I love sports. As the youngest of 7 kids (6 boys and 1 girl, all of whom play multiple sports), it was inevitable that I would follow their lead.
But sports can be harsh at times, too. A few missed calls by the referee (Jazz vs Bulls Game 6 1998) or an untimely injury can change the whole outcome of a game or season.
That’s what happened in the 1928 Stanley Cup Finals. The New York Rangers were playing the Montreal Maroons in National Hockey League Championship when their goalie, Lorne Chabot, took a direct shot to the eye with a puck and had to be taken out of the game (At the time there were no face masks so it literally was a direct hit to the eye).
Back then, when a goalie went down, you could use anyone from in the arena as a replacement goalie with one rule: the opposing team had to give their approval.
In the stands were two goalies (another NHL goalie and a minor league goalie) but the Maroon’s coach refused to let either of them play.
Furious, Lester Patrick, coach of the NY Rangers, decided to don the pads and play himself. Having never played goalie before, the Maroon’s coach obliged.
Coach Patrick, now goaltender Patrick, stopped 17 of 18 shots and helped his Rangers beat the Maroon’s in overtime to tie the series at 1-1. After game 2, the Rangers were given permission to bring in another goalie and then went on to defeat the Maroons and win the Stanley Cup Trophy.
Such a stellar story. I love how the team rallied around their coach to protect him as much as possible in goal.
But what really hits me is how the coach stepped up in a totally unexpected moment and had the capacity to accomplish what was being asked of him.
Business, like sports, can also be filled with unforeseen challenges and obstacles. You will be put in a position where you’ve never been before. You will be asked to do things that maybe didn’t seem possible before.
But that does NOT mean that you can’t handle it…that you aren’t good enough, prepared, or unable to step up and do a fantastic job.
The beauty of those unexpected moments is that they can ignite a fire within you that you never knew existed….something that propels you forward despite not knowing the specifics of how you are going to do it.
Step up and lean into it. You’ll be surprised at what you can do!