The Save of My Life by Corey Hirsch

Author:Corey Hirsch
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Canada
Published: 2022-08-23T00:00:00+00:00

10

After hitting rock bottom in front of all my teammates, I needed to get away from Vancouver that summer of 1997. I was exhausted and needed to recharge, so my girlfriend and I spent the summer in Malibu, soaking up the sun on the beach and getting away from hockey. I spent the time healing and sometimes went golfing at Sherwood Golf and Country Club with Russ Courtnall or Alex Mogilny, who also lived in Malibu. It was the perfect spot for me to get better. We rented a one-bedroom loft overlooking the ocean and listened to the waves crash on the beach while falling asleep every night. It was peaceful and serene—exactly what I needed. I studied meditation, took a martial arts class and focused on healing. Unfortunately, with things going well, I let my guard down a bit and didn’t get therapy on a regular basis, which was a mistake. The cold hard fact is that I needed therapy for OCD and was going to for the rest of my life. That’s just the way it is, but I thought I was better and didn’t need it anymore.

After that debacle of a season, I’m certain that Vancouver had no idea what to do with me. I should have communicated immediately what I was diagnosed with. I should have told my teammates, but I was afraid. The stigma was real, and the perception was that mental illness meant weakness, which is the furthest thing from the truth. I was on a one-way contract, so I was hoping I was safe. Pat Quinn was a great man, but he and the coaching staff had never before seen anything like what I went through. I’m sure they saw me as damaged goods and a problem, just like the Rangers did. Just like any team would have, back then.

They were making big changes everywhere. In July, they signed Mark Messier to a three-year deal. Mess was a great leader and was captain when the Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1994, and going back to 1990, he was captain when the Edmonton Oilers won the Cup. I was jacked. I played with Mess in New York and thought it was going to be a great addition. After all, I witnessed the man lead the Rangers to the Stanley Cup in New York City. The pressure was immense, and this guy did what no one else could in 54 years. He has his detractors, but I don’t care what anyone says—Mess was good to me.

In August, I was getting ready for the upcoming season when the Canucks announced they had signed Arturs Irbe as a free agent. I was stunned. What was the team doing? I was now in a three-way battle to play in Vancouver—Kirk McLean, me and Arturs Irbe. My agent called the Canucks and asked about the situation and was told that the best two goalies out of training camp were going to make the team and that the other guy would be traded.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.