Benny Plots, Peewee C Team Goalie

Benny Plots, the goalie of the Peewee C team played on his head leading his team to a 4-1 victory over a tough opponent, Orleans this Sunday. Pucks came from the left and right, and yet Benny stood tall in his net, remaining square, keeping his eye on the play, actioning his body to move to and fro in front of the hard rubber disk.

Goalies are said to be a special breed, but Benny wasn't always a goalie. Prior to this summer he played centre mostly on A teams in the league and was considered by many to be a very gifted player. He has game MVP and the Hardest Work of the Game Awards. His hockey bag says "Bell Cup Champions" from when he played Atom A for Gloucester Centre two years ago and was an important player on that team as an alternate captain. Last year, he was one of two minor players on the Peewee A team, playing with boys much larger than himself, and yet, this summer Benny decided that he wanted a change. He wanted to be a goalie and so he practiced and began to learn the craft of how to butterfly, stack the pads and make huge gloves saves. Knowing full well that he would probably have to take a few steps back to become better at his new position. And that's been alright with Benny. He seems to have found a happy home between the pipes and his team-mates are happy that he is a part of their team.

Which is why today's victory was bittersweet for Benny and his team-mates. For they know and are working through something that eleven and twelve year old kids should not know about and should not have to work through. Benny was playing perhaps his last game for the Cougars this season.

What began as a small bump on Benny's chest became a cause for concern, and so his Mom brought him to the hospital to have a looked after. Minor surgery followed, with the prognosis that Benny has cancer. And so, this week Benny will be entering the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario for major surgery, and the fine doctors at CHEO will remove the rest of the cancer that remains.

Its been said of Benny, that he plays the game of hockey with an edge. He is certainly not the biggest kid on the ice, the fastest or had the hardest shot when he played centre. In nets, he is as well a bit of a Dominic Hasek goalie, a flopper who moves very quickly and makes big saves. And yet regardless of his position, if you have watched Benny for more than two minutes on the ice you know two important things about this young mans character. First, he plays the game completely with his heart and leaves nothing on the ice. Second, he is completely fearless.

We know that Benny will face cancer in the same manner that he has faced opponents. Fearless and with great heart. As so, although Benny's number 33 jersey may hang on a hook in the dressing room unworn until his return, we would very much like him to know that although he will be missed by his team -- that all members of our associations, kids and parents alike are behind him completely, and that our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family for his quick, certain and full recovery.

Sincerely,

Reg MacDonald
GCMHA President