Watching the Blue Jackets practice over the past seven years of covering the team, as a rec league goalie, I’ve always wondered what it would be like to step between the pipes and face a few shots from NHL players.
That sure would be fun, I’d always think.
The other half of my brain: That would also be tiring.
After having the opportunity to step on the ice for Blue Jackets Alumni Fantasy Camp this week, I can confirm I was correct.
It’s a total blast.
It’s also exhausting.
Unlike in a game, where you have an opportunity to catch your breath when the puck is on the other side of the ice, NHL-style practices are rapid-fire events for goaltenders, designed to let the players get their shots off while netminders gasp for air.
That was one reason Jody Shelley, the CBJ broadcaster and alumni head who organizes the event, had me come out and help during the practices featuring players and campers. After last year’s inaugural camp, it was clear the goalies could use a break every once in a while, so throwing a third person between the pipes could only help.
Of course, it was also a golden opportunity to get on the ice with former NHL players and see how I stacked up, and I certainly wasn’t going to turn that down. I also knew from the first event just how fun it was, with both alumni and campers having a great time both on the ice and off of it.
When you sign up to join the camp, the biggest draw is the ability to get on the ice and be treated like a pro for three days, as well as living out your dream of playing with some of the most notable names in franchise history, from Shelley to Rick Nash (Rick Nash!) to Fredrik Modin to Jared Boll to everyone’s new best friend, Mike Sillinger.
But once you’re there, the thing that stands out the most is the fun away from the rink. This year, campers had the chance to watch the 4 Nations Face-Off final Thursday night and hear from the CBJ alums about their experiences in international play, as well as spend Friday night at a golf simulator swapping more stories – and a few beverages – with the former players. Sitting in the locker room hearing tales – and chirps – from some of the biggest names in franchise history is an experience you just can’t get anywhere else.
Add it all up and it’s an experience that feels priceless.
“Honestly, (I think what stands out) is the same thing that a lot of guys say, which is the locker room camaraderie,” said fellow goalie Jon Edwards, a first-time camper from Upper Arlington. “The shots, the saves, that’s definitely going to be a big memory, but to be in the locker room with the guys that are like me but also the alumni, they’re all just so gracious, so kind, asking all sorts of insightful questions. They just couldn’t be nicer. Just first-class guys, and to be in there like I’m in an adult-league locker room chatting with those guys, that’s huge. That’s a great memory for sure.”
Edwards and fellow goalie Josh Green, a returning camper, were more than gracious when it came to sharing a net throughout the first two days of practice. Though if we’re being honest, I think both Edwards and I needed the help; we were both gassed after the first five minutes of drills, just as we had both suspected.
Personally, the first day on the ice went pretty well once we all settled in. At one point during a breakaway drill, I made saves against three consecutive Blue Jackets alumni, though things happened so fast I couldn’t tell you who they were. The ultimate vindication came the next morning, when I bumped into Nash, who asked how I was feeling before telling me I did a great job on the ice the night before.
