Belks 🐀

semi retired hockey player : STL Ramp Rat

[The Players’ Tribune @PlayersTribune]

Five years ago, Jimmy Hayes passed away. Kevin Hayes honored his brother in a 2023 tribute: “If anyone could ever pull off immortality, it’s my brother, Jimmy.

I say my brother, but he was more like my best friend. And if I’m being really honest (because I know he’s up there somewhere keeping me in check) Jimmy was more like my hero. He was three years older than me, and he was — Can I curse here? Earmuffs, kids — he was just the f****** best. I don’t know how else to say it. I’ve never seen a kid who just wanted everybody else to be alright, all the time. You could be the biggest nerd in the world (me, for example) and Jimmy would go out of his way to talk to you and make you feel part of the group.

And we’re talking about a kid growing up in blue-collar Boston, by the way. A kid who was Top 10 in the youth hockey rankings every year. Recruited for Team USA. Local celebrity. He had every right to be a cocky little sh*t, and he was just … the man.

He was like the Dorchester Batman. If you were getting picked on, or were sitting at lunch alone, Jimmy would somehow get the Bat-Signal and he’d come swooping in to say, ‘Hey, what’s up, bud? Dude, those shoes are sick. You like hockey? You should come play wiffle ball with us later.’

Jimmy just had this innate ability to make you feel cool. I followed him basically everywhere. When I was in the 7th grade, I followed in his footsteps to this private school that was a 45-minute drive from our house. He was already living down there in the high school dorms, but I was commuting in every morning, and let’s just say it was a bit of a culture shock at first.

Seventh grade is nuts no matter where you are, but I’m a blue-collar city kid coming to this place where you gotta wear a polo and khakis and kids are talking about boating on Martha’s Vineyard or whatever. The first day before lunch, I was about to throw up. You’re just praying that somebody will let you sit with them.

I’ll never forget, as soon as we get into the cafeteria, Jimmy comes walking through the doors. And he’s like the mayor of the school by this point. He pretends like he has to ask one of the teachers something, but then he comes over to everybody like, ‘Hey, you guys know my brother Kevin? He’s the man, dude. [I was not the man]. He’s got so many stories. [I had no stories].’

He broke the ice for me, and immediately everybody was like: Hey, if Jimmy Hayes says you’re cool, then you’re cool.

For that whole first month, he kept randomly popping up everywhere I was — at lunch, in the hallway, at my locker — just like: Oh hey, bud, what are you doing here? I was just walking by.

He was just making sure that I was O.K. It’s what he did best.” https://t.co/PFEE9ZBmOd

[Belks 🐀 @jbeilke12]

@AviationStl Not both but here’s the one that’s stayed

[Gaudreau Family 5K @Gaudreau5K]

“When we were first invited to Milan for the Olympics, we said no. It felt like more than we could handle. But we kept thinking about what John and Matty would say if they knew we turned it down. We knew the answer.

John loved representing his country. From the time he was little, he dreamed of competing at the Olympics. In that final summer, he was working harder than ever, pushing himself with everything he had to earn a spot on that roster. He was going to be there.

Sitting with that knowledge while watching these Games was not easy — but being present for them, surrounded by people who truly cared about John and Matty, made it something we will always treasure.

Every person we encountered took the time to ask about the boys — who they were, what they meant to us, the kind of people they were away from the ice.

What struck us most was realizing that John and Matty's impact reaches so much further than we sometimes see in our own grief.

They are carried by so many people — in locker rooms, in conversations, in quiet moments we will never even know about. That means everything to us.

And then Team USA won gold. When Zach, Auston, and Matthew carried John's jersey around that ice, we were overwhelmed — they made sure he was there. And then to see Noa and Johnny — on Johnny's second birthday — carried out onto the ice to be part of that gold medal photo — there are no words for what that felt like.

John and Matty should have been there, and in that moment, they were.

Thank you to every member of that team for loving John & Matty - and for making sure they were part of something historic. And thank you to everyone at @NBCOlympics and @usahockey for your kindness, your generosity, and for bringing our family to Milan to witness it.

You gave us a gift we didn't know we needed.

With love and gratitude,
The Gaudreau Family"

[Barstool Sports @barstoolsports]

This one’s for Johnny Hockey ❤️

[USA Hockey @usahockey]

RED, WHITE, BLUE AND GOLD. TEAM USA IS BRINGING HOME THE #WINTEROLYMPICS GOLD. 🇺🇸🦅

[Belks 🐀 @jbeilke12]

Absolute wagon of a team 🥇🥇🥇

[USA Hockey @usahockey]

GOLDEN ONCE AGAIN 🇺🇸🦅 #WINTEROLYMPICS

[USA Hockey @usahockey]

🐐🐐🐐 #WinterOlympics

[B/R Open Ice @BR_OpenIce]

The goal that put Hilary Knight at the top of the record books, tied for the most goals in U.S. Women's Olympic History 🐐🚨

(via @nbcolympics)

[Spittin' Chiclets @spittinchiclets]

HISTORY IN DETROIT 🚨

Patrick Kane passes Mike Modano for the most points EVER by a US-born player in NHL history (1,375)

[Hamilton Mustangs @1986Mustangs]

Released just a couple days ago, here is the trailer for the new Youngblood movie.

[Ben Pope @BenPopeCST]

The Blackhawks called up goalie Stan Berezhnoy earlier this morning.

He’s a prospect they like, but if he’s forced to play in Nashville tonight because Knight and Soderblom are still sick, he would be one of the least qualified goalies to start in modern NHL history.

[Pete Blackburn @PeteBlackburn]

Now THIS is how you do a Brad Marchand tribute video

[St. Louis Blues @StLouisBlues]

We all stand with you, @Chasenpucks39.

#HockeyFightsCancer | @SitemanCenter

[NHLonTNT @NHL_On_TNT]

Jon Cooper FLIPPED THE SCRIPT and asked Hank, Biz, Ace and Liam the TOUGHEST questions ever asked on TNT (and subtly ROASTED the boys in the process) 😭

[Columbus Blue Jackets @BlueJacketsNHL]

Today, we celebrate and honor the life and legacy of Johnny Gaudreau on what would have been his 32nd birthday ❤️

[New York Islanders @NYIslanders]

What a moment. 💙🧡

20 kids who have lost a parent were invited to meet Matthew Schaefer and were tasked with a big assignment, to give Schaefer his first NHL contract to sign.

[The Masters @TheMasters]

Rory McIlroy receives his Green Jacket. #themasters

[Barstool Are Dee Tee @editti22]

My god is this an incredible video. Goosebumps.

[Spittin' Chiclets @spittinchiclets]

HISTORY HAS BEEN MADE!!!

OVI SITS ALONE AS THE NHL’S ALL-TIME LEADING GOAL SCORER!!