I was playing goal with a bunch of friends up at Doublerink one Sunday morning, and, as happens sometimes, a guy bangs on the glass, and asks if I'll play another game. When my game ends, I lug my bag to the other rink and toss it in the room, and jump onto the ice, as they are just starting.
These guys are really, really good.
After the game (just pickup), I get in the dressing room, and start recognizing some of them. Pete Conacher, Carl Brewer, Pete Stemkowski, Pierre Pilotte, Dick Duff, and others. Turns out to be Pete Conacher's group of NHL old-timers.
The next Sunday, the same guy bangs on the glass again, I play again, and they tell me to keep coming until they tell me not to. I think it was Mike Liut who had pulled a hamstring, and I ended up playing for about twenty weeks with them. Eddy Shack showed up a couple of times, as did several others.
One of the biggest thrills of my life was having Pete Conacher tell me that I reminded him of Johnny Bower, who, along with Tim Horton, were my idols growing up.