Back in 1996-1997 I took to following the NHL (National Hockey League) in the States. There was something about all that end to end ice action that caught my attention. It was rough, firce and such high enrgey all around and it appealed. I remember waking up in the wee hours of the mronings between 3-7am (which I can stay up to now a days…LOL) every day; just to watch a live game on Sky Sport. This never pleased my mum too much as because of her irregular shitsf at times she’d either be up early or come back in the morning and see me perched infront of the TV. Haha, and when most of those days were on school days…well you can only imagine how un-impressed she was!
Fave team is of course the Detroit Red Wings- current 4 time Stanley Cup Champs, 1996-97, 1997-98, 2001-02, 2007-08 seasons. I also have a soft spot for their rvials the Colorado Avalanche, the Dallas Stars and Pittsburg Penguins. Also don’t mind watching the Tampa Bay Lightning, Buffalo Sabres, St Louis Blues and Phoniex Coyotes from time to time. But first and fore most Red Wings are my team.
Once we moved to Sydney though it was a bit more difficult to follow the sport since Fox Sports coverages was pretty crappy, but at least they covered the play-offs so that was something at least. And I have witnessed all four of the Red Wings 4 Cup wins, never missed any single game. Obviously between their 2002 and 2008 victories there was little to celebrate over and it was easy for my interest to evaporate. Too much time with other things and of course following more local sports like the union, league and cricket. But for what its worth I’ve always and will be an ice hockey fand and been one now about 13 years I think.
However during the earliest time of ’96-97 I still consider my absolute prime interest in the sport. As you all know, by now I love to write, stories, articles…anything. I’ll just write. It’s more than just a hobby or habit it’s just..well..me. So anyway I’m alwys writing about something and during that time (and the time when the infamous Mighty Ducks movies were on) I’d taken my first dib at writing sports-related fics, which I can say is a bit different to writing the usual stories I’d done, which at the time were just silly stuff, about animals, horses, particular boy bands…haha (no, no westlife fics from me back then). So while I’d attempted maybe three or four sports fics in relation to the Mighty Ducks films, I also gave a hand with writing one about the NHL, and esp the Red Wings. It was a bit of a fantasy of mine that one day the NHL would be graced by a female player. Yes, yes probably never going to happen in reality but it’s a story so I can dream! I was only about 14-15 years of age at the time. So yeah my main character was a girl, who was a bit of a tomboy and loved to play hockey. Through some means (I don’t know how I just made it up!) she breaks into the pro league of the NHL and proves to be quite a handful and certainly a player that isn’t going to let the boundaries stop her from doing well at the sport.
What is interesting at the time, was during the 1997-98 season (before I moved to Sydney) in the NHL one of the team’s the Philadelphia Flyers had a line (center, left wing, right wing) with three fearsome players who would pound any opponet and put up some great points, nicknamed the ‘Legion of Doom’. Any team that went up against this trio if a match always had a tough time dealing with them. Even the Red Wings own infamous line ‘The Grind’ line had a bit of trouble but they were just as good as the Doom boys if I may say so myself (I’m bias however! LOL).
Eventually, I thought; ‘well if the Flyers have a Legion of Doom I think I’ll come up with a line and name to counter that, hence I thought up the Legion of Thunder. We had our own set of players (center, left wing and right wing), with my story’s main character taking center spot but not always. At first I made the name and the line, more as a piss-take to the Leigon of Doom, but once I had all other areas figured I though it appropiate to make the line a force in the NHL.
The orginal lineup of the L.O.T as a Red Wing consisted of; left winger Kirk Maltby, centerman Kris Draper and right winger..yes you guessed it the story’s main character. Though I can recall sometimes alternating the L.O.T lineup with keeping in mind injuries and form of the players but that is/was the lineup at the time. Pretty much took the role of The Grind Line’ as well.
Now in my FB status I’ve mentioned it ‘being back’ and I say that because in the last few weeks I’ve thought of re-writing that old story, I don’t have a copy of it on paper but it’s in my memory bank..lol. and I’ve spent the last couple of weeks trying to flesh it out and it’s almost done. When I have the pretty much perfect bio for my main star I’ll post up all the details. No photo thou! LOL.
So ‘Legion of Thunder’ is back and ready to rock, guys this time not as a Red Wing (and the story’s full summary will tell you why), but as a Penguin with two new linemates (well back with her Pens linemates) our main star is back playing in her sport it would now be in her 12th year (under the revised story version) of her pro career in the NHL, and her second 3 year deal with the Pittsburg Penguins.
Stay tuned!!Story remains un-titled as yet.
Ps- who are her Pens linemates..well..they are: Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. 🙂