Post by RedWings on Aug 26, 2008 9:32:21 GMT -5
Brian, does this bring back any memories to you?
13-year-old makes the scene with the Senators
Ken Warren, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Monday, August 25, 2008
OTTAWA - Christian Rusu will have quite the story to tell when he goes back to Broadview Public School with his Grade 8 class next week.
One minute late Monday morning, the 13-year-old house league goaltender was laughing with his friends, taking off his equipment in the dressing room after a hockey camp session at the Bell Sensplex.
The next minute, he was back on the ice, facing shots from the Ottawa Senators' Chris Kelly, Chris Neil, Chris Phillips, Shean Donovan, Anton Volchenkov and Jason Smith and several other National Hockey League players.
"I was undressing and a guy just came running in and said, 'We need a goalie,'" Christian said after his 90-minute whirlwind taste of life in the big leagues. "There were three other (goalies), but their stuff was already off, so, I guess, well, they picked me."
While NHL training camps don't begin until mid-September, many players have already returned to the ice for informal pick-up games to get ready for the season.
However, one of the expected goaltenders failed to show on Monday so the call went out for an immediate replacement.
Enter Christian.
As he put his equipment back on, he could hear the sounds of NHL players warming up, their heavy shots ringing off goal-posts and crossbars and echoing off the end boards, no doubt wondering what he was getting himself into.
Was it a step up from anything he had ever experienced before?
"More like a big leap," he said as he removed his goalie mask, revealing his braces and the beginnings of a moustache.
"At first, I didn't know what was going on in the drills because they were going so fast. It's nothing like I have ever seen before. I came out to the top of my (goal crease), and, all of a sudden, I looked one way, then the other, and the puck was behind me and I was thinking, 'Where did that come from?'"
Christian, a goaltender for the past three years, will hook up with a Kanata Minor Hockey Association minor bantam house league team next month.
Regardless of where his hockey future takes him, no one can take away Monday's scrimmage against big leaguers.
As the pick-up game went on, a small crowd gathered around the boards, wondering who, exactly, was manning the net.
Christian made several saves, but the highlight had to be a stop against Donovan, a 14-year NHL veteran, on a breakaway.
"It was great to see him out there," said Neil, who tapped the young goaltender on the pads several times during the workout. "What a great opportunity. I'm sure it was exciting for him."
Kelly says the NHL players tried to make Christian relax as much as possible.
"He was really good," Kelly said. "I'm sure it was fun for him and the boys were trying to get a rise out of him."
The game was also the only thing on the minds of Christian's campmates for the rest of the day. When Christian's father, Petru, arrived to pick him up at the end of the day, he heard the story from everyone before Christian had a chance to fill in the details.
"All the other kids told me about it right away," Rusu said. "It's very cool. He was so thrilled when he was coming home. He has always been such a big fan of the Senators and when they said they needed a second goalie, he said, 'For sure, yes, yes, why wouldn't I play?'
"Something like this doesn't happen every day."
Just in case his school buddies think Christian might be putting them on, making up a story about what happened on his summer vacation, he may still have a few bruises to show them next week.
"I'm a bit sore, but I'm OK," he said. "At first, the fingers inside my blocker really hurt, the way they were throwing pucks at me. And then it was the fingers on my glove hand, smacking into my palm really hard. But then I got used to it."
13-year-old makes the scene with the Senators
Ken Warren, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Monday, August 25, 2008
OTTAWA - Christian Rusu will have quite the story to tell when he goes back to Broadview Public School with his Grade 8 class next week.
One minute late Monday morning, the 13-year-old house league goaltender was laughing with his friends, taking off his equipment in the dressing room after a hockey camp session at the Bell Sensplex.
The next minute, he was back on the ice, facing shots from the Ottawa Senators' Chris Kelly, Chris Neil, Chris Phillips, Shean Donovan, Anton Volchenkov and Jason Smith and several other National Hockey League players.
"I was undressing and a guy just came running in and said, 'We need a goalie,'" Christian said after his 90-minute whirlwind taste of life in the big leagues. "There were three other (goalies), but their stuff was already off, so, I guess, well, they picked me."
While NHL training camps don't begin until mid-September, many players have already returned to the ice for informal pick-up games to get ready for the season.
However, one of the expected goaltenders failed to show on Monday so the call went out for an immediate replacement.
Enter Christian.
As he put his equipment back on, he could hear the sounds of NHL players warming up, their heavy shots ringing off goal-posts and crossbars and echoing off the end boards, no doubt wondering what he was getting himself into.
Was it a step up from anything he had ever experienced before?
"More like a big leap," he said as he removed his goalie mask, revealing his braces and the beginnings of a moustache.
"At first, I didn't know what was going on in the drills because they were going so fast. It's nothing like I have ever seen before. I came out to the top of my (goal crease), and, all of a sudden, I looked one way, then the other, and the puck was behind me and I was thinking, 'Where did that come from?'"
Christian, a goaltender for the past three years, will hook up with a Kanata Minor Hockey Association minor bantam house league team next month.
Regardless of where his hockey future takes him, no one can take away Monday's scrimmage against big leaguers.
As the pick-up game went on, a small crowd gathered around the boards, wondering who, exactly, was manning the net.
Christian made several saves, but the highlight had to be a stop against Donovan, a 14-year NHL veteran, on a breakaway.
"It was great to see him out there," said Neil, who tapped the young goaltender on the pads several times during the workout. "What a great opportunity. I'm sure it was exciting for him."
Kelly says the NHL players tried to make Christian relax as much as possible.
"He was really good," Kelly said. "I'm sure it was fun for him and the boys were trying to get a rise out of him."
The game was also the only thing on the minds of Christian's campmates for the rest of the day. When Christian's father, Petru, arrived to pick him up at the end of the day, he heard the story from everyone before Christian had a chance to fill in the details.
"All the other kids told me about it right away," Rusu said. "It's very cool. He was so thrilled when he was coming home. He has always been such a big fan of the Senators and when they said they needed a second goalie, he said, 'For sure, yes, yes, why wouldn't I play?'
"Something like this doesn't happen every day."
Just in case his school buddies think Christian might be putting them on, making up a story about what happened on his summer vacation, he may still have a few bruises to show them next week.
"I'm a bit sore, but I'm OK," he said. "At first, the fingers inside my blocker really hurt, the way they were throwing pucks at me. And then it was the fingers on my glove hand, smacking into my palm really hard. But then I got used to it."
