Page 38 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 111

38 Issue #111 April 2022 www.sportsenergynews.com

The Hockey Card Report
“Livin’ The Dream”

By Bennett Harty
Senior Tips...

creative - mixing vegetables and spices
in new and interesting ways. Some of
it is challenging – making Chinese
dumplings as tasty and ethereal as
those on the dim-sum cart. Sometimes
it’s a scientific experiment – weighing
components to the gram and checking
the temperature of a dough, keeping
careful notes. And generally, these
features are combined - making
pasta is a great example. The recipe
must be correct. The technique must
By Janeen Wagemans be precise. The final dish, with its or this month’s edition of the
sauces and herbs and spices, must be FHCR, we are looking at the
delicious. block buster trade made by the
y mother loved to sew. She
Mfound it both exciting and We are all so different, but we can Tampa Bay Lightning for right claimed by the Blackhawks, after
relaxing. And, of course, she liked generalize that relaxing activities, winger Brandon Hagel. Hagel his final year in Red Deer during
the end results - as did we all. She at best, include similar components. is a solid player and he’s turned the 2018 – 2019 season, because
also relaxed by knitting. And They all seem to include a challenge, himself into an elite player that can Buffalo failed to sign him. He then
cooking. And ironing. Though she the acquisition of a skill, and a product play with the other elite players played in the AHL and the Swiss
was always busy, she, by rights, or result in which we can take some in the league, making him a very
should have been the most relaxed pride. The wood worker needs to have league to hone his skills, bouncing
valuable asset to the Lightning. around because of COVID and
person in the world having tackled all a goal, say a birdhouse. Some skill is
those relaxing activities all day long. necessary to convert bits of wood and Of course, it has not always been other obstacles. Hagel made the
such into a finished product to hang easy for Hagel. You could say the jump to the NHL in 2020 and after
Most of what she found relaxing, I
found exasperating. from a branch, and the satisfaction same with any athlete trying to this recent trade, he is now a major
of seeing birds enjoy their new become the best at what they do. part of the Tampa Bay Lightning
In the long years since, I home. Someone else may take a long
There is just so much competition roster and their run for a 3rd Cup
have had many opportunities to string of yarn and, if they master the in a row.
discuss relaxation techniques skills necessary, can transform it into and adversity that the athletes have
with friends. You don’t have to a beautiful sweater. Jigsaw puzzlers to face along their journey. Hagel This card stands out as it is
ask. They’ll tell you, without you and Rubik’s cubers don’t walk away probably has taken a harder road a Young Guns “Exclusives”.
having to ask, what they do to with a bowl of dumplings or a sweater to get to where he is right now Exclusives are very rare as not
relax. Some of the answers, other than they can wear, but they do get that
than most elite level NHL’ers who many people pull them. They
the obvious ones – napping, massage, momentary hit of satisfaction that
usually come into the league as top usually are pulled every few cases
meditation, walking the dog – have comes from turning the last cube into
draft picks.
amazed me. Riding horses, flying place or placing the last piece of the since there are only 100 prints for
planes, Rubik’s cubing, running, puzzle. They will begin again, as will Hagel started his journey in the each card, making these premier
wood working, skiing, sailing, the joggers and the knitters and the WHL with the Red Deer Rebels, cards that collectors will chase. Of
washing the car, computer games, noodle makers, and maybe challenge where he posted lack luster course, with Hagel playing for a
tennis, photography, hiking, mowing themselves to run faster or farther next contending team, the value of his
the lawn, gardening in general, crafts, time, or make a quilt a more complex numbers in his first year. It took a cards has shot up, and they will
art, coding, puzzling…the list is pattern, or improve their game. But full four years with the Rebels to
endless. And inexplicable! the relaxation seems to come from finally come into his own and get continue to shoot up as long as he
choosing a challenge, mastering it, recognized as a top right winger in performs during the remainder of
So many people like to do so many the regular season and the playoffs.
things that others find boring, difficult, and achieving a goal. the league. Nothing got easier for
and/or stress-inducing, because they Sometimes, when we find the leisure Hagel after the WHL. He would be That will be it for this month’s
find such activities relaxing. And they activities of others hard to fathom, all taken in the 6th round of the 2016 edition of the Hockey Card Report.
are as flummoxed as I am with them we need to do is look under the hood to NHL entry draft by the Buffalo We are hoping everyone had a
when I say I like cooking, baking, discover that we are, in essence, more Sabers, who used the 159th overall good spring break and that we will
fussing with food. Some of it is similar than we would have guessed.
pick to get him. He would later be be wearing shorts very soon!