The P season is upon us and this one will be my last……

I came into this league 21-year-old drafted in the second round by the very man who got me in the league, Campbell. That would be the last time I went in the second round, till now. So being drafted second round this year seems only fitting to go out how I came in, I didn’t even threaten to hold out or demand a trade, or my famous” I want to play D”. Perhaps another cliché of it being better to burn out than to fade away. Considering all the young talent coming in, nature is taking its course (*coughs* guys over 40). Watch out for that Walsh kid.

Spending over a decade in this league has been an honor and a privilege. There’s been hockey highs and lows as every season presents a new cast to play out the season. What looking back on this is what’s changed in these very important years. You’ve seen your friends grow, marry, have children. I don’t think I can count on just 2 hands the times I’ve had a conversation where a friend has broken news of a life change with a beer in hand in the locker room. Remember kids I’ve been playing on Mondays before Facebook. Some key moments I’ll never forget have gone down around Monday night hockey. The phrase “he told me on Monday at hockey” is a phrase I’ve said many times.

As I see players retire each year it’s like losing an older brother, which I can’t name how many players were to me. The P is indeed a family, a family of characters. As some of my favorite line mates can’t go by their real names, Maj, Disco, DH, Ryz, Creegz, Ticker, slopper, Big Marco and I’ll never forget the K-MAN. I’ve had some good opponents, always one to embrace the target on my back with the many showdowns with Hammy and the Jets as well as what is doomed to be an eternal dual between me and Gogo. I can’t forget the shadowing job Rich Parmentier laid on me, if only someone could have picked up the slack on the last 3 minutes of my shift. Thinking back on all the times Colin Kemp used to come in and check if the points were right, most didn’t care, I did. Now to see his daughter Kristy taking over is just a sign of how the P is a family. She never offered to correct the stats, but she humored me by disagreeing with any call that put me beside her in the box.

As the league seems to be thriving as good as ever, I sometimes shake my head, I never thought I’d play long enough to see expansion or games played at Dorval?! But the league has grown to a new generation to embrace the fond memories of Monday’s. I always wondered why a guy like Duker hung em up when he was still good, but all these years later, I got my answer. Things change a lot in a decade. I was just a kid in university when I started, getting hammered on Mondays heading out for beers(Topaz) after we got the boot from the arena. I thought I’d play in this league till I was 50. Now the thought of an 11pm game in January gives me the shivers. Scoring goals on Mondays meant a lot to me, now I’m just pissed I need to actually go to Calzones to get pizza.

It’s been some great hockey with great teammates and better friends. I’d be remised to not mention it hasn’t been the same without my best friend screaming his lungs out in profanity at me to move my ass… I’ll miss you the most Kneestore.

To the new generation, don’t let anyone tell you, you can’t hang up at the red line and that if you’re under 30 you can hate Coors light.

Rourkey

Ps. To the all my centers, thanks for always back checking.

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Sean Campbell/Leader of Les Superfriendz

“Bring beer!–I know you won’t, but if you did you’d be a legend!”

Dear 22-year-old Campbell,

What the hell did you do? It has been 17-years of playing hockey and you didn’t sign up for a team or league?

C’mon man!

Good thing our mom’s neighbour told you to leave your name at the arena to spare for some league called PCIHL. (‘The P’ was only coined years later by Zach Harris on the discussion forum of the old website)

You should have signed up to the league like your other friends. But I understand you never had to sign up before, the last 17 years you’ve been ‘trying out’.

Your junior days are over; you’ve started coaching but don’t have a league to play in. You’re about to get lucky. I can’t tell who it was but some 37-year-old man on the Maroons in the fall of 2001 will lose an edge and dislocate his shoulder. You’ll get the ‘spare call’:

“Monday, 9pm Pointe Claire arena??

“Annexe?”

“No the main” (The Bob nickname won’t come for another decade)

“You’re sparing for the Maroons”

“Ok”

That’s it, next time maybe figure out who called you…

Game day,

BRING BEER! I know you won’t but you could have been a legend if you did.

First thing you’ll hear as you walk into room 1 is ‘Where’s the beer?’

At least try and think of a better response than dumbass silence.

“Even though you’re a spare, you’re allowed to ask for a second beer”

Strike-one.

Don’t mention you haven’t played a game since Junior AA.

No one cares.

Strike-two.

Then something weird will happen. Don’t freak out, just go with the flow. Your team will have 11-skaters. I know, who calls a spare when you already have 10-skaters… His name is Luc Fillion.

You’ll like him, you’ll actually like everyone.

Relax, you already have two strikes and the game hasn’t started yet.

You’ll get line mates: Dave ‘DB’ Brown and Jason ‘The General’ Ng. You can call him DB(he’s had it since the 80s) and call Jason, ‘Jay’ because he wouldn’t have a clue what you’d be saying if you used The General. That nickname took more time to develop, you’ll be proud to know you have a big role to play in that gem.

You’ll be the ‘young guys’ and the ‘old guys’ will expect you to skate and score. Don’t underestimate the ‘old guys’ on the other team, this league is very different and experience is something that you need. You’ll understand in time. And thanks to Jay and DB you’ll pot a couple of goals.

Postgame…

“This is when you know that you want to be in the league for the rest of your life”

First, even though you’re a spare, you’re allowed to ask for a second beer.

Second, realize this is when you know that you want to be in the league for the rest of your life. You just met the Maroons and you feel at home. When you leave the room and catch the end of the 10pm game you’ll be standing next to the dude you slashed 45 minutes earlier. You’ll realize holy shit, I know more people here than I thought. Then the “West Coast” game will start, some skinny dude named Jason Duke will score four times (to nobody’s surprise), the crowd boos every penalty or close call or flub up on the ice. By crowd I mean about 25-guys. I have no idea how a 6-2 game at 1145pm on a Monday night in late October at the Pointe Claire Main Arena sells us to this league but it does.

You’ll get the call the next week to play again but not to spare.

“Campbell we need you on the Maroons for the rest of the year”

Tell them you’ll bring the beer… I did.

-Sean Campbell, SuperFriendz