As I sit here watching the Bruins and the Flyers, two of my former teams, I can't help but think back to those times. Nothing but great memories. But, I loved every moment of my career so far. The games, the cities, the people, the friendships. Each place was special. One thing about being the senior guy in the room, always questions about this and that of things that happened along the way.
So, we are getting ready for the game in Philly, and I run into a former player of the Flyers from the glory years and now part of the organization. We started talking about the state of the game, the Flyers and players of this era. He left me with a great thought, which went something like this: "Don't leave the game with any regrets." As he explained, when it's over, make sure you haven't cheated yourself of anything or regret something you may have done. The more I let this advice sink in, I realized he had said something very special. He was referring to a player on the Phantoms who had challenged a coach during practice, instead of taking it up in closed quarters. Well the team had none of this and the player was suspended indefinitely. To back up his point, this player probably regretted his actions and now is in a predicament. Morale of the story, appreciate what you have and where you are because it may end when you least expect it. And most of all, leave with no regrets...
Steve Rex, a member of the Pirates front office, and a former member of the Flyers staff, made arrangements for our team to attend a game and have dinner in a sky box. It felt strange watching a game in Philly since the only vantage point I have ever had there was from the ice...
A typical Philly welcome during our game as a fan yelled out for me to hang 'em up and I was washed up. What else would you expect in Philly?... I did see some old friends at the game. A few of the kids old classmates were not far from the bench, and I caught up with some other friends after the game... Enjoyed a great meal with our old neighbors, the Jeromes, down in South Philly at a local spot. They were like family to us...
I received an article about a player named Mike Keane. A former NHLer, 3 time Stanley Cup winner and one time captain of the Montreal Canadiens, he is now a member of the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. Mike is a resident of Winnepeg, where the Moose play. He was approached last year by the owner of the team when he had not gotten many offers from the NHL. "Why not," he thought. What a great opportunity for a home town guy. Still has the desire to play and has alot to offer his young teammates. With the chance of a team looking for some experience down the stretch, Keane has enjoyed remaining in the fray and all the little things about the game. He had a chance to get into coaching, but the allure of playing the game was enough to make up his mind. What a great idea. Why didn't I think of that? Better late than never...
Good luck to Tim Brent, the latest call-up... Big week for us, as we head down the stretch.How could I forget the thrill of the stretch runs of years past. Like a trip down memory lane, here we go!... Weino

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