Ace Rimmer
Stoke me a clipper.
He absolutely deserves his own thread at this point. Can't help but love the guy for some reason.
I dunno, I guess Costco can wear #58.
I dunno, I guess Costco can wear #58.
I was thereHe's up there with the likes of Alan Quine and... yeah, probably even Blair Jones.
Justin Kirkland was supposed to be in the home lineup that evening for what turned out to be a lopsided loss to the Boston Bruins. Instead, he was being treated for head trauma, facial fractures and other injuries. When he regained consciousness, his coach was already there, still decked out in his game-night suit.
“Looking at him, I honestly couldn’t believe he was alive,” Eakins said, recalling his initial reaction when he walked into that hospital room, joining Madison Kirkland at her husband’s side. “He was beat up. He looked absolutely terrible.
“It literally looked like a gang had taken a baseball bat to him, right from the top of his head … It looked like a group of 10 had just pounded him.”
.....
As Eakins repeated multiple times during a phone interview from Germany, where he is now pulling double duty as the head coach and general manager for Adler Mannheim of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga: “He’s an inspiration.”
It’s certainly not a favourite topic — who enjoys talking about the worst day of their life? — but Kirkland is often asked to recount the hazy details of his hospital stay. He realizes his recovery and return from that scary crash is part of what makes him such a compelling story, why it seems that supporters of all teams are rooting for his continued success.
Kirkland describes Eakins as “a great man” and although they worked together for only one season, his former skipper in Anaheim remains one of his biggest fans. When Kirkland notched his first NHL goal, burying a backhand in the Battle of Alberta, Eakins was quick to text both Justin and Madison — a ‘Yeahhh baby!’ followed by a string of fist-bump and heart emojis.
Well that sucks. Just when he finally gets his NHL break too.
Second legitimate shot. His first one was with Anaheim and also ended with injury from that car accident a couple years ago.First legitimate shot he has, he takes does well with it, finds a spot in the roster, now this.