a big hockey fan since I was a kid, so I was pretty excited
when I found out we were going to get to see the
Stanley Cup," said Sgt. Jason Simms, 2nd squad leader at the Wounded
Warrior Barracks.
"It's the oldest trophy in sports and it's been through a lot," said the
native of Havertown, Pa., who added he believes the legend that the Stanley
Cup brings good luck to anyone who touches it.
...
When the Marines were through asking Wesley questions, he had a few of
his own. Glen and Barb asked the Marines about their hometowns, combat
experiences, injuries and prognoses. Both were impressed with Marines'
positive outlook and camaraderie.
Wesley is a very low-key guy, soft-spoken and lacking in bluster.
Humility is a big part of his makeup. If the Marines were expecting a
big-time sports star with an entourage and ego to match, Wesley doesn't fit
the bill. Like most Marines, Wesley is quiet, disciplined, skilled at what
he does and most comfortable in a team environment.
[END EXCERPT]
For a hockey player, the Stanley Cup is a trophy of mythic proportions. The fact that Glen Wesley, a defenseman from Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, chose to bring the Cup onto CLNC speaks volumes about the kind of person he is. While he may not have made this visit intending to make a fan out of a guy sitting in Massachusetts, that is exactly what he has done. Go 'Canes (just go easy on my Pens).