To celebrate the occasion, my geekiness and excitement about the game I’d made a sign on the Cal-Train out from San Francisco with my friend. A knock off of the ever so popular mastercard commercial it read:

Plane Tickets from Australia $3,000.

Two Tickets to the Sharks Game: $100.

Saying I saw JR Play : Priceless.

Pre-game saw me standing against the glass with my friends, in awe as I was finally seeing all these players I’d watched for years on my tiny computer screen in front of me. Whilst I was busy staring off in awe, someone skated over and elbowed JR, pointing in my direction. My friend who had been watching, pointed it out as he came barrelling past the first time, grinned spun around a second time and stopped, tapped the sign through the glass and winked. I then let out the most un-dignified squeel in existence.

Two days later, I found myself in the Sharks locker room, a guest of Randy Hahn, the Sharks Commentator as he introduced me around. Roenick was barreling around the room, heading out the door when Randy called him over. “You had the sign”. I just about fell over and instead nodded mutely and possibly blushed.

For the next few minutes, I chatted to Roenick about hockey, how the sport was developing in Australia and how I had found such a love for the sport and ended up in the Sharks Locker room. He talked about always wanting to come down, about maybe doing something to help the sport here and in that moment I became an even bigger fan for the man that was already a legend for both his play and personality. Later in the day, I passed him again in a hallway and was greated, despite being in the middle of preparing for a game, with a hair tousel, a wink and a “G’Day Australia”.

During that nights pre-game skate, I stood behind several small children, and when JR skidded to a stop and waved to me through the glass the kids nearly fell over with suprise. I nodded back, pointing at the kids and within moments several pucks came flipping over into their hands. I wasn’t sure whose grin was bigger at that time, mine with appreciation for a hockey player’s understanding of what small things can mean, or the kids for getting their hands on a puck directly from one of the games greats.  T

Since then, I’ve exchanged an email or two with the man himself and definatley some day I hope to get him down here. I’m going up for the Board of Directors of the Australian Ice Hockey League shortly, and organising hopefully an international friendly, or atleast a tournment to open our rink and getting the greeat man down here would be something I’d love to do.

But until that time, and for a long time I”m sure, I will remember JR as one of the classiest and nicest hockey players I’ve ever met.

(I also have an exam on Private International Law in 3 hours so better STUDY)