Tony Bids Farewell

As I sit down to write this paper about my hockey experience throughout my entire life, I come to realize that this great game of hockey is about to come to an end. After playing hockey for 18 years, what else is there to do in life? How am I going to be able to keep myself busy? Is there something else out there in life that I will enjoy as much as this game? Only time will tell. To some people, hockey is just a game, but to the ones who have played it or grown to love this great game — they know that hockey is more than just a game; it is a passion, a dedications, and it is a way of life. So as I prepare to play some of the last competitive hockey games of my life, I have to look at all the people that surround me in my life. The ones who have dedicated their time to provide me the opportunity to play hockey. Where else to start than with my loving Mom and Dad. I still remember the first time I stepped out onto the ice to skate as a little kid at Lily Lake Ice Arena. With my Pro-Tec hockey helmet and no cage, I was ready to go. Moving from the east coast where hockey was not so big at the time, to a state where hockey is everything, was a dramatic change and I am glad you two got me involved in the sport. Since the beginning, you two have provided me with nothing but love and care. All the support have received from both of you has brought me to the level of hockey I am at today. Mom, you have always supported me in whatever I have done on and off the ice. I will always remember being on the benches and having my friends and teammates lean over and say, “Truhler, your mom is so loud, I don’t think the ref is happy with her yelling at him.” All the support of you coming to my games and cheering for me really helped and I thank you very much. Dad, I have learned so much from you about life on and off the ice. You have put so much time into me and the game of hockey. From coaching, to bringing me to hockey camps from Colorado to Toronto. Thank you so much for supporting me and letting me participate in hockey all year round. To my brothers and sister, Derek, Keven and Katrina, you are all wonderful. Thank you all so much to coming to my games and supporting me. Derek, whether it was sharing a room our entire lives together or playing hockey together you have been the brother I have looked up to my whole live. Good luck at River Falls. Keven, we have had some great times together. Whether it was playing together and winning the state tournament at Totino-Grace or you coming down to visit me at college. You have to admit, Saint Mary’s has a lot more fun than St. John’s. Good luck up there. Finally, Katrina, you have been great and I can’t thank you enough for all of my games you have been to and supported me. I am glad I got to spend my senior year of college with you here. Good luck the rest of the years and enjoy it, Saint Mary’s is a great time. Becky Dougherty, I also want to thank you. You have been such a huge support for me ever since the first day we met. You have meant some much to me these last couple of years. It means so much to me that you came to all my home hockey games. I am so glad and lucky to have a beautiful girlfriend like you in my life. Thank you for everything so far and I love you. I want to thank the coaching staff here at Saint Mary’s. I have been able to meet and play for some great coaches over the last four years here. Thank you all for giving me a chance to play for this team that is so rich in tradition. Coach O, Terry, Aaron, Coach F, Donny, Lenny, Bry, and Damerow, I have learned some much from you all about hockey, thank you. To my roommates, Dahl and Westpahl. Living with you guys this past year has been great. We have had a lot of fun together so far and better times are still to come. Thanks for putting up with me, that can’t be easy all the time. Last, I have to thank all of my teammates from the past and the present. You guys have all been great. The locker room times we have all endured these past seasons have been awesome. That is the most important thing I will miss about this game. Nothing is better than the locker room. To all the new guys this year that came into this program, I wish you all the best and enjoy your time because it all goes by way too fast. To all the returners and seniors next year, be good leaders, also it has been great to know you guys for the years we have played together. Keep up the good work. To all the boys who were Augsburg Cup Champions, what a run, eh boys. To the boys on Joes’s 2, that was a great sophomore year and a lot of memories were made that year. Finally to all the seniors this year, Stewart, Coach, Murphy, Becker, Greer, Fingerhut, Reszka, Bell, McNamara, and Nosal. It has been great to be with and play with all you guys over the years. You are all a great group of guys and I am glad and proud to say that I played this great game with all of you. Enjoy the days we have left together. Enjoy the memories we have had together and good luck all of you with your future goals. You guys made my college career the best time of my life. Playing for this team and wearing that Cardinal jersey is one of the greatest things I have ever done in my life. There is rich tradition with this program and I am glad to say that I was part of it. Thank you all for making these years the best years of my life. I will never forget these moments and the memories that were made.