Beauty of the Week - 2/1/10
Beauty of the Week - 2/1/10
Well the “Beauty of the Week” is back again after taking a week long hiatus and I have found a very deserving member. He is not only someone who is gaining recognition into the most sought after club in hockey, but, someone who is a great example and representative of what Old School Hockey is all about. Ian Laperriere of the Philadelphia Flyers is definitely a ‘beauty’ and someone who plays the game with more GRIT and determination than anyone else on the ice. He truly does it all, well except score very often, but that is not his job and, in turn, he brings so much more to the table for the boys he goes into battle with night after night. Before I get to much further let me clarify something…I am not a Flyers fan, or a Philly fan, in general. I know that another Flyer, Dan Carcillo, was named “Beauty of the Week” a few short weeks ago (extremely deserving by the way), but I just want to assure my mass audience of readers that I am, in fact, not a fan of the Flyers. Actually, I really don’t like them at all and they have two of my least favorite NHLer’s starting with their whiny overrated Captain. But that’s for another time and place…this entry is to show off the beautyness of the man know as “Lappy”.
Just another tilt...
The epitome of a professional. That is one simple sentence that can define “Lappy”. He is one of those guys that won’t show up on the scoresheet too often…or actually he does show up quite a bit but its just usually listed under the PIMS category… but teams are dying to get him in their dressing room. He brings a leadership quality to the ‘room’ that is rare to find in this day and age and is something that can’t be taught. Lappy is a born leader and is someone that is always looked to when things get tough. The most defining quality of Lappy, however, is his love for the game. At 36 years old, he brings more energy and excitement to the rink everyday then most guys half his age. Some people might say that this is because he knows his career is winding down, but I think if you ask anyone around Lappy about this they would tell you he has always been this way. He is a great teammate and in turn a great hockey player. He is one of those role players who is so vital to a team’s success, yet usually will never get the credit for it. He is a phenomenal penalty killer, probably because of his fearless shot blocking abilities, and is the personification of a grinder. He also still drops his mitts with regularity and will go with just about anyone. If this doesn’t describe a ‘beauty’ then you obviously have no idea about hockey. This also is a great representation of who Old School Hockey was started for. For all those guys like Lappy who are the glue of their team and hold them together to find a way to make them succeed.
Doing what he does best...
I want to share one more story, from this season, about Lappy to show off his real GRIT. In late November, the Flyers were playing the Sabres and Lappy was out killing a penalty. Being the fearless hockey player that he is, Lappy went down to block a one-T from the point…and did he ever block this 90 plus mile an hour rocket. He blocked it with his teeth. Yea that’s right, he definitely mistimed his slide and instead of using his legs to block the shot he ended up getting hit right in the mouth. Needless to say, this was not a pretty site. There was blood everywhere and it looked really bad. But as you can tell from the previous paragraphs in this article, Lappy is a ‘beauty’ and a complete badass. This whole thing happened in the first period and everyone figured that Lappy’s night was over and he potentially could be gone for a long time. But this is where the true hockey player came out and Lappy actually made it back out for the third period. Yes you did just read that correctly. He took over 100 stitches to his face and mouth and lost 7 teeth. No other athletes can ever match a hockey players toughness…and it is for reasons like this that only prove this point. Lappy you may be crazy, but you are inspiration to all hockey players and definitely a huge beauty.
Lappy is great person on and off the ice. When he is not with the boys battling on the ice, he is out there making a difference to people less fortunate than he is. He is huge in the community service world and always goes around with that big beat up smile on his face. He truly can light up any lucky kids face that he meets and will always make an everlasting impression. So this “Beauty of the Week” award goes out to you Lappy for your dedication and love of the game of hockey. You are an inspiration to many and play the game with an Old School GRIT that every hockey player should try to replicate. I salute you Ian Laperriere as this week’s “Beauty of the Week”.