Boston College’s Johnny Gaudreau tries an innovative, and very brave, way to score in ice hockey. We can’t see this catching on.
When Dick Fosbury chucked himself backwards towards the high jump at the 1968 Olympics the world gasped, and a few seconds later applauded, as he changed how his sport was played forever with the introduction of an innovative technique.
We have a feeling Johnny Gaudreau’s name won’t become quite as famous, but he showed even more bravery than the world-famous Fosbury.
Gaudreau was playing for Boston College last night, in their college ice hockey quarter-final against UMass-Lowell and he had a cracking game. The top scorer in college hockey, Gaudreau set up two goals in his side’s 4-3 win but it was his unusual attempt to get on the scoresheet himself that is worth watching.
Standing near the post, the puck comes flying towards his head. Does he duck? Does he raise his stick? Does he try to palm it goalward with his hand? Oh no. What the bold Johnny does is try to head it past the keeper.
That’s right, he tries to head an ice hockey puck. Okay, he was wearing a helmet but deciding to head that solid disk of plastic shows a level of commitment that marks him out as a ‘Roy Keane’ type figure in the world of college ice hockey.
As we said, we doubt this move will catch on, but if it does, we look forward to watching many ‘Gaudreaus’ over the years.
Hat-tip to the great CJZero for the Vine
