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Friday, October 29, 1999
Dream realized
Hockey was a distant dream -- life was enough for Robyn Regehr.
But last night, Regehr completed his amazing recovery one minute and 37 seconds into the Flames game with Ottawa.
That's when he jumped over the boards, touching the ice in his first NHL game.
The first shift lasted one minute and four seconds.
But it must have felt like a lifetime.
Mom Edith was reduced to tears yesterday when she learned by phone at their home in Saskatchewan that the son she almost lost forever in a car accident was about to realize his dream.
It was a quiet, introspective Regehr who sat alone aboard the team bus on his way to the rink for the game.
After surviving the head-on crash, he wrote a story of a physical recovery that defied the opinions of those in the medical field who treated him.
"I'm feeling a bunch of emotions because I've tried to work as hard as I possibly can to get to this point," he said as he got off the bus.
"Now that I have the opportunity, I'll just try to go out there and make the most of it.
"It's the best league in the world and here I am. I have played five games in the year, and now I'm in against one of the best teams in the world.
"I'm a little bit nervous and just proud to have come this far.
"I never thought I'd be experiencing this so quickly.
"I don't think anyone did. I was just very lucky I wasn't injured worse. I just tried to follow what the doctors and physiotherapists said and I've got this opportunity and I feel very lucky for that and I'm going to make the most of it."
And he did make the most of it, looking tentative as could be expected, but solid in limited ice time in his NHL debut. His parents, Edith and Ron, were huddled around the television last night and Robyn expected the tears to be flowing.
"I phoned them right after I got back to the hotel (yesterday) and my mom starting crying a little on the phone and I had to kind of settle her down a little bit," he said. "She's pretty emotional."
What mom wouldn't be? To see your son bruised and battered, his legs broken and his dream all but shattered from a freak car crash. And then to realize he would not only survive, but imagine, play the game he loved so much in his NHL debut just four months later.
As much as the Regehrs were thankful last night, Flames GM Al Coates could barely believe Regehr had made it all the way back. His concerns were, of course, for Regehr's health, but there was also a heavy investment in him as a hockey player -- the key guy in the trade for Theo Fleury.
As Regehr took to the ice, Coates' thoughts wandered back to that scary call he received four months ago.
"I got a call about 9:30 a.m. from (agent) Mike Barnett and his exact words were, 'I have some news and it's not good news for any of us.' And then he told me about the accident.
"Selfishly, we were concerned, but the main thing at the time was to show support for both Robyn and the family and try to block out the fact he was an integral part of our future.
"What we saw in him, and what he now seems to be back to, is a large, stay-at-home defensive defenceman.
"When we announced the signing last spring, Steve Smith was injured at the time and I asked him to come to the press conference and in seeing him at the back of the room I thought that if Robyn could have the type of career Smitty has, then we have a great find in Robyn. That obviously remains to be seen.
"But I'm really just elated for Robyn. This kid is pretty special to have accomplished what he has since July 5.
"Anybody I have talked to, including the medical people, think that this is pretty special, that anyone could come back from that type of accident and in October already having played five games and about to play his first NHL game.
"It's a very special event."
Yes it was.
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