Nigel Kirwan's 30 Xyoo Nrog Tampa Bay Lightning Tau 'Ntau Txog Cov Neeg'

Ua ntej lub caij 1996-97, thawj zaug rau Tampa Bay Lightning hauv tam sim no Amalie Arena, Terry Crisp tau taug kev mus rau Nigel Kirwan lub chaw ua haujlwm thiab hais kom nws los ua nws tus kws qhia video.

Kirwan, uas tau koom nrog Lightning ua tus muag khoom thiab muag khoom muag plaub lub hlis ua ntej pab pawg tau tsa daim ntaub thaiv ntawm nws lub caij pib xyoo 1992-93, xav tias Crisp yog kidding. Tom qab tag nrho, pab pawg thawj tus kws qhia feem ntau yog tso dag thiab rub tawm pranks ncig lub chaw ua haujlwm.

Kirwan hais tias "Nws yog tus neeg tso dag loj thiab kuv tsis ntseeg nws ib pliag," Kirwan hais. "Kuv tsis xav tias kuv tsim nyog thiab kuv tau hais kom nws taug kev, txawm tias kuv siv hom lus phem dua li ntawd. Kuv muaj daim ntawv tshaj tawm txog kev lag luam thiab kuv tsis muaj sijhawm rau prank. "

Crisp tsis yog dag.

Crisp, uas tau siv tsib lub caij ntxiv tom qab Tampa Bay hais tias "Kuv tab tom nrhiav ib tus neeg tuaj koom thiab pab kuv tawm nrog qee cov yeeb yaj kiab thiab kev qhia me ntsis vim tias peb tsis muaj leej twg tuaj yeem ua tau li ntawd," lub rooj ntev zaum ua ntej txaus siab rau txoj haujlwm 23-xyoo hauv Nashville Predators 'lub rooj muag khoom tshaj tawm. “Nigel paub hockey. Nws yog qhov kuv tab tom nrhiav. Nws tuav lub reins thiab khiav nrog nws. Tus so yog keeb kwm. "

Cov keeb kwm ntawd tau tshwm sim nyob rau hauv 26-xyoo ncua sij hawm raws li ib tug xob laim video qhia tom qab nws stint nyob rau hauv kev muag khoom thiab kev lag luam.

Kirwan hais tias "Kuv tsis txaus siab rau kev hloov pauv txoj haujlwm," uas xav tias nws yog ib feem ntawm Crispy gag, tau kos npe rau daim ntawv cog lus pov rau pem hauv ntej ntawm tus neeg ua haujlwm pem hauv ntej. “Kuv ua zoo rau qhov kuv ua. Tom qab ntawd kuv pom tau hais tias, 'Wow, Kuv yog tus kws qhia video ntawm Tampa Bay Lightning.'

Tus Jamaican-yug Kirwan, tus tub rau Novelle thiab Marguerite thiab ib tug ntawm peb tus nus muag, muaj qhov hockey keeb kwm Crisp xav tau. Nws tsev neeg, tom qab siv sijhawm ib xyoos hauv Bahamas, tau tsiv mus rau Winnipeg thaum nws muaj ob xyoos. Lawv tau tsiv mus rau North Dakota thaum Kirwan nyob rau qib thib ob, txawm hais tias thaum pib ntawm qib plaub nws rov qab mus rau Winnipeg mus caij nkoj thiab ua si hockey ntawm St. John's-Ravenscourt School, lub tsev kawm ntawv uas muaj hnub nyoog 19 thaum ntxov.^th xyoo pua. Alumni suav nrog yav dhau los NHL tus kws tiv thaiv thiab tam sim no Lightning broadcaster Brian Engblom.

Kirwan tsev neeg tau tsiv mus rau Tampa thaum nws muaj 14 xyoos. Es tsis txhob mus rau sab qab teb mus rau Sunshine State thaum kawm tiav St. John's-Ravenscourt, nws mus rau sab hnub tuaj mus kawm University of Western Ontario. Thaum kawg, Kirwan tau koom nrog nws tsev neeg thiab tau mus kawm University of Tampa, qhov chaw nws kawm tiav thiab qhov twg cov noob ntawm nws txoj haujlwm tau cog.

Ib tug ntawm nws cov phooj ywg hauv UT hnav Tampa Bay Buccaneers khaub ncaws zoo txhua hnub. Ib lub semester lig, Kirwan tau qhia nws tus kheej thiab nug txog nws tus phooj ywg hauv chav kawm kev mob siab rau pab pawg NFL, uas tom qab ntawd tau kawm hauv tsev kawm ntawv.

"Muaj qee lub sijhawm uas kuv yuav zoo li lub txiv kab ntxwv loj dov ncig lub tsev kawm ntawv," tus phooj ywg hauv chav kawm, Matt DiBernardo tau hais. “Cov neeg tham nrog kuv txog Bucs txhua lub sijhawm. Txawm li cas los xij, muaj qee yam hais txog Nigel. Nws tau tso tseg qhov kev xav tias kuv xav ua ib yam dab tsi rau nws. "

Kirwan thiab DiBernardo, uas tab tom ua haujlwm nrog Bucs thiab pab nrog cov cuab yeej siv, ntaus ib qho kev phooj ywg uas ua rau niaj hnub no. Lub semester tom ntej no, DiBernardo nug Kirwan yog tias nws tuaj yeem yog ib tug me nyuam tub rau kev ua si yav tom ntej tawm tsam San Francisco 49ers, uas yog quarterbacked los ntawm Joe Montana.

Kirwan hais tias, “Kuv hais tias, 'Yog, tseeb,'” Kirwan hais. "Kuv muaj 20 xyoo thiab leej twg yuav tsis xav nyob rau sab nraud rau NFL kev ua si, tshwj xeeb tshaj yog ib qho nrog Joe Montana."

Ib qho kev ua si dhau los ua plaub thiab Kirwan raug nug los ntawm tus thawj tswj khoom siv yog tias nws tuaj yeem pab ntxuav cov kaus mom hlau, ua khaub ncaws thiab lwm yam haujlwm xws li. Nws tau siv peb lub caij ua tus pab cuam ib nrab sijhawm thaum ua haujlwm ua tus menyuam pob rau hnub ua si.

DiBernardo, tus kws qhia ncaws pob hauv tsev kawm qib siab, ntawm lwm qhov chaw, Delaware Valley College thiab Wilkes University hauv Pennsylvania tau hais tias "Thaum nws nkag mus nrog Bucs, txawm tias peb yog cov neeg qis ntawm tus ncej, Nigel tau tsim kev sib raug zoo tam sim ntawd," rov qab mus rau Florida los qhia kev ncaws pob hauv tsev kawm theem siab hauv Gainesville.

Thaum Kirwan tab tom ua haujlwm nrog Bucs, NHL tshaj tawm tias nws tau nthuav dav mus rau Tampa rau xyoo 1992-93. Tom qab pab neeg teeb tsa lub khw, ib tus neeg nrog Bucs txuas nrog Kirwan rau ib tug phooj ywg uas nrog rau xob laim. Nws xam phaj, thiab kev ua haujlwm nrog NHL franchise tau pib.

Kirwan hais tias, "Kuv xav mus rau qhov sib txawv kiag li," hais tias Kirwan, uas yog US Hockey tus kws qhia ntawv pov thawj tau qhia qhov kev ua si rau suav tsis txheeb cov tub ntxhais hluas thaum lees paub cov neeg uas muaj kev cob qhia ambitions. “Kuv tau sim ua tus npaj nyiaj txiag. Kuv kuj tau xav txog kev ua haujlwm hauv FBI. "

Hloov chaw, nws pib ua haujlwm nrog Tampa Bay Lightning.

Kirwan hais tias, "Kuv npau taws thaum kuv xav tias nws tau 30 xyoo," hais tias Kirwan, uas nws cov kev paub thoob ntiaj teb suav nrog kev ua haujlwm pab pawg Asmeskas tus kws qhia yeeb yaj kiab hauv World Championships (ob zaug hauv tus kws qhia Lightning John Tortorella) thiab World Cup of Hockey. "Tam sim no, nws tau txias heev los ua ib feem ntawm kev caij tsheb kauj vab uas yog Tampa Bay Lightning. Txhawm rau saib nws pib nrog (tus tsim) Phil Esposito kom peb tawm hauv av yog qhov txias heev los saib rov qab. "

Muaj qee zaus thaum nws plaub xyoos ua tus muag khoom muag uas Kirwan tau ua ib yam dab tsi uas tsis zoo li txias: nws toted ib ncig ntawm cov khau khiab uas muaj daim pib nws feem ntau muab tsis tau. Txawm li cas los xij, nws nyiam hockey thiab nws nyiam qhov nws ua.

Tom qab koom nrog Crisp cov neeg ua haujlwm, Kirwan feem ntau yuav tsum muaj peev txheej ntawm ib lub sijhawm ua ntej lub xov tooj ntawm tes thiab laptops. Muaj ntau zaus nws nug tus thawj tswj tsev so lossis bartender rau daim kab xev ua si. Ntau zaus, VHS game tapes yuav tsum tau ntim thiab xa los ntawm FedEx. Txawm nws coj li cas.

"Nws nyuaj heev kom tau txais cov yeeb yaj kiab rov qab los piv rau tam sim no thaum koj tuaj yeem rub tawm qhov kev ua si ntawm lub laptop," nws hais.

Kev koom tes ntawm pab pawg yog qhov tseem ceeb, txawm tias nws txhais tau tias zais cov kab xev hauv qab nthab thaum nyob hauv txoj kev hauv pab pawg tuaj xyuas lub chaw ua haujlwm.

Kirwan hais tias "Yog tias peb ua si thiab pab pawg tau rov qab los, lawv yuav nug kuv tias kuv puas tuaj yeem tau txais daim ntawv theej ntawm qhov kev ua si rau lawv," Kirwan nco qab. “Kuv feem ntau yuav kaw qhov kev ua si ntawm VCR ntxiv; peb ib txwm yuav tsum muaj VCR ntxiv. Kuv mam li nkaum daim kab xev rau hauv qab nthab vuas. Peb yuav mus rau peb lub hom phiaj tom ntej thiab thaum pab neeg tom ntej tuaj txog qhov chaw uas peb nyuam qhuav ua si, lawv cov yeeb yaj kiab yuav mus rau hauv cov vuas qab nthab thiab tuav daim kab xev game. "

Kuv, yam twg tau hloov. Qhov ntawd suav nrog qhov nrawm uas cov yeeb yaj kiab tuaj yeem nthuav tawm thiab tshaj tawm.

"Thaum pib, koj ua tsis tau ntau, tab sis nws tau siv sijhawm ntev heev los ua qhov koj yuav tsum ua," Kirwan, uas, ua haujlwm nrog tus kws saib xyuas video Brian Garlock, muab cov kws qhia thiab cov neeg ua si nrog cov clips. , ntawm lwm yam, yav tom ntej tw thiab pab pawg tshwj xeeb. "Tam sim no, koj tuaj yeem ua tau sai dua, tab sis koj tau thov kom ua ntau ntxiv. Lub sijhawm ua haujlwm tau nce ntxiv vim tias nkag mus rau cov ntaub ntawv ntau heev. "

Dab tsi tsis tau hloov yog kev phooj ywg thiab kev sib raug zoo. Thaum xav txog cov davhlau, caij tsheb npav, kev ua si thiab noj mov thaum lub caij nyoog, cov neeg ua si, cov kws qhia thiab cov neeg ua haujlwm siv sijhawm ntau nrog ib leeg.

Tau debuted nrog Lightning hauv 2008-09, Steven Stamkos yog tus neeg ua haujlwm ntev tshaj plaws hauv pab pawg. Nws thiab Kirwan tau ntsib ntau yam hauv 15 lub caij.

Stamkos hais tias "Nws tau pom tag nrho thiab peb zoo li tso dag thiab hu nws ua "tus kav nroog" nyob ib puag ncig ntawm no," Stamkos hais. "Nws yog tus neeg zoo uas, ua ntej thiab qhov tseem ceeb, nkag siab txog kev sib raug zoo ntawm kev ua haujlwm ntawm tus kws qhia thiab tseem tuaj yeem cuam tshuam nrog cov players. Nws yog ib tug neeg zoo, ib txwm xav txog lwm tus ua ntej. Nigel yog synonymous nrog Tampa Bay logo hauv cheeb tsam no. Ntau tus neeg paub nws thiab hwm nws. "

Xav txog lwm tus ua ntej. Txawm hais tias nws yog tus neeg ua si, tus kws qhia lossis leej twg, tus cwj pwm ntawd yog qhov sib txawv nrog Kirwan.

"Nws tau nyob nrog lub tuam txhab txij li hnub ib," said Jon Cooper, uas tau siv sijhawm kaum xyoo dhau los tom qab Tampa Bay lub rooj ntev zaum. “Qhov ntawd yog ib qho pov thawj rau hom neeg nws yog. Ib yam txog Nigel, nws mob siab rau txhua tus. Nws ib txwm tso lwm tus ua ntej nws tus kheej. "

Nws yog kev sib raug zoo Kirwan, uas nyiam nuv ntses dej ntsev thiab ntaus golf, nyiam tshaj plaws. Tseeb, nws yog qhov zoo rau nws lub npe ntawm Stanley Cup peb zaug thiab ua ib feem ntawm pab pawg sib tw thiab ntau lub sijhawm nco. Txawm li cas los xij, lawv tus nqi yuav poob qis yog tias tsis yog rau kev sib raug zoo.

Nws tau hais tias "Kev yeej Stanley Cup yeej zoo heev thiab kuv tau muaj hmoo thiab tau txais koob hmoov los ua ib feem ntawm lawv," nws hais. "Kuv xav tias thaum kuv saib rov qab rau qhov no, thaum kuv nyob deb ntawm nws, nws yuav ntau dua txog cov neeg. Cov neeg ua si, cov kws qhia, cov thawj coj, txhua qhov kev sib raug zoo uas kuv sim ua kom muaj zog. "

Ob qhov kev ua si hauv Lightning keeb kwm sawv tawm. Lub khob-clinching Game 7 hauv tsev tawm tsam Calgary Flames hauv 2004 rau pab pawg thawj lub npe, thiab Lightning's inaugural game thaum Lub Kaum Hli 7, 1992 tawm tsam Chicago Blackhawks ntawm Expo Hall, ntawm Florida State Fairgrounds.

Kirwan hais tias, "Lub tsev tau tshee tshee thiab kuv xav tias nws yuav poob rau peb," hais tias Kirwan, ntawm thawj qhov kev ua si thaum Chris Kontos tau qhab nia plaub lub hom phiaj hauv 7-3 yeej. “Lub sijhawm ntawd, kuv yog tus tshiab. Kuv tau raug ntiav plaub lub hlis dhau los thiab kuv tsis paub tias kuv ua dab tsi. "

Tsis muaj leej twg muaj lub tswv yim yuav ua li cas txhua yam yuav tshwm sim thaum xyoo 2020 playoffs hauv cov npuas ntawm Toronto thiab Edmonton tsib lub hlis tom qab tus kab mob-ua kom luv luv lub caij. Lub Lightning yeej nyob rau hauv lub sij hawm unpredictable thiab nyuaj, ib tug thaum lo lus "pab" yeej tsis muaj ntsiab lus ntxiv.

Kirwan tau hais tias "Nws tsuas yog peb ua ke ua kev zoo siab hauv chav kaw khoom hauv Edmonton," said Kirwan. "Txhua tus neeg uas nyob hauv txoj kev ntawd ua ke, los ntawm lub tsev so mus rau lub dav hlau mus rau cov dej khov, nws tsuas yog cov neeg ua si, cov kws qhia thiab cov kws qhia tawm tsam ntau pua tus neeg hauv tsev neeg thiab cov phooj ywg crammed mus rau hauv chav kaw khoom. Nws yog lub sijhawm muaj kev hlub tshua, thiab thaum koj mus dhau los ua ke, tej yam zoo li npuas ua rau tib neeg los ze zog. "

Yuav muaj ntau lub caij, nco ntau dua thiab muaj kev phooj ywg ntau dua. Xav tias txhua yam pib nrog Kirwan mus txog DiBernardo thaum lawv hnub ntawm UT.

Nws tau hais tias "Nws coj mus rau txhua qhov no," nws hais. "Nws yog lub ntuj raug txim ntawm kev caij tsheb."