It's very hard to explain to my family and relatives how much HFBoards mean to me. I do have a bit obsession about this community, as prove this post - that I'm writing on a Christmas night, after hours of reading different post about hockey and whatnot.
I have been lurking here for a decade now. I remember coming here after every big event, and not only related to sports, from 9/11 to more joyful events and what not. I discovered my favourite band through the entertainment board - a band, The National, I have now seen 7 different times in three different countries. I've mot some people IRL that I first met here, online, that have become close friends, even. I almost lost a job because of HFboards - and even back, I kept going back. Because I have such a strong bond with this community, it's bigger than me.
So this is why I decided to take a time to share one of my most personnal stories, that I have mostly only told to my first wife and my parents because of how unbelievable it seems - and because honestly, no one except real hockey nerds will truly appreciate.
So here it goes : let's go back to December 23th, in the year of 2004.
I just went undrafted in the 2003 draft. This is where I first heard the name of Kris Letang - a person I couldnt believe would save my life, a few months later.
I went back to my hometown Val D'Or, to meet with my girlfriend which I would end up marry for Christmas. I was driving through one of those exceptionnal snowstorm you would end up telling your kids about. I just had a freak injury, working in the shop, so I was driving my Toyota Camry with a arm in a plaster.
It was a 8 hours road, through snow and hell, with only one functional arm! This was obviously very dangerous, but I was in a hard place in my life and I just really wanted to be with my girlfriend. So I drove until I got lost - and snowed in. I remember it being around 9 pm, only, and thinking it was a matter of time before another car would take the same winding road as me and help me out.
Keep in mind this was early 2000. I didnt even had one of those bad cellphone with bad reception. I was just sitting there, hoping for glowing lights to appear behind me. My mind was running wild - I kept thinking about my future, the dream I had to play in the NHL was all but lost. Between the pratices, my bad grad at school, a girlfriend I would neglect... I got lost among my dream.
Then the snow got thickier, thickier, and I had to get out every hour or so to make sure my Camry wouldnt get snowed-in. I had a fair amount of gaz left, but I thought... what if?
What if no one pass by this road? What if I have to sleep here? Would I get frozen to death? Probably not, but I was starting to get scared. I couldnt start to walk anyway, because I was seriously lost, and I might have been miles away from the closest home.
So I did what I had to do : I slept there. I took all the clothes I had in my luggage, made myself a nice bed, and prayed I wouldnt get frozen to death, and thinking my girlfriend would be worried sick.
Just like in a horror movie, I was waken up by a loud banging on my window - giving me the scare of my life. And there was a young dude, besides his pickup. I checked time, it was a little bit past 6 a.m.
Kris Letang was there, on his route from Montréal to Val D'or, to meet players he met at a training camp. It's the team that drafted him, and for which he'd ended up playing.
My car was out of gaz - but I was so relieved to finally see someone. Kris picked me up, and we would do the road to the closest gaz station. Even at the times, he was already extremely beautiful, with his long dark hair and his dreamy eyes. I remember thinking how nice he smelled, especially for someone who just drove a long night roadtrip.
We discussed the previous draft, in which we were both, in the stands, hoping to hear our name get called. And then, he told me : '' Dont worry. Life will find a way to make you happy, just like I found you. ''
He was so confident. You could tell by the time he was a future champion. I was a bit shy, to tell the truth. But he made me feel so comfortable. He's an easy talker, he had well thought opinions on everything. Keep in my mind, we were just entering the Irak invasion fiasco, he was really informed about it. I was so enlighted. But one thing that made me doubt, is when I asked him about his future. He told me : I will make the NHL. I will play there. And I will become the first white player to play in this league.
I told him there was already plenty of white players in the league, which is still mostly played only by caucasian players. He didnt seemed to mind. And at this point, neither did I. It was just one of those perfect moment.
On the road back, I asked him to sign my plaster, which he did.
But he didnt only signed his name, after dropping me by.
He told me : ''For Kev. Just watch me, in a few years I will be known as the Penguin to play in the NHL. Kris''
I told him: there's a much better chance of that to happen, if you mean Penguin the team, and not the animal.
And then he winked, and told me ''Sometimes, Life finds a way''
And he drove away.
