AUTHOR

Brent Chartier

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The inspiration behind "Iceland" came from a family vacation to a park outside Port Elgin, Ontario. At the Port Elgin museum was a traveling exhibit from the Hockey Hall of Fame. Port Elgin is small, its museum also small, but it was packed with everything hockey -- loops of Paul Henderson's goal on a wooden console TV; a lifesize cutout of Don Cherry; a Zamboni, rusted and nicked; and more. Also in the exhibit was a replica of a young person's bedroom during the era of the Original Six, including a Bruins' blanket and pillowcase, a Leafs' throw rug and, on a table beside the bed, a box of small replicas of the highest honors in professional hockey, the trophies -- the Vezina, the Hart Memorial, the Norris, the Stanley Cup, of course, and others. That young people would idolize the sport so fully consumed me, and I read everything I could about hockey. From "Iceland," I hope you enjoy the Vic-isms, CC's stately speeches on the Age of Greatness, the pull of DR's love for his son, and Bear and Terry and Barber Gar and the beautiful Carla. And of course the visits from Cyclone Taylor, by far one of the greatest of his or any era. "What is it?" asks Crumb. "Something just happened." I keep my voice hushed. "It's about Cyclone." "Yeah, my new nickname." "No, the man Cyclone, the man," I say. "And a good man at that. Cyclone Taylor. 205 games, 209 goals. Hockey's first superstar--" "What does he look like?" I ask. "Look like? I've got photos in books at--" "Describe him." "Well, stocky. Big stocky guy. Big head." "Who'd he play for?" I ask. "Lots of teams. Ottawa two years, Vancouver nine--" "Vancouver?" "Yeah. Millionaires, not Canucks." "Crumb?" I say. "Cyclone." "Cyclone?" "DR?" "He's here."
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