Scott Gomez marked his retirement today with a post in The Players’ Tribune, and instead of simply thanking his fans, teammates and everyone that had supported him along the way, Gomez used the opportunity to share his second love: poetry. Gomez delivers a 23-stanza freestyle, expressing his love for the game he played for 32 years, and one he affectionately refers to as Mrs. Hockey.
So this is our goodbye
Damn girl, it’s finally here
The fact that you leave me
You’d bet I have tearsI will always love you
That I’ll never hide
Because of you Mrs. Hockey
I’ll always live my life with pride
Till the day I die…
Gomez announced last week that he will retire from hockey after a 16-year NHL career.
Team North America took to the ice together again today, with first overall pick Auston Matthews again skating on a line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nathan MacKinnon. Coach Todd McLellan was asked by TSN’s John Lu after practice about the young Maple Leaf, the only member of the team who has yet to play in the NHL.
My experience with him here the past couple of days is that he’s a very confident, bright individual. Picking things up, and he certainly fits our group very well.
On how he sees that line coming together for the tournament, after just a few looks at them at this point:
Nugent-Hopkins is a responsible steady performer down the middle. I look at the other two as having speed, size, puck skills, and we hope the combination of the three allow us to be productive at both ends of the rink.
If that is the line that takes the ice for North America, it’ll have three first-overall picks skating together. The squad has five total, including Connor McDavid and Aaron Ekblad.
Also at the World Cup, Team Canada head coach Mike Babcock (via Chris Johnston of Sportsnet) was gushing about Shea Weber, the newest member of his rival Montreal Canadiens.
Just physically, he’s a man mountain. When he looks at you, you know it’s serious business. He’s as good a human being as I’ve ever been around, period. So he doesn’t have to say much – all he’s got to (do) is look at you and you snap into shape. He makes you a better coach.
Babcock would know, as he coached Weber to two gold medals in the 2010 and 2014 Olympics. An assistant captain on the team this year, Weber has won World Championship and World Junior gold as well.