Why I Cheer for Ryan Smyth (even though I’m a Flames fan)
During last night’s game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Calgary Flames, Ryan Smyth went for the puck along the boards behind the net. Seeing a red jersey rapidly heading his way, he turned to protect the puck, and took a brutal hit into the glass, cutting his nose.
We could debate the legality of the hit for pages (”It was a hit from behind” “He turned toward the glass as he saw the skater coming”), but Smyth fell to the ice, knew he’d likely hurt his nose, got up, skated to the bench and went to the locker room for repairs.
No rolling around on the ice, no crying to the ref for a penalty, no accusations of dirty play. Even the announcers treated it as a typical play that Smyth would be involved in: No analysis of how he purposely turned away from the hit, no debate of poor play. This was simply Ryan Smyth playing his brand of hockey.
Smyth returned just a few minutes later, with a repair done to the bridge of his nose, some cotton in one of his nostrils and a decidedly crooked looking schnooze.
God, I love this guy.
I shouldn’t. He used to live 3 hours north of me and park his butt in front of my goaltender 8 times a year. He used to drive my team’s defensemen crazy. I used to wish we had someone with that kind of determination in the opponent’s goal crease.
He even left Edmonton with class. Many players have said things in the heat of the trade that haunted them on their return, but Smyth, if he felt any animosity (and how could he not?), kept it to himself.
Even when he became a free agent, he reportedly turned down an offer from the Flames, and signed with Colorado because he couldn’t imagine returning to the Oilers’ Rexall Place wearing the Flamin’ C. Oh how sweet it would have been for Ryan Smyth to become a Flame — but the fact he opted not to just reflects his character.
His play in Colorado reflects how good he really is.
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