http://www.nhl.com/i..._day042204.html
Langenbrunner
explains it all
By Shawn P. Roarke | NHL.com
April 22, 2004
NEW YORK -- For the 30 daughters on hand for Thursday's Take Our Daughters to Work Day festivities at the National Hockey League's Manhattan office, the highlight may well have been a visit from forward Jamie Langenbrunner of the 2003 Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils.
Langenbrunner, with his own daughter -- six-year-old Laine -- in tow, addressed the gathering to discuss his job as a professional hockey player.
He discussed all aspects of his profession and answered a series of questions from the attentive group.
"Are you a goalie?" one of the young ladies asked.
"Nope. I'm too smart to be a goalie," Langenbrunner replied with a smile. "Our goalie is Martin Brodeur."
Humor and self-deprecation were integral parts of Langenbrunner's presentation, which was arranged through Devils' Director of Public Relations Jeff Altstadter.
While it was great timing for the eighth annual edition of the NHL's Take Our Daughters to Work Day program, it was unfortunate in a way for Langenbrunner. If his Devils had not been knocked out in the first round of the playoffs, in a five-game series against Philadelphia, Langenbrunner would have been unavailable Thursday. Instead, he would have been in Toronto, preparing for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Maple Leafs, a traditional playoff rival.
"Obviously, it's tough losing so early," admitted Langenbrunner. "But, there is a silver lining in everything, I guess. Now we can start preparing for next year and another long run."
Then, perhaps, he will have another Stanley Cup ring to show off. Thursday, he displayed his huge, diamond-encrusted ring for winning the 2003 Stanley Cup to the group listening to his speech.
"Oh my gosh," one child exclaimed as the big ring glittered in the overhead lights.
Throughout his speech, Langenbrunner talked about a variety of topics, encouraging those listening to chase their dreams and enlightening them about both the pros, which were many, and cons, which were few and far between, of being a professional hockey player.
He talked of winning the Stanley Cup often, stressing that it, along with the other title he won in Dallas in 1999, are the highlights of his career. He told the children of bringing the Cup to his small hometown in Minnesota for a family celebration.
"We filled the Cup with Kool-Aid and Laine drank out of it with a straw, didn't you Laine?" asked Langenbrunner.
He also talked about the demanding travel demands endured by professional players, but even put a positive spin on that.
"We're very spoiled in the way we travel," Langenbrunner admitted, giving details of chartered planes with huge seats and fancy meals. "(The team) takes care of us really well."
Perhaps the most difficult thing about being a pro athlete, he said, is the possibility of being traded. Langenbrunner knows first-hand, having been traded from Dallas to New Jersey during the 2001-02 season.
"We used to live in Dallas, but then we had to pick up and move," he explained. "We had to switch schools and stuff like that. But, the good part is you get to see different parts of the country.
"But, Laine says she doesn't want to get traded again."
Langenbrunner then posed for pictures and signed autographs before leaving the group to finish its other Take Our Daughters to Work Day festivities.
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Haha, they partook of the Kool-Aid!!!
