Last night, Tim Thomas skated around the ice holding the Stanley Cup with pride. He also was named Most Valuable Player and was awarded with the Conn Smythe Trophy.
This marked a significant moment in two people’s lives: one being Tim Thomas, the other being my father’s.
Some of you may recall that my father is a die-hard University of Vermont hockey fan. He prides himself on his vast knowledge of all things catamount, and also has an impressive talent to recall any UVM alumni, their year of graduation, their position, and what NHL team they currently play for. If it is a Friday or Saturday night during hockey season, you can find my father sitting in his office, in the dark, cocktail in hand, listening to the catamounts game. Yes, listening… as in the radio [this is because no honorable television station will carry every UVM hockey game, much to my father’s distain.] Don’t worry, we pre-order the satellite radio station every year, just to make sure there are no unforeseen errors come game day.
Anywho, Bob also believes he single-handedly fostered the career of Tim Thomas with a single nod.
Rewind to 1997ish.
I was tenish. I was convinced that I would someday attend the University of Vermont, just like my entire family had. I would become a member of my mother’s sorority, find a husband, and then become a stay at home mom. [I had big dreams as a tenish year old.] Anywho, I developed an intense interest in UVM hockey because, well my Dad and Grandfather did, and I was taught that being a hockey fan was a pre-requisite to getting into UVM. Done.
So there we were, all four of us at a Harvard-UVM hockey game, dressed head to toe in full UVM hockey gear with our lucky swag en tow [including my giant, golden foam mitten paw].
This was the night that changed everything for my father.
It was the end of the third period, and UVM was up three to one. Harvard was getting into a solid groove.
Just like that, a Harvard offensemen scored on Tim Thomas and the entire arena, besides our measly traveling UVM fanbase, erupted in cheers. Harvard knew they had a chance to tie it up. I remember my heart feeling so heavy, and then looking up at my father who was gazing in the direction of Thomas.
In the midst of a completely quiet moment, my dad gave a heavy clap and yelled “Shake it off Tim, shake it off.”
Then, it happened.
Tim Thomas nodded in the direction of my father.
This is when the tenish year old in me just about lost it. I remember being so proud of my dad for making Tim feel better when everyone else was cheering against him. [The fact that goalies always shake their heads to adjust their helmets when they are between plays or that it would have been almost impossible for Thomas to hear my father never really seemed to affect us.]
As the puck dropped for the duration of the period, Harvard pulled their goalie. It was an open net and the pressure was on Thomas to keep UVM out of the red.
As Thomas saved a tough shot from Harvard, the puck deflected off of his stick, and slowly started moving down the ice, toward the Harvard goal. I still remember this moment in slow motion.
All the players on the ice were skating as hard as they could: the Harvard players to save it, the UVM players to shoot it.
But for all of them it was too late. Tim Thomas scored a goal. Tim Thomas scored a goal right after his nod to my father. It was fate. I remember knowing that day that I would remember that moment for the rest of my life.
From then on, our family always had a bond with Tim Thomas and his career, and so last night when Tim skated around the ice on his final lap, he wasn’t just carrying the Stanley Cup, but he was also carrying my father’s heart with him.
Watching my father as he did it was another life moment I will never forget.
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