Happy New Year everyone!! I hope all enjoyed the holidays.  Before I get in to my usual drivel, I'd like to thank the readers out there who continue to show their support and patience. Believe me, I'd like to write more but its not easy writing a paragraph a month!  There's a lot of love out there....... and as for you haters.....keep firing....it's all good.  I've learned alot in my travels and I've concluded there are 2 types of people in this world, those that get the joke and those that don't. For those of you that get it.....life is good....enjoy!  For those that don't.......fear not.......you will figure it out soon enough! I really hope someone is writing this down.....  

Act I Scene I

I'm not sure when my first year as a professional hockey player began. Maybe it was when Vancouver gave me my outright release or maybe it was when I was about to sign a contract with the Red Wings, only to have the GM fired days before I signed. Either way I should have known what was in store for me as I began my JOURNEY as a pro hockey player.  As I reflect on what some might call a career, there were signs that were OBVIOUSLY missed by yours truly...It must have been like watching a horror movie.  People yelling at the screen, "DON'T GO IN THERE YOU IDIOT!!!"  I'm sure some might call my game a bit of a horror show.... Whatever!!
 
Fast forward a couple months. The Fall of  '94 and its the middle of training camp for the Las Vegas Thunder (that's right...Vegas Baby!!) and the young, tall, skinny, fat, slow kid fresh out of Bowling Green is having a pretty good camp.  There's a few spots open on their roster. Did I mention the team was located in VEGAS? Did I mention I'm a degenerate gambler?  Sidebar: we stayed at the Imperial Palace for training camp and every morning at the All You Can Eat Breakfast Buffet they give you a FREE ACE with your meal........sooooo, on the way to practice why not sit down for a few hands and let the ace play.........Genius!!  

Anyway, back to training camp. So far things are going pretty well and I like my chances UNTIL....the NHL lockout of '94 strikes  (no pun intended.....whatever).  As you can imagine, Vegas was a popular spot for a lot of NHLers to keep their GAME sharp.....I believe 4 or 5 came down.  Did anyone see that sign post?....Did I miss it AGAIN!!  Are the walls bleeding?  The writing was on the wall but I didn't want to read it. I kept plugging away right up until the last day of camp and finally they put me out of my misery with "the TAP": "Sean, you had a great camp but...BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.....your flight leaves at 6am"  Guess who had a rough flight home......
 
Now its October: Since I managed to fool them in Vegas for the entire month of September I missed everybody else's training camp.......Now, I GOTS NO WHERE TO GO!! I decide to stay in Toronto with my girlfriend (now Mrs. Journeyman) and wait for the Leafs to call...just kidding.... I hate the Leafs (deal with it).  It takes me 2 weeks to review all the offers that pour in. All 2 of them. Or I guess I did have a 3rd option.....I could spared everyone the pain and suffering right there and QUIT........NEVER!!  My options.  Play in England with my old Midget coach or play in Knoxville Tennessee.  My first question was, Knoxville has a team? ........"Yeah, they got uniforms and everything"....... After I realized that Knoxville wasn't the newest expansion team I started to think England may be a fun place to play.  However, after conferring with my family advisor, Mr. Canadian....Mr. Molson Canadian, I decided it was not time to head overseas just yet......Let's give it a try on this side of the pond. Looking back I'm starting to question whether Mr. Canadian ever knew what he was talking about......... but he was a good listener!!! 
 
Mid October: After I had everyone in the sports world holding their breath as to my decision  I decided to go play in Knoxville, TN. The Cherokees.  I knew absolutely nothing about the league or the team when I got there. I was expecting a bunch of felons with sharp blades carrying a weapon.   As we all know the salaries in the ECHL are not what you would call "lucrative".  I made $500 a week and rent was paid for by the team. I thought I was rich.    A couple of us had a great idea to try and stretch our money a little further.......We found a farmhouse 30 minutes out of town in back country Tennessee. I can still hear the banjos now!!  The owner was going to tear it down and build a mansion in the summer. He said if you guys want to stay in it go right ahead.....RENT FREE. What!! And pocket an extra $300 a month? Done!!  This place was classic.  On site, we had a Barn, a horseshoe pit, a house.....did I mention the horshoe pit and Barn?  The only questions that came to mind were, "When should we have our 1st party!!" and "where can I buy horseshoes??"  Looking back, we never had a party in the barn or used the horseshoe pit.......IDIOTS!!  What we failed to check for was cable, heat and signs of rodents.  Believe me when I tell you I won't fall for that again....."it won't cost you a thing Mr. Pronger......REALLY? How much do you charge for the MICE!!"  A couple hundred dollars in mouse traps later we only had a cable and heat problem. I never though it got cold in Tennessee....oh but it does my friend.  Its now December and guess whose pipes freeze.....I can't imagine why....Oh I know why...There's no %&$%ing HEAT!!  For 4 days we showered at the rink and heaven forbid you had to have a "movement" after 2pm (after practice......please keep up) you had to drive about a mile down the road to a truck stop......I'm thinking of a word....AWESOME!!!  Did anyone see that sign post?

                          Next Blog: Act I Scene II

Keep your head down and stick off the ice!

Journeyman OUT