I went on a hiatus from playing sports early in my youth. Not really what you wanted to read, right?

Back then, Black Flag’s ‘Fix Me’ and Slayer’s ‘South of Heaven’ took the place of running hockey plays in my head (thanks to my trusty Walkman), and that’s all the room I decided I had. So, music became my passion and it was in that moment I realized being any kind of super-star athlete started and finished with youth hockey.

At that time, playing music was my forte and so that’s just what I did; I played music. And come to find out I was actually pretty good at it, too. From my first tour a week after graduating high school, to playing in bands throughout college, music is what I wanted to do. Many years and countless gigs later, however, I sit here happy to report that although my passion still remains with writing fast riffs, I’ve found my way back on to the ice.

And I’m happier than ever.

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Ok, here we go! My first blog. Ever. If I hadn’t just read Matt Lombardi’s recent piece about Father Tony Pena, who stressed the importance of focusing on one train of thought, I’m sure this post would be scattered and going in more directions than a GPS navigating through downtown Boston (thanks for nothing, Garmin).  But since I did read it (again and again), and since Father Tony just so happened to marry me and my wife, I am going to, once again, stick to his advice.

Thanks, Tony.  

I am currently in Turku, Finland playing in the top hockey league in the country. Right now, however, I’m sitting here typing this and simultaneously watching my 19-month old daughter play with Elsa and Anna figurines. Yes, she is also singing “Let it Go” (well, sort of). It’s more like a high pitched combination of those three words over and over and over.  I love it.  It’s my favorite part about days off; just to be able to be around and soak it all in.  I think back.  How did I get here? What guided me to this point?  How have I been fortunate enough to play this long, meet the people I’ve met, and have the experiences I’ve had?

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“We’re going to go with the same line-up as last night.”  That concluded a team meeting Saturday morning on a not so good start to a weekend series at Vermont.   It also answered my question of whether or not I would be playing.

Right after, a gentle hand patted me on the back.  I turned around to see Tony Penna.  It’s hard to explain who or what Tony is to our team. To the outside, he’s the team chaplain.  However, if you’re lucky enough to know him, you’d describe him as a close friend, mentor, sage, guru, and to young college hockey players, the wisest human being on the planet. 

“Let’s meet up later.”  

He said it very casually.  I was angry, frustrated, and confused about my situation— like any athlete would be — but his poise calmed me, and I said, “Okay.”

A couple teammates were smart enough to meet with Father Tony weekly.  In my first two years, I made the effort to see him, but not on a consistent schedule, so I hadn’t quite experienced the power of Tony — yet.

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