Login

***sve7en*** · 01-27-2020, 02:55 PM

[First written media double payout, 1515 words]

[Image: YeuPGLj.png]

This is the second entry on The Player's Tribune in an ongoing series following hockey prospect Jimmy Wagner through his journey of playing professionally. To read his first entry, “Hey Dad”, click here.

The roar of the crowd is never instantaneous. Ever.

Listen closely next time, and you’ll hear it.

Some people have an eye for the game; they’re the ones to get quiet first, and everyone else follows. The silence as people shift attention ripples through crowds, but you can’t really tell unless you’re looking for it, or watching someone who has that eye. They see what’s about to happen, and they’re anticipating it just like the players are. That anticipation is about to turn into a roaring whirlwind.

".. and Simpson holds on to it, which means that we will be right back after a short break."

It wasn’t long ago that I was writing my first article for The Player’s Tribune, it was both an open letter to my dad and a notice to the front offices of the SMJHL. Ready or not, I was coming. That moment was kind of the same thing, anticipations and coming whirlwinds.

Just like that, I was on a plane to Canada, my first trip overseas. Meetings with the head office, interviews with nearly every team (some of them twice), and so many changes of clothes. I met more people in that week before the draft than I had in the last year in Austria. So many peers with the same dreams I had, mentors there to show us the ropes and teach us about the professional side of hockey, analysts, scouts, hockey fans.. I probably met half of Quebec City while out and about too.

It was all so worth it though, “I’m finally about to be a pro hockey player” was coursing through my head as I sat in that theater on draft night. I had put away the interview suit, finally breaking out the suit dad got me before I left so he could see it in the pictures, and was shoulder to shoulder with kids from all over the world, hoping to hear our names.

I had it a lot better than some though, I knew (at least as best as I could) teams were locked in to taking me in the first two rounds at that point. Halifax loved me, so did Kelowna, but they Halifax needed a defender in the first round.

“Chris Cerullo, Norway” rang out while I was still a bit in my own thoughts, and I let myself be a little bummed. It would have been incredible to first overall in such a talented class, but maybe it was a positional thing, ya know? A few more names were read off in the next few minutes. Scott Harrington and Hiroshi Ohira were the wings that went before me, but I love those two guys and I could get the aspects they had me beat in. I clapped for everyone getting their names read, but I wasn’t really focused, my mind was racing.

Did I do enough in the interviews? Should I have done my highlight tape differently? Every mistake I could have made in the last week was piling up in my head, and you could actually see me start to clap for another pick as they read my name “With the 6th overall pick in the SMJHL draft, the Carolina Kraken select… Jimmy Wagner, Austria”.

Me.

6th Overall.

Carolina.

Oh my God.

Where the hell is Carolina?

Time was frozen. I had gotten a taste of the whirlwind this last week, but now I was being sucked away. Pushed into the unknown by applause, hands pulling me up, clapping me on the back. Suddenly, I was on stage, the cameras were flashing, and I was off.

".. annnd welcome back to Vancouver. Whalers up one - nill, 10:12 left in the second as MacTavish and Broomstick lean in for the faceoff to Simpson’s right .."

There were dozens of phone calls and texts in the next few days, it was hard to keep up with who all even wanted to talk to me. The head of DACH’s WJC team was one of them, letting me know I wasn’t on the team this year. They just didn’t need what I could bring to the roster. That one stung a bit.

When that announcement went up, one of the WJC heads reached out and offered me a spot with a prospect team. We’d likely get obliterated, they didn’t know who would coach us yet, but it was still ice time and experience. For me it also offered me a chance to make DACH realize what they were missing out on. By the end of the day, I was on my way to Moscow, country number 3 in 10 days.

WJC started out pretty rough, to say the least. 20 guys, speaking 10 different languages, and most of us were wingers to boot. The experience was great though. For a lot of the scrimmages I got to hang out a lot with the other prospect team’s captain, Eric Hudson, and that was beyond valuable. He’s a natural leader, and the way he handled his artificial role was really cool to see. He had a good mind for the game and started working with his assigned coach to get better lines for his teammates to succeed. Inspired by that, started trying to do the same with our team. By the time the round robin started up, I was setting lines, and I had one game circled on the calendar. DACH.

The DACH game was amazing. I ended up putting myself at defense for a majority of the WJC, because we had a few two way wingers, but I was probably the quickest and had the best chance to keep up with the elite junior forwards. That was probably the best hockey I’ve ever played though, rallying the team every second I wasn’t on the ice, and anticipating every play DACH was trying to set up. I didn’t get a point that game, but I would have rather won that game than score in any.

We went 6-12 at WJC, which sucked, even though everyone expected nothing from us.

We lost to Eric in the bracket play, that hurt more.

I put my heart into a team of guys that hardly knew each other, and wouldn’t play under the same banner again, but that win against DACH, and the other 5 we earned had a lot of us believing we could really do something. That’s hockey though. Those flights from Moscow to Charlotte were the first time I really had time to reflect on everything that had happened since I declared. I was actually wanting to write this on those flights, but I was so physically and mentally exhausted I was out by the time I had my laptop booted up.

".. MacTavish wins the puck, slings it out past Hartmann towards the other circle .."

Charlotte has been great. The city isn’t a big hockey town, but they still love us here. People have recognized me when I go out with the guys, and that’s an incredible feeling. I was living out of a hotel room for a bit, but I finally have a place of my own and I’m really happy here so far. It’s going to suck being on the road so much though.

I haven’t had much time to enjoy the city though. The day after I got back from Moscow, training camp started up. Two a days, with apartment shopping in between and after, was just the next step of the whirlwind. I finally got all my stuff moved in this past weekend though, just in time to play our last preseason game and get on the plane for my first real professional hockey game. Canada again, but Vancouver this time. Time zones aren’t real anymore, and I just get by with counting down the hours until the next responsibility.

".. Wagner streaking for the pass, fires a wrister… AND HE SCORES! JIMMY WAGNER BRINGS CAROLINA BACK LEVEL FOR HIS FIRST PROFESSIONAL GOAL!"

About that roaring whirlwind I mentioned before though, sometimes you don’t get to hear it. Sometimes it’s an away game. Sometimes, the roar is on the other side of the world. In a bar still open at 5 in the morning, where I’m sure for a split second you could hear a pin drop as a few dozen fans held their breath, started to cheer, and erupted.

That puck is in on my laptop as I write this from the plane. We’re about to take off to California, and it’s still kind of crazy to think about…

Me, Jimmy, a kid from Austria, a professional hockey player. I got paid money to score that goal.

The Panic at the Disco song drowns out the engines getting ready to send us back in to the whirlwind. It’s only been a month, I’m on my 7th international flight.

“Hey look Ma, I made it.”

Until next time,
Jimmy Wagner
Carolina Kraken

[Image: q7lxxqK.png]

ACapitalChicago · 01-27-2020, 02:59 PM

Fantastic work, can't wait to see your production this season! Kraken

S66 Damian Littleton

||

||

|

|

***Chevy*** · 01-27-2020, 03:00 PM

Holy F man.

This makes me feel like I need to seriously step up my media game. Cheers on another fantastic read!

*slothfacekilla* · 01-27-2020, 03:01 PM

Great stuff man Kraken

EricNCSU · 01-27-2020, 03:02 PM

I was rooting for ya'll when we weren't playing against each other. Very proud of both the World and North America prospect teams. We should all have our heads held high after Moscow.

Sounds like this season is already off to a good start for you. See you on the ice!

***sve7en*** · 01-27-2020, 03:10 PM

01-27-2020, 03:02 PMEricNCSU Wrote: I was rooting for ya'll when we weren't playing against each other. Very proud of both the World and North America prospect teams. We should all have our heads held high after Moscow.

Sounds like this season is already off to a good start for you. See you on the ice!

Same here man. I was really hoping we'd get to avoid each other in the first round. If we could have just passed Finland prospect gang could have had 2 shots at the big boys. Hope your season goes well, and see you soon ?

*roastpuff* · 01-27-2020, 03:24 PM

Fantastic article. Really brings you into the game.

***boom*** · 01-27-2020, 03:47 PM

Wow. This is amazing stuff.

Navigation

Extra Menu

About us