Stranger crashes in on Canadiens practice

[ROCHitman]

--- Insert your Canadian or Quebecois jokes here -----

Canadian Press

1/9/2006 3:56:03 PM

MONTREAL (CP) - Canadiens goalie Jose Theodore got a shock Monday when a stranger in full hockey equipment jumped on the ice during a Montreal practice and shot a puck at him.

The 28-year-old man from Montreal, who would only say his name was Raphael, went onto the Verdun Auditorium ice when most of the players were at the far end of the rink.

Wearing skates, full gear and a plain white hockey jersey, the man skated in on the star goalie with a stick and a puck. He was poke-checked on his first attempt and Theodore then stopped a weak wrist shot to the high glove side.

The practice crasher was chased to the side boards by coach Claude Julien but wouldn't get off the ice until he was pulled away by an arena worker.

Police later released the man.

"I didn't really know what was going on until the guy came on," a grinning Theodore said later. "He came at me with his head down so I just wanted to say `Welcome to the big boys.'

"I poke-checked him to say `You have to keep your head up.' When he came back, I though about going out of the net and not playing into his game, but then I thought he had the (courage) to go on the ice, so I let him have a free shot at me.

"He couldn't beat me. That's the main thing."

While waiting for the police to arrive, Raphael told reporters that while Theodore is a "great goalie," he didn't score because "I didn't have time."

Although most of what the recreational hockey player said was incoherent, he said he had planned crashing the practice to show the Canadiens what he could do on the ice.

"For many years I wanted to play high-calibre hockey," he said. "I had nothing to lose."

Police spokesman Olivier Lapointe said that although two officers spoke to the man, it was "not really a police matter" and he was not arrested.

With Julien ordering him off the ice, defenceman Craig Rivet stood close by in case there was trouble, but the man went off peacefully.

"It's funny now that everything is OK, but it's a little scary," said Rivet. "You don't know what intentions people have.

"You don't know if he was stable. It was a bit amusing, I guess, but hopefully it won't happen again."

The Habs practise at the suburban arena, where fans are allowed to watch the session, when the Bell Centre is unavailable - because of a Rolling Stones concert this time.

About 15 to 20 fans, mostly schoolkids, were on hand Monday at the practice arena.

The man had spent most of the practice sitting up in the seats in his hockey gear. Winger Alex Kovalev wondered if he was a player waiting to go on after the Canadiens practice until he moved down next to the boards, tightened his skate laces and jumped on the ice.

"He's one of those people, like whoever her name was (Morgana) who used to go out on the baseball field to kiss the players," Kovalev said. "He's probably one of those.

"And maybe he was wondering if we need a right-handed shot and tried to prove he can play on our team. You need one of those things to give us a laugh."

[youcan'tseeme]

Yah just saw that, how did he get in and on the ice

[ROCHitman]

I heard that with the Habs had to practise in another facility because the Stones are setting up the Bell Centre for their concert. The public was allowed to watch practice today.

[NJTank]

lol thats crazy good thing all he wanted to do was shoot the puck, I guess so we can get a laugh of this.

[KevinMcD]

At 10 AM before every sabres home game fans are allowed to watch the practice but they do have security around the rink.

[jkrdevil]

Yah just saw that, how did he get in and on the ice

Well, they were practicing at a local rink. The guy just opened up the door and got on.

[Breakwood]

Sounds like somthing that would happen in Verdun, its a pretty skuzzy borough of Montreal. Alot of weirdos there.

[SEMOSTLfan]

The Blues just built a brand new state of the art practice facility in the middle of st. louis' newest and largest mall. Anyone strolling through the mall can see the blues practice as they walk by and practices are always open.

[pollux]

I heard that with the Habs had to practise in another facility because the Stones are setting up the Bell Centre for their concert. The public was allowed to watch practice today.

Whenever the Canadiens have to practice in another facility, there is a small crowd in the stands.

But last sunday it was the yearly open-to-public practice, and the Bell Centre was almost full. 17,000 in attendance, for a practice. How many teams can say they have that many for a game??

This is our team. This is our game. And we love it!

[spyboy1]

When the Wild can't practice at home, they move to a local arena and it would be no problem to get on the ice if you felt like you had to.

It's really cool to see what they have done in St. Louis! That's quite amazing. Do they primarily practice there, or only when their home rink is busy? It seems like they went to a lot of effort and would use that as a first option even if their home rink was available.

[jkrdevil]

Yea, when teams practice at their local rink it's pretty easy to go watch and get on the ice. The rinks are used for youth hockey and evil figure skating. If you want to watch you can just say your on the ice next. I know when I was 5 my mom would let me miss school to go down to South Mountain Arena to watch the Devils practice. The practices were supposed to be closed but know one ever said anything (Granted I was a little kid with his mother). It was great, I would get a chnce to talk to the players as they were getting off the ice. Some of them would give me there stick or I would go grab a stick they broke and threw over the boards and they would sign that. The players couldn't have been nicer.

[SEMOSTLfan]

That is the Blues primary practice facility, I think the practice at Savvis on gamedays but other than that they are always at IceZone. Its a pretty cool set up, they have a pro shop just to the left of that entry way in the picture too.

[-kj]

re: StL facility

That's off of 370, right? That looks terrific. Do any high school club teams play their home games there?

Man, there's so much more ice now in the StL area than when I grew up there, especially in that I-70 corridor (including St. Peters and Wentzville).

[yh]

re: StL facility

That's off of 370, right? That looks terrific. Do any high school club teams play their home games there?

Man, there's so much more ice now in the StL area than when I grew up there, especially in that I-70 corridor (including St. Peters and Wentzville).

Yes, it's in the St. Louis Mills shopping mall. You cannot miss it. And yes, there's been a whole lot of new indoor sheets laid down in the last decade or so. Wentzville and St. Peters have large facilities as does the Chesterfield Valley. Webster Groves has a fairly new rink with a nice, small arena setup. Creve Couer is working on expanding their rink to include a regulation size sheet as well.

And I'm hoping the Blues sign that intruder. Couldn't hurt.

[zer0dotcom]

And I'm hoping the Blues sign that intruder. Couldn't hurt.

He was alittle shaky on his feet, but he looked like he could have scored if he had a better chance.

I think he's lucky that no one jumped on him and gave him a beating. I mean, that takes balls, especially when you don't know what these people are capable of, or willing to do. That and he's lucky he wasn't charged for that. That might be a bad thing though, since now it shows people that they won't get charged for attempting a stunt like that.

Even communitee service would be a deterent. People who run out on baseballa nd football fields get that treatment, don't see why it's different here.

[SEMOSTLfan]

re: StL facility

That's off of 370, right? That looks terrific. Do any high school club teams play their home games there?

Man, there's so much more ice now in the StL area than when I grew up there, especially in that I-70 corridor (including St. Peters and Wentzville).

Yeah that's for sure. there have been rinks springing up all over the place around STL. The rink in Wentzville is about a mile down the road from my house, Originally it was privately owned and the Otters practiced there but recently Lindenwood bought the whole rink and is using it as the home for their Hockey program. The Otters are now practicing at IceZone with the Blues. There are a lot of High School games at IceZone and they even have public skating and pick-up hockey sessions.

Mockba-- How often do you get back down this way?

[Sport]

The Blue jackets have a practice facility attached to the arena, I think they are the only team that does that. There are full stands on one side of the ice and fans can watch anytime, I've actually watched Colorado and Detroit practice their before.

[-kj]

I'm hit/miss. My family's been all over me for not having come down during the holidays this year. Last time I was home was May 2004. My parents and older brother live in Lake Sherwood, while my sister is up somewhere near Troy. In my youth I lived first in Bridgeton Terrace (which no longer exists), then just outside of New Melle. I went to Howell.

[SEMOSTLfan]

I'm hit/miss. My family's been all over me for not having come down during the holidays this year. Last time I was home was May 2004. My parents and older brother live in Lake Sherwood, while my sister is up somewhere near Troy. In my youth I lived first in Bridgeton Terrace (which no longer exists), then just outside of New Melle. I went to Howell.

Cool I know some people that live around Lake Sherwood, How did you come to live in Minneapolis? I went up there my senior year (2004) and I really liked it, we made stops in Eden Prarie and downtown minneapolis. It was really nice when we were there, an unusually warm 85 degrees in march.