Here's To You, Mr. Kalt

As some of you regular readers know, I wrote a piece about cancer a few weeks back and mentioned a friend, and teammate of mine, who is recovering from cancer. He has been sorely missed on the ice the last few weeks as we moved from the regular season into the playoffs, and so the team dedicated, as teams often appropriately do, in one of those truly meaningful and heartfelt gestures found in the bonds of athletics and team, the path to victory to him.

Last night the ArseFlies, as our team is known (the summer combination of the BarFlies and Arsenal), swept the best of 3 championship series. Short 3 forwards and Mr. Kalt, the team stepped it up and beat a very good team, the Wreckers, 4-0. It was a sweet win. The forwards fore checked their defense to complete distraction. By the end of the second period their defense was on its back heels and completely unable to mount a consistent clear. We scored, scored and scored again to add to our 1st period (16 seconds into the game) go ahead goal. Our goalie stood on his head and the defense, with our forwards swarming their points, stifled any offensive attempts. It was, in military parlance, a total victory.

Our hockey team is like a grown ups fraternity, not that any of those of us who play are grown ups (just ask our wives). Playing is that rare combination of exercise, competition and socializing. It is a few hours of time in which guys get to be guys, to enjoy the stories of the week or past and just enjoy the many idiosyncrasies of each other (of which there are many). There is plenty of beer, parties on off weekends and even our wives are included as a sort of affiliated "sorority". It is an "Animal House" of sorts.

Last night our fraternity (at least the summer one which is the ArseFlies) threw a party on the ice and off. We smashed the guitar, drove our bike up the stairs and shot a horse in the dean's office. The German's did not bomb Pearl Harbor, but we sure as hell bombed the Wreckers, right off the ice. 

The championship was nice. The tribute was better. The friendship and teammates and the time spent with them was the best. So, here is to you, Mr. Kalt and my ArseFly teammates, until next summer.