Game Day – Do or Die
From Brent Fisher:
Well for those who haven’t heard, Garrett Wilson and Joey Hishon will both be absent from the Attack line-up tonight. If this was October and the Attack still had 55-60 games to play, this would be a little easier to accept, but sitting here today, this is a VERY bitter pill to swallow. I don’t question the heart and capability of the players in the line-up for one second and firmly believe that they will win tonight and continue to push through adversity.
Losing the 77 goals out of our line-up can be dealt with…it is a great opportunity for younger players to step up and establish a name for themselves. What I find most disappointing is watching two players who have poured their blood, sweat and tears into taking this organization from where it was to where it is now, sit out. These players are a tight knit group of players…as a whole, probably the best group of young men I have had the opportunity to know and they are all brothers to one another. Being somewhat young myself, they are all like little brothers to me and when I see two guys who have given SO MUCH to the team, organization and community banished to the darnkness of their hotel room because of sensitivity to light and sound without the opportunity to enjoy the Memorial Cup experience, let alone play….it sucks. Garrett and Joey both deserve to be with their team…they have earned that right.
After watching the game last night, I couldn’t help but think of the battle that Mississauga and Owen Sound had during the OHL Championship series and the toll that it took on both teams. They had an all out war over the seven game series and that HAD to take a lot out of both teams physically and mentally…and to have to bounce back and play in a tournament format where the Attack WILL play four games in five days is unthinkable.
For whatever reason, the “hockey gods” have not looked down positively on the Attack during the Memorial Cup. Injuries and penalties have pushed the progress back after a 5-0 opening night win against Kootenay, but this team has never given up and will not do so now. They are battling for themselves, the city and their fallen teammates who have battled so hard for them throughout the year.
If nothing else, I see tonight being a very inspirational and passionate game at the Bayshore South against the Kootenay Ice. There is still LOTS of tickets available, so make the trek down to see what promises to be an unforgettable game!
