But We Won The Game....

Things have been going well for the Kings so far this season, and they've had a lot of reasons to be happy. Drew is probably one of the more cheerful guys on the team on a regular basis. Even last year, when we didn't have much to celebrate, he had his fabulous grin going every day in practice. My friend Nichole Glaze, a photographer by trade, caught this shot last season, and it's one of my absolute favorites of that perfect smile.


Courtesy of Nichole Glaze Photography.



I should have known it was just a matter of time until something went wrong.

After our win at home last Thursday, the boys headed out for their first road trip of the season, a six-game stint starting Saturday night in St. Louis. I went to Nadine's house to watch the game and enjoy some of her yummy homemade soup. The boys got off to a solid start, ending the first period with a 1-0 lead against the Blues. The second period was going equally well...and then it happened.



Ten minutes into the second period, Drew was involved in a fast moving defensive play, the puck took a crazy bounce on a rebound, and smacked him straight in the mouth. He finished out the play, and made his way off the ice, where a trainer promptly shoved a towel in his face. Uh-oh....towel means blood. And he's heading to the locker room. This is not good.



I sat on Nadine's couch, cringing and looking more anxious as the minutes ticked by and Drew remained off the ice. A trainer came out from the locker room and whispered in Coach Terry Murray's ear. The man has the best poker face in the world, and I can't read lips, so I had no clue what was going on. Except for the fact that the trainer went back to the locker room. The second period ended, and still no Drew. Crap!

He came back out in the 3rd with an attachment on his helmet covering his jaw. Holy hell! That's the same thing they put Sully in when he took a puck in the mouth and broke a bone in his face. This is NOT GOOD! Sully practically has no teeth left in his head! OH....MY....GOD!

Drew toughed it out the entire 3rd period, and the Kings won against the Blues 2-1. Then I started madly texting everyone I knew, and checking all my regular blogs to get more intel. The initial verdict....2 front teeth knocked pretty much out of place, 4 others cracked, and a stitched upper lip. Poor Drew! Not a great start to a 6 game ROADTRIP! That's right, the poor guy has 5 more games to suffer before returning to LA. I must admit, I went home from Nadine's and had a pretty good cry. But I guess Drew's a "real" hockey player now.

The next day, the Kings traveled to Long Island, and while the rest of the team practiced, Drew spent 2 1/2 hours in the dentists chair. Two teeth temporarily relocated, 4 cracked ones bonded, and he was back on the ice against the NY Islanders. The kid must have an amazing pain tolerance, because he scored a goal and the Kings beat the Isles last night 2-1!






Goal scoring is fun, and it was great to see him looking happy in spite of the "Bubble Helmet." He doesn't seem to be too worried about the teeth. Then again, you're in pretty good company when the list of hockey players missing teeth includes this guy. He still looks pretty happy, and he scores a boatload of goals!



I was relaying this story to Michelle, who reminded me her Dad played hockey in college and had a similar experience. He knocked out several teeth in a game, and came home to his mother with a huge gap in his mouth. She immediately cried, and his response? "But Mom, we won the game!" I guess it's just the way hockey players are wired.

At least I have my Tip-a-King photo from last year, and I can say I knew Drew when he had all his real teeth!