In a quirk in the National Lacrosse League schedule, the Toronto Rock don’t play this weekend. Or next.
In fact the next time the Rock take the floor, March 25th in Calgary, it will be three weeks between games.
However, I’m not sure those 3 weeks will be enough time to dull the buzz created in these parts by Robbie Hellyer’s first professional goal.
Last Friday in his Rock debut against the Philadelphia Wings at the Air Canada Centre, Hellyer, a Lion’s Head native, not only scored his first professional goal, but did so in timely fashion breaking a 9-9 tie
Furthermore, the goal wasn’t your run-of-the-mill lacrosse goal, but rather it was scored with speed, precision, skill and flair, electrifying more than 10,000 fans on hand and elevated his team to the 15-10 victory over Philly.
While scoring the goal, Hellyer was in a professional zone, focused only on the play.
In the moments and days following the goal, he came to recognize just how many people from the Bruce Peninsula, from Owen Sound Lacrosse, from Hanover, where he plays Junior C Hockey, and from KW where he attends university saw the marker and were impacted by who scored it and how it was scored.
A big goal in front of a big crowd at a big moment in your professional lacrosse debut.
That’s a rush.
And it’s almost a shame that Rob Hellyer won’t get another opportunity to score for another two weeks.