A freak meeting with an old friend of ours

Good morning and Good evening, Men, Woman, Children, Friends, Foes and Blaze fans. Firstly, a big thank you to my good friend and long term press associate Mr. Derek White for the invite to give my thoughts on British Hockey and even hockey further a-field.

How I came to be here all started just a few days ago when talking to Derek on the phone after a long flight away from the playoff weekend and away from that overcrowded and smelling press box in Nottingham area to Calgary to let my hair down, in the fresh air of the rocky mountains.

I was telling Derek a story about an interesting night out I had on what they call the 'Red Mile' in the centre of Calgary. When he heard the story he said it had to go online. I told him,

"By all means tell that story old friend, the masses will get a kick out of it, but beware a bitter few that you beat to the news may hunt you down like a dog. Remember some people do not like an unofficial breaking of any kind of story."

"I wont hear of it" he replied, "You tell the story. Let them hunt you down like a dog". And so, that’s how it came to pass that I sit here now in this two-star hotel room on the edge of Calgary on my dying laptop watching the Masters golf and telling you why I am here, why I am writing and how my coincidental meeting with a former Giants star lead us to our first source to what Mr.White decided would form the perfect website.

What is a man broken of money from a weekend in Nottingham to do with himself over a long week in Calgary other than hit the bar with a red hot visa card. It was on the way out of one gentleman’s club on the lookout for another, when a bruising man passed me on his way in. If I hadn't of had my head up like the hockey player within me I probably would have been ran over.

"Excuse Me," I said. But as he looked down at me ready to spew out a line of verbal trash, I realised who the bastard was that stood before me. Now normally I am not one for holding back on a persons name, but out of courtesy, respect and future information from this old friend of ours I will with-hold that name for now. Worry not though, I have him by the balls. No man should be seen in such a drunken state at such a venue as this. Wait . . . Have I just implemented myself?

Anyway. We went into the pub next door for a couple of beers and a bit of catch up. We talked about the old days of British hockey, the present days of British hockey, and then about the future. Boy this man still kept tabs on British hockey and he was full of information that other sources would die for.

It was then that a deal was struck and for now no more shall be said. I left that bar and wondered aimlessly for a while before waking up the following morning trying to remember everything I was told. Had this incident really taken place? At that moment I got onto the phone to Mr. White and so here we are, watching the final holes of the Masters golf and looking forward to another summer of off-season hockey.