Quotes from Sigmund Brouwer

For each of us, time is a thief of flory. What give meaning to our lives and deaths is love and hope, if we are willing to share and accept

At the end of last season, I'd been a draft pick for the Buffalo Sabres, a National Hockey League team. By drafting me, they had secured the rights to me as a player, but it didn't mean I'd automatically make the team. To improve my chances to play pro hockey, I wanted to be heavier and stronger, so each summer day after working on my dad's cattle ranch, I pumped weights and dreamed about playing for the Sabres.

Luke's eyes were wild. He was a little taller than me, but not quite as heavy. A lot of girls liked him because he was good looking with dark wavy hair. Not many guys liked him because all he cared about was himself.

That's one of the good things about Coach Price. He doesn't expect us to be silent robots. As long as we do what he tells us, we can kid around and he'll kid back.

Think, guys. What was strange about the story Uncle Goerge told us?" "That a woman outsmarted the men", Mike said. For which he received a scowl that did a thunderstorm justice.

I'm not only grumpy, I'm also short and wide. Actually, if people want to be mean, they can call me fat and be close to right. Short wide guys normally don't have much a chance in sports. But I have two things going for me: I don't feel pain and I have quick hands.

Last year, Eddie hadn't been strong enough to make the team. This year, he was stronger and bigger, a lot bigger, like he could be a model for a bodybuilding magazine. It was almost certain he would make the team this year.

My eyes were on the game as the Winter Hawks moved the puck into our zone. I wanted to learn as much as I could about their offense. I wanted to know how they moved the puck around. Playing or not playing, I always look for things that give away shooters' secrets.

You see, goalies are different from other hockey players. We never cheer against each other. Why? Only goalies truly know what it's like to be a goalie. Because you're the last player between the puck and the net, the blame always falls on you when the other team scores a goal.

Strangers don't smile at me. Even though I'm only 17, I'm too big to get smiles.

My job is to skate as hard and fast as anyone in the WHL. My job is to pound all the opposing forwards and defensemen into the boards whenever possible. My job is to score goals on those few times I have the puck and the net is so wide that even an elephant in handcuffs couldn't miss.

One of the things I don't like about being tall is having to see the tops of people's heads, especially those of middle-aged men. You can always tell when they're slicking their hair forward to hide baldness. Or worse, you see their dandruff like sugar sprinkles on a cake.

People six foot seven and 250 pounds should never lose their tempers," I explained with a calm voice. "It can be unhealthy for everyone involved.

I was looking hardest for their big players. These were the guys I wanted to force into the boards first. Clean, legal body checks, of course. I didn't want a reputation as a goon. Besides, I didn't need to play dirty. I could do enough damage without getting penalties.

I spend a lot of time in the penalty box and I get yelled at a lot by angry hockey fans. I expected Saskatoon fans to hate me.

I could have told him I'm one of the smallest guys on the ice. Can I help it if biggest players trip over my knee and smash into the boards? But the referee hadn't believed my story. This guy probably wouldn't either. Besides, he wasn't getting to me. I've been called worse things than a boneheaded jerk.

The guys on the team tell me that when I go crazy, my eyeballs roll back into my head. If that's true, my eyeballs were spinning in circles as I wiped the spit off my cheek. And I lost it. Totally.

Getting called into the coach's office is like getting called into the principal's office. And I never have good enough grades to hope it's because the principal has nice news.

Some labels are bad enough: Troublemaker. Bad-tempered. Rebel. I could live with those. I deserved them. Other labels like thief hurt worse and follow you longer.

For each of us, time is a thief of flory. What give meaning to our lives and deaths is love and hope, if we are willing to share and accept