Meeting in a Dark Alley
Just Who Is Zenon Konopka?
Zenon’s POV
I narrowed my eyes on my target, I was so furious at my team. We were down 5-2 in the 3rd period, with just under seven minutes left to play. The Dallas Stars were just on fire and it was up to me and best bud Mike Rupp to make something happen. My teammate and friend had sent the puck around, along the boards to clear the zone, but it was intercepted at center ice by Cody Eakin. I locked in on a young kid for the Stars, number 18.
I launched toward him, as he came near the Wild’s bench and bumped into him, as he spun around, turning his back to get the puck that was sent for him along the side boards by Cody Eakin, who was hit by Torrey Mitchell. I knew the rules for hitting, I wasn’t dumb. Rupp came over and sent me a signal type look. I remained in place, finishing off my check, as he slammed into the kid and sent him stumbling backward, then we both grabbed him by the legs and tried to force him all the way over the bench. His helmet came off in the process.
It was teamwork.
We were like the Hanson Brother’s from the movie Slapshot or the Bash Brothers from the Mighty Ducks.
But the Dallas kid didn’t like it.
“Hey!” the kid shouted. “Let me go! Come on man!”
“Shut up, pitiful Star rookie!” Rupp growled, as they continued to overpower him and get him into the bench.
The kid was Reilly Smith and he kicked and screamed from help from his teammates who were beginning to realize what was going on. Eventually he managed to get himself back over the railing. He ignored the constant chirps from the Wild bench. He grabbed at me and I thought he was coming for me, so I grabbed his jersey tightly in my hand and began swinging at him.
Out of my peripheral vision, I saw Rupp starting to go for the line change, lifting his leg up to the railing and attempting to jump it, but he saw me fighting and rethought it, wanting to help out. He held down Reilly, allowing me freedom to jab at him. I fed shots of my swinging fist of fury at him and his head, not caring that this looked obviously one sided and grotesque.
Then chaos broke out and more Dallas Stars and Wild players came over. A brawl broke out and that shrimp Reilly Smith escaped from me and got to safety, while I tangled with the likes of Trevor Daley. I dropped him so fast, he didn’t know what hit him. But that’s what the bastard got for jumping me and grabbing me and willing me to fight him.
As the fighting died down and we all broke from our “dance” partners, I saw Rupp had tangled with Jaromir Jagr and Antoine Roussel had Mitchell. I scrambled to my skates, fixing myself up. I spat at Daley, still pretty pissed off at him and everything. “You piece of shit!” I spat. I also saw that snot-nosed rookie kid in one piece, sort of cowering behind his teammate as I was led off the ice by a ref.
I was given a damn 10 minute misconduct. Rupp was also handed one. We headed down the tunnel and left the game. But I’ll never forget Reilly Smith, the Dallas Star who just pissed me off. I saw him get ushered to the box and he was upset about it i could tell, but Rupp pushed me ahead and we stormed into the locker room to go through the early prep and routine of the post-game.
When we got back to the Minnesota locker room after going through the routine and returning to our stalls to wait out the end of the game, Rupp and I hung out at our stalls, which happened to be beside one another and we talked about the Dallas game.
“That Smith kid is such a fucking pussy, man!” Rupp stated, as he dropped back onto his stall, like he had just come back from a tough day at work.
“I know. Stupid bitch had the nerve to come back at me and then cower and escape us!” I laughed, joining him in my stall.
He turned to me, smirking wickedly. “You know this is going to light up Youtube.”
“They’ll call us out, maybe some will joke around how awesome we are to anger people...ah, it’ll be classic!” I agreed, folding my arms and smirking as well. “The next game, we should target him again and see what happens. Maybe you can slewfoot him and I’ll skate by thinking it’s nothing and “accidentally” knee him in his fucking little girly head.” I broke out in laughter. It was a sick plan.
Rupp seemed to nod. “Really throwing away the rulebook there, eh?”
“Well, hey, he brings this on himself. He throws around what look like cheap shots to our teammates, he’s going to get what’s coming to him!”
“That’s true. He did deserve it.”
“I wonder if that little puke cheap shotted any more Wild players?”
“Probably. But we’ll get him again. And we’ll get him good!” I turned and looked at the door to the locker room. I narrowed my eyes at it, like it was Reilly. And then I began to laugh as I envisioned myself and Rupp ganging up on the rookie again and beating him to a pulp for real. I cackled evilly under my breath.
The game soon ended and, as it turned out, Minnesota would lose 3-5 in the game.
I hated the Stars, that much was true. I was so fired up, so ready to get the hell out of Dallas. I couldn’t wait to get back to Minnesota and see my bunny, Hoppy. And I couldn’t wait to get my hands, fists, whatever on that Dallas Stars rookie again. Putting him into the bench wasn’t enough...he needed to be taught a lesson…
As it turned out, I wouldn’t get the chance to. He had gone back to minors, where he remained the rest of the year. I was so furious over learning that, that I earned a suspension after I boarded Jamie Benn with a dangerous hit. I was suspended for ten games and that was enough for the Minnesota Wild to get fed up. I was traded away to Buffalo.
I learned that Rupp also left. We were split apart and that only fueled my anger and frustration. Somehow, I’d avenge Rupp and I’d get the revenge on Reilly Smith, even if it crossed the line and I was finally kicked from the league! Reilly had to pay!
I narrowed my eyes on my target, I was so furious at my team. We were down 5-2 in the 3rd period, with just under seven minutes left to play. The Dallas Stars were just on fire and it was up to me and best bud Mike Rupp to make something happen. My teammate and friend had sent the puck around, along the boards to clear the zone, but it was intercepted at center ice by Cody Eakin. I locked in on a young kid for the Stars, number 18.
I launched toward him, as he came near the Wild’s bench and bumped into him, as he spun around, turning his back to get the puck that was sent for him along the side boards by Cody Eakin, who was hit by Torrey Mitchell. I knew the rules for hitting, I wasn’t dumb. Rupp came over and sent me a signal type look. I remained in place, finishing off my check, as he slammed into the kid and sent him stumbling backward, then we both grabbed him by the legs and tried to force him all the way over the bench. His helmet came off in the process.
It was teamwork.
We were like the Hanson Brother’s from the movie Slapshot or the Bash Brothers from the Mighty Ducks.
But the Dallas kid didn’t like it.
“Hey!” the kid shouted. “Let me go! Come on man!”
“Shut up, pitiful Star rookie!” Rupp growled, as they continued to overpower him and get him into the bench.
The kid was Reilly Smith and he kicked and screamed from help from his teammates who were beginning to realize what was going on. Eventually he managed to get himself back over the railing. He ignored the constant chirps from the Wild bench. He grabbed at me and I thought he was coming for me, so I grabbed his jersey tightly in my hand and began swinging at him.
Out of my peripheral vision, I saw Rupp starting to go for the line change, lifting his leg up to the railing and attempting to jump it, but he saw me fighting and rethought it, wanting to help out. He held down Reilly, allowing me freedom to jab at him. I fed shots of my swinging fist of fury at him and his head, not caring that this looked obviously one sided and grotesque.
Then chaos broke out and more Dallas Stars and Wild players came over. A brawl broke out and that shrimp Reilly Smith escaped from me and got to safety, while I tangled with the likes of Trevor Daley. I dropped him so fast, he didn’t know what hit him. But that’s what the bastard got for jumping me and grabbing me and willing me to fight him.
As the fighting died down and we all broke from our “dance” partners, I saw Rupp had tangled with Jaromir Jagr and Antoine Roussel had Mitchell. I scrambled to my skates, fixing myself up. I spat at Daley, still pretty pissed off at him and everything. “You piece of shit!” I spat. I also saw that snot-nosed rookie kid in one piece, sort of cowering behind his teammate as I was led off the ice by a ref.
I was given a damn 10 minute misconduct. Rupp was also handed one. We headed down the tunnel and left the game. But I’ll never forget Reilly Smith, the Dallas Star who just pissed me off. I saw him get ushered to the box and he was upset about it i could tell, but Rupp pushed me ahead and we stormed into the locker room to go through the early prep and routine of the post-game.
When we got back to the Minnesota locker room after going through the routine and returning to our stalls to wait out the end of the game, Rupp and I hung out at our stalls, which happened to be beside one another and we talked about the Dallas game.
“That Smith kid is such a fucking pussy, man!” Rupp stated, as he dropped back onto his stall, like he had just come back from a tough day at work.
“I know. Stupid bitch had the nerve to come back at me and then cower and escape us!” I laughed, joining him in my stall.
He turned to me, smirking wickedly. “You know this is going to light up Youtube.”
“They’ll call us out, maybe some will joke around how awesome we are to anger people...ah, it’ll be classic!” I agreed, folding my arms and smirking as well. “The next game, we should target him again and see what happens. Maybe you can slewfoot him and I’ll skate by thinking it’s nothing and “accidentally” knee him in his fucking little girly head.” I broke out in laughter. It was a sick plan.
Rupp seemed to nod. “Really throwing away the rulebook there, eh?”
“Well, hey, he brings this on himself. He throws around what look like cheap shots to our teammates, he’s going to get what’s coming to him!”
“That’s true. He did deserve it.”
“I wonder if that little puke cheap shotted any more Wild players?”
“Probably. But we’ll get him again. And we’ll get him good!” I turned and looked at the door to the locker room. I narrowed my eyes at it, like it was Reilly. And then I began to laugh as I envisioned myself and Rupp ganging up on the rookie again and beating him to a pulp for real. I cackled evilly under my breath.
The game soon ended and, as it turned out, Minnesota would lose 3-5 in the game.
I hated the Stars, that much was true. I was so fired up, so ready to get the hell out of Dallas. I couldn’t wait to get back to Minnesota and see my bunny, Hoppy. And I couldn’t wait to get my hands, fists, whatever on that Dallas Stars rookie again. Putting him into the bench wasn’t enough...he needed to be taught a lesson…
As it turned out, I wouldn’t get the chance to. He had gone back to minors, where he remained the rest of the year. I was so furious over learning that, that I earned a suspension after I boarded Jamie Benn with a dangerous hit. I was suspended for ten games and that was enough for the Minnesota Wild to get fed up. I was traded away to Buffalo.
I learned that Rupp also left. We were split apart and that only fueled my anger and frustration. Somehow, I’d avenge Rupp and I’d get the revenge on Reilly Smith, even if it crossed the line and I was finally kicked from the league! Reilly had to pay!
Notes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYQW_Z-OCqA - Honestly, this was a month before I was introduced to the wonderful world of hockey and the NHL by my father. The first game I saw was the Bruins-Maple Leafs and it was the dramatic Game 7 that I will never forget. But this is an incident that shocked me.This fuels the hatred I have for goons and players who do this. Sure, I love and enjoy a fight every now and again, but this...this is sickening.
Poor Reilly. I'm sorry buddy, you had no right getting jumped and sucker punched by the duo of Rupp and Konopka. :(
Next up: Revisiting the Blockbuster Trade...but it's actually not quite the same...
You know what, think of this as a spinoff from Project Blackhawk. :D Only in the view of Bacon. ;)
1/28/15