Oh, they breed them fightin' habits early and often in the good ol' hockey game, eh? Dudes are out there skatin' around, lugging them carbon fibre shillelaghs, colliding at 30+ mph, laying on a slash or a whack every so often, leaving a mark or even a bone bruise or two. A feller's gotta take matters into his own hands and sort that schit out.
Here's a lively bout from junior hockey this season. Some context before we roll tape, eh.
Mark Woolley is the resident goon of the stinkin' Owen Sound Attack, a talentless thug destined for a long, painful, low-paying career ridin' the buses of the minor hockey circuit earning a hard living chucking knuckles and scoring the odd goal.
Earlier this season, he taunts and abuses Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Roman Schmidt, a defenseman with the Kitchener Rangers. They drop the gloves and go. Woolley knocks him down, breaks off and as the linesmen grapple and guide him to the penalty box, he makes the title belt gesture as he passes the Rangers bench and hollers "Who's next!?"
Arber Xhekaj marks his dance card.
Arber was suspended for that game but was back for their next one. Arber is one of the great stories in junior hockey. Undrafted as a 15-year-old into the Ontario Hockey League, the 6'3" defenseman with an absolute gun for a shot and a penchant for heavy bodychecks, shows up as a walk-on tryout player with Kitchener. The coaches see his raw potential and sign him up. His first year is all about getting him to skate better and read the play more clearly, tutored by assistant coach Dennis Wideman, who played over 800 NHL games with Calgary and Boston. He steadily improves.
Second season, he establishes himself as a physical presence on the Rangers blueline while taking a regular position on power plays. His improved skating leads to him getting noticed by NHL scouts but when the big league draft day comes, he's passed over again. But wait. The Montreal Canadiens offer him a chance to skate in their rookie tryout camp. He totally dominates. So, the Habs tell him to join their main training camp and, again, he impresses, getting into a handful of pre-season games. Camp ends and the Habs have a choice - sign him to an entry level contract or let him walk as a free agent for any team to sign.
He signs a three-year entry level contract for $850,000 per season plus a six-figure signing bonus. Then, Montreal sends him back to the junior Rangers to hone his craft and continue to develop leadership skills.
This is the guy Goon Woolley was looking to battle with when he challenged the Rangers bench.
