Gary Carter and my first Jets’ game at the MTS Centre

I started the day by sleeping in and missing my final day of work as a public high school teacher at Pyeongchon Industrial high school.

At the airport I made sure to buy my dad a carton of cigarettes after he got incredibly upset at me for not doing this for him during any of my previous visits.  The carton only cost twenty dollars.

I sat in the smoking lounge at the airport talking to an elderly Canadian couple from B.C. They were returning home from a trip to Thailand, and knew every trick in the book as far as smoking and traveling were concerned.

This was my last day as a cigarette smoker.  I’ve had a few since in Canada but I have not enjoyed a single one.  All they have done is given me a headache and left a bad taste in my mouth.

The flight went fairly easy.  After one stop over in Vancouver I landed at home in Winnipeg around 7 pm. 
  

I had left at 6 pm in Korea.

My friend was waiting for me at the airport.  He had our two tickets to the Jets’ game that night against the Boston Bruins.

We missed the first period but the score was still 0 – 0.  A few minutes into the second period Alexander Burmistrov scored a goal on a wicked wrist shot.  This was especially cool for me because I had a Burmistrov jersey waiting for me at home.  It was what I had wanted for Christmas the previous year, and so my Mom went out and got me one.  My brother got a Mark Scheifele jersey.

One of the biggest reasons I wanted a Burmistrov jersey was because he wore my all time favourite sports’ number: 8. 

Growing up I was a very big baseball fan.  The Montreal Expos were my favourite team and my favourite player was Gary Carter, who wore number 8.

Ever since then that has been my number of choice, whenever I play a sport.  It was my number when I played on the high school soccer team in 1994, and it was my number for all 4 seasons playing in the CBHK (Canadian Ball Hockey in Korea).

Earlier that day, as I was talking to my Mom on the phone I looked up at one of the televisions.  The news on it was very sad.

Gary Carter had died of brain cancer.  He was only 57 years old.

As I saw #8 for the Jets score that goal I couldn’t help but get a little choked up as I thought about my favourite professional athlete of all time.

The Jets won the game.  It was a long time coming.  The last time I had seen a Jets’ victory was in 1996 when they beat the Flyers in the last Jets’ game I ever saw at the old Winnipeg Arena.

Dale Hawerchuk was a player for the Flyers and I got to see Eric Lindros play.  Craig Janney made his debut for the Jets playing on a line with Dallas Drake and Keith Tkachuk.  They dominated and the Jets won.

I like it better when they win.

cheers,

rymr

ps: I had to add this link.  It's a moving tribute from the Montreal Candiens.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mzDqrxaxvM