“This time it’s on my own. Minutes from somewhere else. Somewhere I made a wish. With lucky Denver Mint. Your not bigger then this. Not better. Why can’t you learn? Your not bigger then this. Not better. Why can’t you learn?” AJ sings as he drives through the Voorhees suburbs as he makes his way to the Flyers Skate Zone for practice. Perfect day to drive with the top down, “Hurry go on ahead. Good things won’t let you wait. I’ll catch up when you get home. I’ll home I’ll be. A dollar underwater keeps dreaming for me. Your not bigger then this. Not better. Why can’t you learn? Your not bigger then this. Not better. Why can’t you learn? Why can’t I learn? Why can’t IIIIII learn? Learn. Learn. Learn. Learn. Learn. Your not bigger then this. Not better. Why can’t you learn? Your not bigger then this. Not better. Why can’t you learn? Your not bigger then this. Not better. Why can’t you learn?”
“You know people wonder when they see people talking or singing to themselves in their cars,” a voice yells to the left side of him.
“Nicky!” AJ yells looking over at him for a second before focusing back on the road, “Ready for practice?”
Nick shakes his head, “Ready for practice just as long as I don’t know where I am going to be in two days.”
AJ smirks, “Same here,” AJ says as he pulls into the Skate Zone parking lot next to Justin’s silver Lexus, “Bigger then all of us,” AJ says as he shuts off his engine and opens his door stepping out.
Nick smirks as he looks over at him from over his black Lexus convertible, “Trust me I know.”
“Now on to Hasek,” AJ says as he walks back to his trunk and pops the hood, “Hasek,” he repeats to himself as he lifts a large black gear bag out.
“The man who caught us last year,” Nick says as he walks over to AJ carrying his own gear bag.
“Just give me the puck,” AJ smiles at Nick.
Nick shakes his head, “Aren’t we cocky?”
AJ nods, “Yupper,” he smiles as the two begin to walk over to the entrance.
“Kinda more worried about the fact that these are the last games of the season though,” AJ says as he looks down at the ground for a second, “I don’t really have a lot to go back to after all this.”
Nick nods, “Same here. I’m thinking about staying down here and just working out and playing golf during the off season. Justin is staying too I think after he is done with team Canada.”
“I heard a number of the guys stay here,” AJ says, “I know Boosh and Todd do. I think I’ll stick around like all the previous seasons and run around Philadelphia. Play in some softball games with Todd. Do some charity work. Maybe go to the mini-camp with the prospects and see whose who. Get a jump on my competition.”
Nick looks at him and shakes his head, “Do you ever slow down?”
“Not my work ethic,” AJ smiles, “I gotta keep moving.”
“Your one of a kind, AJ,” Nick says as the two of them work through the doors to the Skate zone and head to the locker room.
“This…this is home to me,” AJ says as they hear the sound of skate blades cutting across the ice, “Only home I know I can ever count on to be there when nothing else is. The ice. Ice taught me to fly, Nick. Not a person. The ice and the game taught me everything.”
Nick turns to look at him as AJ stares at the ice rink. Everyone had their serious moments. Even AJ.
Game One:
Brian stares around the First Union Center and takes a deep breath in as he stands on the ice for the preskate. Every seat was filled. Every person had one of the Flyers towels in their hands. Never in his life did Brian imagine himself standing on the ice during game one of the Stanley Cup finals as his own team played for the Cup and their chance to have their names engraved on it. Boucher was stretching in front of his net as AJ skated circles around him and the net talking to him. Kevin was skating side by side with John LeClaire and Mark Recchi his assistant captains as the three talked about something or the other. Nick was skating around talking to Justin as the two of them eyed Jason Williams. Guess there is room for only one Williams with a name that starts with J. Brian lets out a long breath and look around at his teammates. Still felt like the beginning of the season for him. Still had the drive to play like it was. Still had the heart. Still had the ability.
“C’mon Brain!” AJ yells across the ice as he starts to skate towards the bench, “Littrell you just gonna stand there or do I need to come and drag you over?”
Brian looks at him and shakes his head. Same old AJ.
The first period was a hard fought period for both teams. They both came out hard and knew that they needed to try and show what they were capable of during those first twenty minutes. Kevin was busying yelling out orders from the ice as Barber yelled out orders from the bench. Line one was: AJ, LeCalire and Recchi. Line two: Justin, Roenick and Gagne. Line three: Rusty, Murray and Nick. Line four: Brashear, Fedoruk, and Ranheim. Meanwhile Kevin was in the back as one of the rotating defensemen with Dejardins, Johnnson, McGillis, McAllister and Richardson. Meanwhile Boucher was in net as Brian watched from the bench yet again. He was accustomed to it by now. Line two was on now and Gagne and Justin flying down the ice on their wings. They were trying to make something happen…anything happen.
“We can beat these guys,” AJ says as he watches them fly up and down the ice past the bench.
Brian turns to look at him, “The Wings?”
AJ nods, “Roy was the best goalie in the league. By my standards as a player he was the hardest. I know how Hasek is. He wants this bad though. He wants it so he can retire after this season. The trick is to keep their scoring down. They can score much better and more often then the Avs. The Avs relied too much on their goal. That was their problem. These guys…they are all around.”
Brian stares at him as he talks and nods as he finishes. He was right. No one could ever tell AJ he didn’t know damn well how the game worked.
The first period was held scoreless.
The second period kept the momentum going though and the first goal was scored by Brendan Shanahan on Brian as he was caught down from a rebound. To say the least he wasn’t happy. Kevin was yelling out orders from the bench to watch for Shanahan and Federov after all he knew was Shanahan was capable of. He played with him on team Canada in the Olympics. The Flyers did recover from the first goal though and the game was a shutout for the Red Wings. The Flyers had had a problem the whole season and that had come in the form of not scoring enough or often during games that counted. Game one was just another example of this. Barber was not going to be happy.
Game Two:
Brian watches as the first line for the Flyers heads up and down the ice during the third period. They were leading the game 2-1 now. AJ and LeClaire had both found opportunities to score one after the other in the second period trying to beat the Wings who had gone into the second up one to nothing. Boucher was holding his ground and keeping the pucks out of the net whenever he had the chance. He was reaching peak form now. He was back to being the goalie he was in the beginning of the season. Kevin and Luke were in the back helping out Brian as power shifted from the Wings to the Flyers and AJ heads down the ice carrying the puck. AJ could flat out fly down the ice. Any player who had played with or against him could tell you that. LeClaire and Gagne were by his sides creating room as he went one on one with the Wings defensemen Jiri Slegr. Chelios was watching from his position by the net near Gagne marking him. It was AJ’s best asset getting around people. He was small enough and fast enough. He could make it around almost anyone. He shifts his weight from his left skate to his right as he goes to make his way around Slegr and the blade of the stick comes up as he ducks down. Contact was immediate and the result sent AJ falling to the ice face first. Brian had never heard the First Union Center get so quiet so fast until AJ hit the ice. The game was stopped and the team went into panic mode. Kevin went flying down the ice with Luke as Boucher followed close behind.
“AJ!” John LeClaire yells skating over to him, “AJ!” he yells as Gagne joins him by his side.
Kevin skates to a stop and kneels down next to AJ, “It got him in the face. Fuck it got him in the face. AJ. AJ.” Kevin says as he leans over AJ and tries to look at his face.
“He’s out cold,” John says shaking his head.
“I can’t tell if it hit him in the eye,” Kevin says as the trainers run out onto the ice with a stretcher, “Too much blood Jesus. AJ. AJ, c’mon wake up buddy.”
Boucher skates up with a towel and hands it to Kevin as Kevin holds it onto the large cut on AJ’s face, “Did it hit him in the eye?” he asks panicking.
Kevin sighs, “I have no idea,” he says as he holds the towel onto AJ’s face as the stretcher is laid down on the ice beside AJ.
Gagne and John move out of the way as the medics turn AJ over onto his back and move him onto the stretcher before raising him up.
“Too much blood,” Gagne says as he watches them take an unconscious and bloody AJ off the ice.
Kevin looks over at Barber before making his way over to the bench slowly with the others.
The rest of the team stares at him as he makes his way over to the bench and shakes his head.
“That could end his career,” Justin mumbles softly as he stares out onto the ice.
“Just shut up Justin,” Nick says sternly.
“Kevin go change,” Barber says to him as Kevin stares at him, “Get a new uniform on now.”
Kevin nods slowly and walks over to the tunnel as he finally realizes the amount of blood on his jersey.
Flyers would win the game 2-1. The series was tied 1-1.
Nick walks side by side with Brian Littrell down the hospital hallway as he looks around, “It didn’t hit his eye did it?” Brian shakes his head no, “Thank God. He’s damn lucky. Got him from the lower part of the forehead down to about the middle of his nose on the left side of his face. Deep cut from the blade. Since his eyes are so far sunken in it missed it. Boucher told me. He was here right after the game.”
“Boosh sure did take it hard,” Nick says.
Brian shakes his head, “You should have seen him when he found out Berrard took one to the eye before. He was a wreck.”
Nick nods, “Kevin here?”
Brian nods, “Came with Boucher. Chelios is here too.”
“Really?”
Brian nods again, “He knows AJ from team USA. Did you see the swarm of media outside too? Damn…even when he’s injured AJ gets press.”
“He awake yet?” Nick asks
“Yeah, woke up five hours after the hit,” Brian says as they reach a room and turn in to it on their right hand side.
“Hey guys,” Kevin says turning to look from him where he is sitting in a chair by AJ’s bed with Boucher and Chelios.
“Hey,” AJ says looking over at them, “I’d smile, but it hurts like hell.”
Nick shakes his head and smirks, “Shit man that got you good,” he says walking over and looking at the large cut down the left side of his face.
AJ nods, “I didn’t really feel it though. Got knocked out to fast. Felt it when I woke up though.”
“You’re damn lucky it didn’t get your eye,” Chelios says standing up, “Always was a lucky little bastard.”
“You going man?” AJ asks.
Chelios nods, “You have more company to talk to now. I’ll talk to you later though ok. Make sure you rest though,” he says smiling at AJ and walking out of the room.
Brian sits down in the seat Chelios had abandoned and shakes his head as he looks at AJ, “How many stitches?”
“50,” AJ says.
“30,” Kevin says correcting him.
“Close enough,” AJ shrugs as he looks up at the TV that is on in his room as the news runs a highlight of the game as he takes the stick to the face and he winces slightly, “How nice of them to air that over and over again. Really was bad huh?”
“We all thought you were done,” Nick says, “We thought you took it to the eye.”
AJ shakes his head no, “I’m not going that easily. I’ll be back for game four. For now move Justin up for me. He can handle it.”
“What?” Brian asks.
“We’ll see about it,” Kevin says, “Take it slowly AJ.”
“I can wear a big shield,” AJ says as Kevin stares at him.
“Take it easy for now man,” Boosh says.
“We’ll see,” Kevin says.
“You need me,” AJ says.
Kevin nods, “Every team needs their leading scorer, but I’m not risking you losing an eye or getting popping stitches out. Maybe…maybe game five.”
“That’s a week away,” AJ says.
Kevin nods, “That’s still too short if you ask me.”
Boucher nods along with Brian.
“Fine,” AJ says softly, “Game five then.”
“Game five,” Kevin nods, “Maybe. We’ll see what the doctors say.”
“If JR can play with a broken jaw. I can play with this,” AJ says.
“Cut from the same cloth,” Kevin sighs.
“I’m an NHL player what else do you expect?”
Flyers would go on to loose game three 2-1.
Red Wings lead the series 2-1.
Game Four:
“How exactly did AJ get stuck sitting in the tunnel?” Nick asks Kevin as he looks over at AJ who is standing behind the glass watching the game from the Flyers tunnel in Detroit.
“He wanted to be closer to the game and not in the seats,” Kevin shrugs, “Its AJ after all.”
Nick nods, as he looks over at AJ in his black suit with a white dress shirt under it with no tie and his colored orange, black and white tipped hair.
“Well then we gotta win it for him I guess?” Justin says as he looks over at AJ who is concentrating on watching the game.
Kevin nods.
“Boucher is up for playing hard to win,” Nick says as he looks on the ice as Boucher dives across the net to make a diving save and AJ cheers him on from behind the glass.
Fedoruk skates down the ice towards the Flyers end as Federov heads down the ice and slams him on the open ice sending him flying backwards as the Flyers cheer him on.
“That…that is what AJ would have done,” Kevin says as he looks over and sees AJ slamming his hands onto the glass cheering his teammates on.
“Line change,” Barber yells and LeClaire, Recchi and Justin hit the ice.
“C’mon guys!” Kevin yells from his spot on the bench, “Let’s get one more! We’re tied 1-1. Lets go! Lets go!”
Justin hits the ice and starts off down the ice as Johnnson passes the puck the ice to him. He passes it over to LeClaire and heads down the ice in front of him to forecheck. Justin didn’t weigh much, but he used all the weight he had. No one could say the kid didn’t work. Recchi had the puck by now and it was cycling between the three of them. Justin gets the puck as LeClaire takes his position by the net. Justin lets off a shot form the point and LeClaire redirects it into the net passed Hasek. Williams skates over and hugs LeClaire as Recchi skates over as well and the Flyers team cheers them on. AJ was behind the glass banging on it again and cheering the play on. And people said they were done with AJ. Not quite.
Flyers win the game 2-1.
Flyers and Wings were tied in the series 2-2.
Game Five:
“Sometimes I get so weird. I even freak myself out. I laugh myself at night its my lullaby. Sometimes so fast just to feel the danger. I wanna scream it makes me feel alive. Is it enough to love? Is it enough to breathe? Somebody rip buy heart out and leave me here to bleed. Is it enough to die? Somebody save my life. I’d rather anything, but ordinary please,” AJ sings as he sits on his stool in the locker as the team gets changed around him.
Kevin looks at him and shakes his head. He’d be back by game six or seven they said. It all depends on how he felt.
“To walk between the lines would make my life so boring…” AJ sings.
Nick looks at him and shakes his head, “We missed your singing AJ.”
Justin nods.
“One day I’ll branch over to music,” AJ says, “You can be in the group too Nick.”
Nick stares, “Thanks ever so much AJ.”
“We’ll be nominated for Grammys too.”
“Doesn’t mean you’ll win any,” Justin smirks.
AJ stares at him, “Be nice to me I’m injured.”
“Be nice to the gimp,” Kevin says walking by.
“Thanks…I think,” AJ says.
“Lets go up guys!” Kevin yells through the dressing room, “We’ll see you in the tunnel AJ. Let’s go Boosh. Lead us out!”
Brian stares down the ice as the second period begins. Primeau won the face-off and the puck started off in Flyer possession. Brian chews him gum slowly as he watches the players head up and down the ice. He could really go for a slurpee right about now. Maybe he should have eaten dinner after all. Instead he had taken the time to take a nap before the game. Brian looks over to his left as he sees AJ standing in the tunnel watching the game with his arms crossed over his chest. It was amazing how serious AJ could look when he wanted to. Nick was cracking his neck loudly down the bench and Brian could hear it from his seat. It even sounded like it hurt. It was the second and the game remained scoreless. It seemed to be a habit of the Flyers to not be able to score in the first period. Kevin wasn’t very happy about it though. Brian looks over to the far boards as Fedoruk slams his 245 pound body into an unfortunate Red Wing Player. Now that…that had to hurt. It made Brian glad that he was a goalie when times and hits like that happened. “Look out for Federov!” Brian hears Kevin yell down the ice as Federov picks up the loose puck after the hit. He cuts across the ice in on goal and Boosh begins to shift from his left skate to his right before committing. The shot was high and on the stick side. So what did Boosh do? He head butted the thing. Genius. It sent the puck up into the crowd and Boosh falling backwards after the hit. He shakes it off slightly and stands up on his skates again. Brian knew first hand how badly that hurt.
Going into the third it was still scoreless and it looked like it was going to be another play off game decided in over time. Lines were being mixed up again and now Justin, Nick and Ruslan were on a lien together. It was a speed line. And that was how the play played out. The three of them headed down the ice with Justin carrying the puck and Nick on his side. Rusty was hanging a little back as the three headed towards the Red Wings net. Justin passes the puck over to Nick as he goes up to the goal waiting for Hasek to make his move. It was a hard shot to the right and it rebounded off of Hasek to his left side where Rusty was waiting knocking it into the net for the goal. Give a point to the youngins. Brian smiles as Rusty, Justin and Nick grab each other into a big hug celebrating the goal. Only in sports could guys express emotion like that. Only in sports.
Flyers win the game 1-0.
Flyers lead the series 3-2.
The Red Wings would go on to win game six tying the series at 3-3 and forcing a seventh and final game. It would give AJ enough time to make his playoff return.
Game Seven:
“A million to one outsiders. Nightblindness,” AJ sings as he pulls his helmet onto his head and a large shield covers half of his face down almost to the tip of his nose, “Can't see. Your bright eyes are what. The time is. Twenty-five past eternity. Hear you listening. To the silence. Coming closer. Now further away.” AJ sings, “What we gonna do. When the money runs out. I wish that there was something left to say. Where we going to find the eyes to see. The bright of day. I'm sick of all the same romances. Lost chances. Cold storms. Propping mountains up. On matchsticks. Dragging baskets. Full of bones…”
Brian looks at Boucher as he stretches out before starting off the game. Boosh looks over at him and smiles brightly. The guy deserved to play to hell with it.
“And honey please don't stop. You’re talking. 'Cause there's a feeling. Won't leave me alone…” AJ sings.
Kevin cracks his neck slightly as he adjusts the strap of his helmet around his head. This was his chance. This was it.
“What we gonna do. When the money runs out. I wish that there was something I could say. How we going to find the eyes to see. The bright of day…” AJ sings.
Nick looks over at AJ as he sings. Not every day two rookies get the chance to win a Stanley Cup.
Brian looks down the ice as Kevin comes flying down carrying the puck towards Hasek. AJ was skating around the front of the net by now and was tapping his stick on the ice shifting form his left to his right calling for the puck. A large shield covered half of his face, but it didn’t stop him. It didn’t even slow him down. The puck gets passed across the ice to AJ who tries to shove it through the five hole past Hasek with no luck as Hasek covers it up with his whole body. The movement turns over to the left faceoff circle and JR goes to take the drop puck. The Wings get the puck and start heading back down the ice with Federov carrying it. AJ skates down by his side and then cuts in front of him turning around and skating backwards as he faces him mirroring direction Federov goes in. Federov cuts quickly to the left and cuts in on Brian taking a hard fast shot as Boucher throws himself into the air catching it in his glove hand. You couldn’t deny Brian had a fast glove hand.
Flyers went into the second down a goal 1-0 after a late Brett Hull goal in the first. Didn’t last long though. Jeremy Roenick cuts down the ice heading in on goal with Gagne and AJ by his side. He makes his way around one defender and then drops the puck back to the point as AJ lets off a hard slap shot not getting all of the wood on the puck sending the puck spinning into a knuckler. Starts out one direction and ends up going in another…past Hasek. The First Union Center screams out and the sound echoes off of the walls. It was one of the greatest sounds that any player could ever hear…a whole stadium cheering you on. The goal meant even more coming from AJ. Perseverance paid off. AJ skates by the bench and knocks his glove against the gloves of all the other players on the bench after coming out of a huddle with Gagne and Roenick.
Brian watches the ice as the third period starts off and Nick heads in on goal with his line mates Murray and Rusty. The worker line, the line that never gave up. Nick passes the puck over to Murray as he heads in on goal. Nick cuts back around the net and over to the corner trying to create a screen for Murray as he lets off a shot. Nick could feel the puck hit his shin and it damn well hurt, but the whole sense of pain went away when he heard the buzzer and the look on Rusty’s face. The same old Ruslan Fedetenko million dollar smile that went along with every goal. Nick skates over to Murray and crashes into him congratulating him with a large hug. Brian looks up at the clock as he cheers his teammates on after the goal, five minutes left. “C’mon boys! Five more minutes! We got it! We got it!” Kevin yells form his place on the ice. Boucher pours some of his water from the water bottle on the back of his net into his mouth and shakes his head. He looks over at Brian on the bench and lifts up his mask smiling. Yeah Kevin had been on the team the longest, but no one wanted the Cup more then the young ones.
Four minutes: Fedoruk levels a Red Wing Player to the ice and begins to skate around the ice following the puck. The team was on defensive mode now. Minutes could seem like hours some time.
Three minutes: Boucher looks over at Barber and motions for a time out. Kevin skates over to him as Boucher pulls off his glove hand and Kevin stares down at it then back at Boucher’s face. Kevin nods and sends Boucher skating over to the bench with his gear.
“Get Brian in here!” Kevin yells, “Boosh has a broken finger!”
Barber looks over at Boosh then at Brian.
Brian looks up as Boucher skates over to the door and the crowd lets out the Boosh chant.
“Get out of my seat,” Boosh smiles at him.
“You’re a good man Brian,” Brian smiles at Boucher as he steps out onto the ice and pulls down his goalie mask.
“I know Brian,” Boosh smiles, “Go finish the game now. They still got plenty of time to score.”
Brian nods his head and skates over to the net quickly stretching in the goal crease. He knocks his goal stick against the two posts and then motions for Kevin to start the game up again.
“Lets go!” Kevin yells to his teammates as AJ’s line hits the ice with LeClaire and Primeau.
Two minutes:
“Get that puck out of our end!” Kevin yells as a shot is fired on Brian and he bats it away with his glove hand, “Ice the damn thing if you need to!”
AJ gets the puck free and heads down the ice shoveling it away for a breather for Brain.
“Pulling Hasek!” Kevin yells to his teammates as Hasek heads to the bench, “Get ready for the extra.”
Primeau crashes into the Red Wing player as he heads down the ice carrying the puck and AJ picks it up carrying down the ice wasting the time on the clock.
One minute:
Brian watches from beneath his goal mask as LeClaire, Primeau and AJ cycle the puck around. Twenty years of a Cupless drought. Twenty years. Twenty years ended in less then one minute. Brian looks over at the bench as the Flyer players get to their feet and the last few seconds tick off the clock. The stadium exploded. The players jumped over the bench and onto the ice with Nick and Justin tripping over the edge and each other coming out falling flat to the ice.
“We did it! We did it!” AJ yells dropping his stick and tearing off his helmet skating over to his teammates who were forming a large huddle in he center of the rink.
People start filling up the ice now with cameras and reporters.
Kevin skates over to the side picking up his kids and holding one under each arm skating around the rink as the crowd cheers the team one.
“You lousy bastard you broke that finger months ago!” Brian yells skating up to Boucher and smiling.
“Barber doesn’t know that,” Boosh smiles, “Doesn’t ever need to. You could have done it just as well as me Bri. Just as well.”
Brian smiles at Boucher and crashes into him hugging him while the rest of the team skates around them like maniacs.
“There it is!” AJ yells out smiling as Kevin is given the Cup to hold over his head and skate around the rink with as his teammates follow behind him.
They were each given a chance to hold it above their head and skate out onto the open ice with it as the fans cheered them on. The Boosh and Luke chant echo off the walls one last time as Boucher and Richardson have their chance with the Cup, but by far AJ got the loudest cheers even with the stitches in his face.
One team pile up photo wearing their Stanley Cup champions’ hats, with family members and personnel later it was over. The fans were leaving. The crowd was wasting away. There were parties to go to afterwards, but it was over. The season was done. They would have their parade and each have a day with the Cup for their own, but it was done. The 2001-2002 Flyer season was done. They had a title to show for it though and one overly large ring for each of them.
Welcome to Philadelphia Ladies and Gentlemen.
