I was up in Montreal with my family for spring break (and more importantly to catch a couple of Habs playoff games at Centre Bell). We were staying at the same hotel as the Caps so saw players coming and going over the span of a few days. One day we hopped on the elevator and Ryan Leonard was in there with a few of his teammates after coming back from a morning skate. My 6 year old daughter who is a force of nature, and then some, and who has grown up in a 'hockey family' and in rinks all over the northeast immediately said, "Are you hockey players?' They chuckled and said yeah. She then said, "my dad and brother play hockey and are huge Habs fans." They laughed again and one of them said, 'Don't worry we'll take it easy on them tonight.' They were all very friendly and good natured -- even after my wife asked if she could take their photo with my daughter to show our 16 year old son (who had opted to stay back in the room -- a decision he later regretted).
The next day my son and I saw Ryan Leonard in the lobby again and chatted with him for a bit. I was reluctant to say anything to him because it was the day after a really tough loss for his team, but I knew my son really wanted to meet him. I told him I was a BC alum and knew his BC coach back in the day, and that my son and I followed the hockey program closely. My son told him about watching him play a couple of games vs UVM at the Gutt in Burlington, and vs the USNDT last fall, and that his 16U T1 club team had beaten Leonard's Springfield Junior Thunderbirds in the Beast League playoffs a couple of months prior. Ryan was gracious and seemed happy to chat for a few minutes. He seemed like a really impressive and down-to-earth kid. He is going to be a great NHL player -- a next gen Marchand with more speed and size -- and has really come on in the playoffs. Wish the Habs had drafted him when they had the chance.
And on a related note, the atmosphere in Centre Bell for games 3 and 4 was the best I have ever seen and that includes having seen playoff games there, in the old Forum, TD Garden, Boston Garden, United Center and Saddledome. If you are an NHL fan catching a game, especially a playoff game, in Centre Bell should be on your bucket list.
The next day my son and I saw Ryan Leonard in the lobby again and chatted with him for a bit. I was reluctant to say anything to him because it was the day after a really tough loss for his team, but I knew my son really wanted to meet him. I told him I was a BC alum and knew his BC coach back in the day, and that my son and I followed the hockey program closely. My son told him about watching him play a couple of games vs UVM at the Gutt in Burlington, and vs the USNDT last fall, and that his 16U T1 club team had beaten Leonard's Springfield Junior Thunderbirds in the Beast League playoffs a couple of months prior. Ryan was gracious and seemed happy to chat for a few minutes. He seemed like a really impressive and down-to-earth kid. He is going to be a great NHL player -- a next gen Marchand with more speed and size -- and has really come on in the playoffs. Wish the Habs had drafted him when they had the chance.
And on a related note, the atmosphere in Centre Bell for games 3 and 4 was the best I have ever seen and that includes having seen playoff games there, in the old Forum, TD Garden, Boston Garden, United Center and Saddledome. If you are an NHL fan catching a game, especially a playoff game, in Centre Bell should be on your bucket list.
