The Redemption Of Jeff Carter: Part One

Dec 20, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) greets center Jeff Carter (77) after a goal against the Arizona Coyotes in the first period of the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

“I’ve got this”

Arriving at the arena, the boy jumped out of the car, grabbed his equipment bag and hockey stick and ran into the multi-purpose facility while his father searched for a place to park the car. Blasting into the locker room where his teammates were already dressed in full gear and about to enter the ice, the boy wasted no time in putting his armor on.  The coach, noticing that his star player was late once again, approached the boy but before he could say anything, the boy looked up at him and said, “I’m sorry Coach for being late but don’t worry, I got this!”  The boy then grabbed his hockey stick and jumped onto the ice just before the game started.  A game in which the boy scored a hat trick and had the championship winning goal.

If anyone was concerned about the young Jeff Carter always arriving late to important commitments or for coming across as lackadaisical for any responsibilities that he had, young Jeff knew in the deepest regions of his heart, mind and soul that none of that was a legit concern.  He knew how passionate he was for the sport of hockey and how badly he wanted to win this championship, or any championship.  He wanted to win it as bad as his fiercest rival, possibly even more.  His commitment would show on the ice and in his results.  If others were not fully sure of him or his intentions, then he would remind them through his actions when it was needed most during the heat of the game. He had full confidence in himself that he could accomplish what was needed or expected of him, even if his body language in life was saying different.  He knew and believed in the meaning behind the words he would say to his critics, accusers or concerned loved ones, even if they did take comfort with his confident reassurances or not.  As if the young Jeff Carter was looking at himself in a fictional mirror, the boy would confidently reassure himself in his own mind despite whatever important task was at hand and truly believed these words to be true.  He would look at himself, slightly nod his head and smirk.  “Don’t worry, I got this!”