There aren’t many of us who can’t recall our younger years and the excitement that came with the sound of hockey sticks cracking the pavement on a warm summer evening in Dorchester. Once supper was done, the kids would barrel down the stairs, grab their sticks and empty on to the streets….following those sounds to pickup games with fellow Dot Rats. The nets often fashioned from PVC plumbing pipes, goalie pads and blockers made of sofa foam and gloves that doubled duty at Mill Stream and Cedar Grove. Masks of course were sometimes optional but, if you had one….you painted it like Gerry Cheevers did.

Often I find myself missing those innocent days….when life was so easy it fostered this amazing environment for us to dream big.  Some of these bonds built over hockey have lasted a lifetime. It’s common to find two old friends shooting the breeze over a few beers recollecting the days when they too dreamed of being a Boston Bruin. It is although, far less common to find folks that actually made their dream a reality….

While It sure is good to have a Dot Rat on the ice with our beloved Boston Bruins. It’s even better to have a new reason to show kids that it’s good to dream big….

Welcome home Jimmy Hayes!