"A Snapshot Of Me" by Toren Wallengren

Hockey, a sport of grace, power, and money. To play this game you need the skill, the will, and the perseverance. It's hard to accomplish great things in hockey. This one man has set a record for the most goals scored in the NHL for any left winger to ever play. Luc Robitaille. To meet this man is a great inspiration to any hockey player. In this snapshot, from left to right, it's my father, Luc Robitaille, then me. This snapshot has more of a story though than what I just said though.

Years ago, I wasn't the hockey-playing beast of a boy I am today. I was just your average twinkie-loving 9 year old. One day, my dad took me to a hockey game and it changed my life. The game just happened to have Luc Robitaille playing left wing. I was astonished. I couldn't believe that people could dress up in 40 pounds worth of gear, skate on a sheet of frozen water with blades only a millimeter thick, and use their stick to get a small rubber object into a goal smaller than the man protecting it. Luc, my inspiration, scored a hat trick that game (3 goals in one game). After that game, I couldn't stop thinking about hockey and that amazing hat trick.

That same year, I started to play hockey. With the goal of eventually meeting that scoring beast. He was my inspiration for playing. Him and some other Hall of Famers. I got further into hockey, I studied the history of the game, I studied better ways to play and became very knowledgeable of the great game. I went to every NHL game I could, all of them blowing my mind. My mind was still set on meeting that man. I eventually went to a hockey camp where he was the instructor. He taught so much, and I was just shocked to finally meet this man and actually learn from him.

Later, I had the chance to go to California for a music convention. My uncle is a radio DJ in California, so he can get us plenty of things to do in California. My dad sneakily suggested to him that we go see their local team, the Kings, play against the Red Wings. My uncle got us the tickets! Not only that, he got us V.I.P. passes to the game. We ended up in the Lexus club, it's very high class. In fact, it's so high class that the toilets had gold seats! Well, not really. But I wouldn't be surprised! We ate our delicious dinner there with the man, the manager of the King's communications department, Luc Robitaille. He even remembered me from that camp, and said I was a great hockey player. Those words were so inspiring. This picture is of me, my dad, and Luc right before we went back to our hotel. I will never forget it.