| Hi, My Name is Deb. | | | | or that my crazy idea would actually happen |
| | | | and almost forgot about it, being wrapped up |
| I'm a 39 year old, hockey playing, Mom of two | | | | in all my other crazy ideas, that is, until |
| beautiful (inside and out) children, Max 14 | | | | my son came into the kitchen (my |
| and Kristal 13. | | | | "Organization's" new office), holding the |
| | | | phone and said…"Mum, Some guy named |
| I started playing hockey at the age of 27, | | | | Rick Middleton is on the phone for you." I |
| while living in Brisbane Australia. I was | | | | instantly had goose bumps, fixed my hair (as |
| skating at the local rink, trying to lose the | | | | if he could see me) and calmly said, "Hi |
| baby weight from the birth of my daughter. | | | | Rick, what can I do for you?" |
| At the end of the public skate, I was | | | | |
| approached by the coach of the Queensland | | | | Well, long story short, he agreed to be a |
| Women's Ice Hockey Team. He had heard that I | | | | Chix (and wear a wig, lipstick AND fake |
| was a permanent resident (I was married to an | | | | boobs) and he convinced Tommy Songin (another |
| Aussie) and I was asked to stick around, | | | | former Bruin) to do the same! What a |
| because they were having practice for the | | | | sight to see!!! |
| state team. I laughed, because I had never | | | | |
| played organized hockey. Yes, I was a strong | | | | Have I mentioned that Hockey players, young, |
| skater from being a figure skater and tomboy | | | | old, famous or not, male or female, just the |
| growing up, but I had never played on a real | | | | whole damn hockey community, are the BEST, |
| team. | | | | most down to earth, generous, and real |
| | | | people, on this planet??!! Have I mentioned |
| In a nutshell, I stayed, I skated and I was | | | | that? Well, they are! |
| asked to join the team. | | | | |
| | | | My next crazy idea was to get ESPN to cover |
| My first EVER real hockey game was a national | | | | us…I was told by EVERYONE, (except my |
| Championship. We (Queensland) won!! | | | | friend and former hockey teammate, TC who's |
| | | | company "Central Signal Corp" bought our Chix |
| I skated with the Queensland team for 3 | | | | uniforms) that it would NEVER happen…of |
| years, ice and inline, traveled the country, | | | | course, that made me want them to cover us |
| met so many wonderful people…it was | | | | even more. I'll cut to the |
| AWESOME! | | | | chase…(Again, my cousin Michael on my |
| | | | shoulder) I got ESPN's hockey show "Cool |
| 1997, we moved back to the States, I found a | | | | Shots" to come up to Boston, cover the nights |
| women's league in the Boston area and | | | | events and do a really nice piece on us. |
| continued to skate. While my hockey was | | | | |
| going strong, my marriage was falling | | | | Now, who would be our honorary coach? Being |
| apart…quickly. Hockey was my | | | | from the North Shore and growing up in a |
| sanity… | | | | hockey loving family, who else would you want |
| | | | on the bench, but USA's favorite son/captain, |
| While I was completely self absorbed with, | | | | gold medal winning, local hero, Mike |
| and crying over, my failed marriage, my Aunt | | | | Eruzione!! |
| Kathleen and Uncle Jimmy, lost their 14 year | | | | |
| old son Michael, to Leukemia. | | | | I made ONE call, got him directly and without |
| | | | hesitation, he said, "Sure, I'd love to!" |
| It quickly put life into perspective for | | | | |
| me… I stopped my crying and started | | | | I think I mentioned how incredible the hockey |
| thinking of ways for me to lesson my guilt, | | | | community is, right? |
| of not being there for them, while getting | | | | |
| off my sorry ass and doing something to make | | | | My last crazy notion was to have a famous |
| myself feel better about ME, combined with | | | | Boston voice/name/comedian to MC the |
| being able to do something good for others! | | | | game…My first phone call was to WZLX, |
| | | | where Steve Sweeney worked as the morning |
| On a cold night in October, my friend and | | | | shows host/DJ. I was pushed to voicemail, |
| teammate, Becky and I, went to a Boston | | | | left a message and never expected to hear |
| Bruin's Alumni game. As I was watching the | | | | back. About 15 minutes later, I jumped into |
| B's, it hit me…THIS IS IT!!! The women | | | | the shower and my phone rang, it was STEVE |
| I skate with/against could skate just as | | | | and we were live on the air…" he asked, |
| well, if not better, than the team the Alumni | | | | "what's that noise", I said, "Water, I'm in |
| were playing. My wheels started | | | | the shower", he said "Oh my God, I'm in the |
| turning… Between periods, a friend, | | | | shower with a female hockey player?", I |
| introduced me to the B's, Gary Doak. After | | | | laughed said yes and he agreed to not only |
| the "Hi, nice to meet you", I blurted | | | | MC, but to have the radio station sponsor us, |
| out…"Hey, would you guys be willing to | | | | by running commercials and promoting it |
| play against a women's team?" He said, | | | | daily! Us Bostonian's would describe Steve |
| "Sure, do you have a cause?" I said, "YES I | | | | as a WICKED awesome and WICKED funny guy. |
| DO!" "The Jimmy Fund, in Memory of my cousin | | | | |
| Michael." He said, "Does your team have a | | | | Jump forward to the evening of March 26th, |
| name?" And the first thing that came to mind | | | | The night that all of my crazy ideas come |
| was, "Chix with Stix". I was told to put the | | | | together, the first ever Chix with Stix |
| request in writing and email it to the | | | | fundraising hockey game. I'm on my way to |
| Bruin's Alumni. I did and with in 2 weeks I | | | | the rink, the truck filled with supplies, |
| received a letter saying that my | | | | raffle prizes, ME, we were hit with a freak |
| "organization" was picked to play against the | | | | half hour snow storm, I was on RT93 north, it |
| Alumni. And that's how it all started… | | | | caused crazy traffic, my drivers side |
| | | | windshield wiper broke, from the weight of |
| Then it hit me… "Organization. What | | | | the snow. I had to stick my head out of my |
| organization… It's just me…I am | | | | window to see in front of me (I drive a |
| the organization!? OH oh, now I have to | | | | standard, it wasn't easy!!) but none of it |
| produce!!" | | | | was reason enough to dampen my night. I |
| | | | walked into the rink, covered in snow, |
| I first started by putting together a | | | | started directing my fellow hockey teammates |
| team… the "Chix" weren't an official | | | | and family who where their to volunteer, |
| team, I just said they were, to Gary, to get | | | | fixed my hair and make up, did an interview |
| the ball rolling. But, I new it wouldn't be | | | | with ESPN, got into uniform, was fitted for |
| hard to pull together a group of talented | | | | an ESPN mobile microphone, stood on the blue |
| female players who would want the opportunity | | | | line for the National Anthem, between Rick |
| to skate against some of the biggest names in | | | | Middleton and Tommy Songin looking across ice |
| hockey! | | | | at the Alumni…The Chief, Brad Park, Pie |
| | | | McKenzie, The Rat, etc… What a |
| Then "ALL" I had to do was…set a date, | | | | feeling!! |
| book a rink, design the uniforms, get | | | | |
| sponsors, put together the raffles/prizes, | | | | Most of the night was a blur for me, but a |
| staff the event, sell tickets, begin a media | | | | great time was had by ALL! |
| push, all while working my full time job @ | | | | |
| Northwest Airlines and being a full time, NOW | | | | It all went by so quickly, when we left the |
| single, Mom…piece of cake! | | | | building, my teammates and I were surrounded |
| | | | by little girls, asking US for autographs. |
| Did I mention that I'm the type of person who | | | | |
| LOVES a challenge and thrives when people | | | | It was the most incredible night for me, in |
| say, "You'll never do it!?" | | | | so very many ways! |
| | | | |
| I wanted this to be BIG. I wanted it to be | | | | Just weeks after that magical night, my Nana, |
| different than all of the other Alumni games | | | | was diagnosed with Breast cancer, (She was in |
| (other than the obvious of us being a women's | | | | the stands on March 26th and told me how very |
| team), I wanted my kids to see that if you | | | | proud she was of what I had done, was doing.) |
| have an idea, as long as you believe in it | | | | Knowing that she was now sick, combined with |
| and work hard at it, it CAN come together. | | | | the fact that for the months following the |
| But most of all, this was my chance to prove | | | | first Chix game, I was constantly being |
| to myself that I could do this, do something | | | | asked, by both players and fans, to put |
| big and "pay it forward"! So with NO event | | | | together another game. I decided that I |
| planning or marketing experience, I was on a | | | | would. But because the Organization is just |
| mission to make this night memorable. | | | | me (and my children) and it's pretty time |
| | | | consuming, I figured, Yes, I would do it, but |
| I'd have mini panic attacks…"Yes, my | | | | every OTHER year. |
| ideas were great, but can I really do this?" | | | | |
| | | | I also decided to change the beneficiary to |
| My first crazy idea was to have my favorite | | | | the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. And |
| Bruin (Terry O'Reilly) play for the Chix | | | | this time, do it in Nana's name (Edna |
| team, (maybe wear a wig, have him as OUR | | | | Cronin). Unfortunately, my Nana never made it |
| muscle). I called the Alumni office, spoke | | | | to see the game that I was doing in her |
| to Mal (for the first of MANY, MANY times) | | | | honor, she passed away on August 12th, Always |
| and asked her how to get in touch with Terry. | | | | the sports fan, (while literally on her death |
| She said that she was sorry, but she | | | | bed, floating in and out of a morphine |
| couldn't give out his info. | | | | induced high), She waved me towards her and |
| | | | whispered, "Deborah, what's the score of the |
| Oh well…it was a funny idea. | | | | game?" I said, '2-1, Sox are losing, Nomar's |
| | | | up and there are 2 outs, doesn't look good." |
| The moment that I knew this event was going | | | | She said back to me, "These damn Sox are |
| to be a success (and that my cousin Michael | | | | going to kill me faster than this cancer!" |
| was watching over me) was...JUST after | | | | Those were her last words, to me. |
| hanging up with Mal, I pulled into "Hockey | | | | |
| Town", to have my skates sharpened, and who | | | | When the second event rolled around, because |
| do you think was skating??? Yup, Terry | | | | I had now become friends with most of the |
| O'Reilly!! Terry freaken O'Reilly!!!" I | | | | people involved with the Bruin's Alumni |
| took a deep breath, tried to contain my HUGE | | | | organization, I DID get O'Reilly to play for |
| smirk and walked onto the bench, (where he'd | | | | the Chix, this time. He didn't wear the wig |
| just sat) I stuck out my hand, introduced | | | | and lipstick. But you know what… that |
| myself and told him of my idea. He laughed | | | | was just fine with me, I got to skate with |
| and said, "Sure! Here take my number" (I | | | | him as MY D partner!! Another fun night, |
| almost pee'd!!) I took out my phone and | | | | another great beneficiary. |
| tried to keep my hands from shaking while | | | | |
| putting his number in. He introduced me to a | | | | My life is sometimes surreal, ie: "Mum, |
| few of the other guys, Brad Park and Andy | | | | Terry's on the phone" (first name basis - |
| Brickly to name two… and back out on | | | | hehe) or walking in somewhere and someone |
| the ice he went. I walked back to my car, | | | | saying to me "Hey, I saw you on TV" (ME, this |
| completely forgetting to sharpen my skates, | | | | former figure skater, funny girl, just a |
| and called My Mom, Dad, Becky and whoever | | | | working Mom, now skating to wipe out cancer) |
| else would answer their phone on a Tuesday | | | | |
| afternoon! Well, it turned out Terry had a | | | | Putting these events together, has changed my |
| prior Commitment with the Legends of hockey | | | | life, my children's life, too. It's expanded |
| (in CANADA) for that same date…but when | | | | my circle of friends, it's made me realize |
| I called him, he said, "Deb, I'm REALLY sorry | | | | that even when most people think that |
| that I won't be there, but, I know someone | | | | something IS NOT possible, that's when I feel |
| who will be and I'll have him contact | | | | it IS! My children have been right by my |
| you…do you know Rick Middleton?" (UM, | | | | side through it all, on the bench, in the |
| RICK MIDDLETON? OF COURSE I KNOW RICK | | | | papers, in the locker rooms, they too have |
| MIDDLETON!!!) I said, "Yes." He continued, | | | | had an interesting and fun journey…it a |
| "I'll see if he can do it for you." | | | | pretty AWESOME feeling to hand a check to an |
| | | | organization knowing that it may just be my |
| I honestly did not think that Rick would call | | | | monies raised, that will help find the cure! |