In honour of the Montreal Canadiens
officially not making the playoffs this year, I thought I'd take a
quick moment and share the story of my 2 run-ins with hockey legend Guy Carbonneau. Most of you who know me personally have heard it
many times but, for those who haven't, it is worth repeating.
I tell this story with every ounce of
humility and acknowledge that in this city, my actions were nothing
short of blasphemous.
As a university student, I had a summer
job working as a barista in a coffee shop at the airport. My shift
was 4AM to noon which meant that I was up at 2:30 to make it to work
on time. When you work hours like that, it's really hard on your
system and either you adapt quickly or you don’t. By the end of the
summer, I was both exhausted and a little “punchy”.
The early hours were usually pretty
quiet. I had all the well-needed coffee I could drink and would chat
with some of the customers as I cleaned tables – usually trying out
a well intentioned joke or two to break the ice. Most people laughed
politely. On rare occasions they also got indignant and complained
but, that is another story.
One such morning a man showed up in a well appointed suit and
placed his order. As I got his coffee, I went into my “in some
countries it's illegal to get up this early” routine and the guy
started laughing. He asked me a little about myself and I told him I
was studying business but, wanted to be a film critic. Then he asked
me what I thought about hockey.
Far be it from me to pass up an opening.
I proudly told him I was the only
person in Montreal who wouldn't be able to tell a hockey player from
a holy man and had never taken an interest in the sport – ever. Now
he was laughing out loud. Sensing “victory” I threw in George
Carlin’s old joke about how hockey was actually 3 activities going
on at the same time – ice skating, playing with a puck, and beating
the “snot” out of somebody (but, I didn't say snot). He asked me
a few times what my name was, thanked me for the conversation, shook
my hand, and said he hoped he'd meet me again the next time he was
passing through.
My boss, a short and stout man with a
rapidly receding widow's peak, stood off to the side and watched the
whole incident. He pulled me into the storage area that also doubled
as his office and proceeded to rip me a new one. “How dare you talk
to any customer like that – especially someone like GUY
CARBONNEAU!”.
I felt like I was going to puke. I may have
known next to nothing about professional hockey but, I sure as
hell knew that name! He boasted a 20-year playing career of which 19
were spent in Montreal and had won the cup twice. Upon hearing my
story, my good friend and CRF contributor Kevin Lecouffe (a huge Carbonneau fan) was outraged and swore I'd never hear the end
of it.
I rationalized that Carbonneau thought
I was really funny and he didn’t seem insulted at all. In fact, he
probably found it refreshing to have a conversation with somebody
about hockey without getting blasted with questions like my friend
might ask. At least that was what I kept telling myself.
It became a running gag with the group
and stayed that way until Kevin got engaged to his longtime
girlfriend. The hunt began for the perfect gift and while planning
the stag party, a mutual friend made an off the cuff comment that we
should invite Mr. Carbonneau to the wedding ceremony. Since I knew
the man so well……..
Far be it from me to pass up an opening.
That year, Guy Carbonneau was being touted as a hometown hero. He
was named head coach of the Habs – an assignment many thought long
overdue. I went on the team's website
and found a spot that indicated players/staff would autograph cards
and memorabilia if you mailed it in.
I wrote to Carbonneau (without reminding him of our first meeting)
and told him how big a fan Kevin was. In retrospect, it probably
sounded pretty sappy but, I can assure you I was honest.
About 2 weeks later, a letter turned up at my place. It was
addressed to the happy couple and said simply “Congratulations on
your wedding. Enjoy each other every day.”. It was signed #21 –
Guy Carbonneau.
The moral of this story, if there is one I guess, is that it
restored my faith in celebrities who have an appreciation for their
fan base. It was a simple act of kindness that won't be forgotten and
the framed letter will always hold a place of honour in Kevin's home.
For that reason alone I'll always have a great deal of personal
respect for Guy Carbonneau.
The other point, to coin a hockey expression, is “never skate with
your head down”. If you do, you'll get
blind-sided and look dumb – just like I did when “that guy”
showed up for his morning coffee.
