His Better Half

A lot of people likely recognize the guy to the right as Winnipeg Jets goaltender Eric Comrie. Beside him stands his beautiful wife, Haley, who has to deal with all of Eric's career twists and turns including moving when Eric is traded or signs elsewhere, keeping daily distractions from Eric when he's scheduled to play, and dealing with an unhappy goaltender if he has an off night. I'm not a professional athlete so I'm sure I've left a few details out about some of the stuff Haley does for Eric, but an article filed late last night by Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press about Eric and Haley Comrie has stuck with me all day.

There's no doubt in my mind that NHL hockey wives deal with all sorts of stuff that a two-parent household usually splits thanks to their husbands being on the road all the time. Eric Comrie, for his part, seems like a really good guy who always tries to be present at home for big moments and family time, but, sometimes, his job gets in the way. McIntyre's story shows just how important Haley is to Team Comrie, and I'm thinking she's the MVP of that team if Eric is voting.

"After last game, I wasn't in the best mental space that I've ever been in my life," Comrie told McIntyre last night after helping the Jets snap their eleven game losing streak. "My wife actually helped me get out of it. It was unbelievable today what she did."

Comrie, if you recall, had a very rough outing against the Toronto Maple Leafs on New Year's Day, surrendering six goals on 30 shots as the Jets fell to the Maple Leafs by a 6-5 score. It was a game where Winnipeg held a 4-1 lead going into the third period before the roof caved in on the likeable netminder and his team as the Leafs rallied.

With Comrie slated to start against Los Angeles, it seems the biggest assist in the 5-1 victory didn't come on the ice, but at the Comrie household as Haley did something to calm her husband's nerves.

"She put a couple pictures of my kids in my car, both playing hockey. It showed me why I play the game and why I love the game," said Comrie, who got visibly choked up as he spoke. "It kind of got me back into the mindset of playing hockey again and being a kid and having fun out there. It was pretty special for me out there."

To quote Moneyball: "How can you not be romantic about hockey?"

I completely understand the idea of Comrie thinking and overthinking every play and every shot in his mind after a bad game. I used to take that same mentality home with me after I finished playing a game, and it took a lot of reflection to break that way of thinking. For Comrie, all it took was a reminder from his wife that this game is supposed to be played for fun no matter what age one is.

"It's hard to stay angry coming home to my daughter yelling, 'Daddy, daddy, daddy, come give me big hug and a big kiss.' She wants to show what she's done all day, and then I've got two dogs jumping all over me," he said about coming home after games.

If that doesn't tug at the ol' heartstrings a little, you may want to see a doctor about whether your heart is indeed beating in your chest.

I have made it a point on this blog to never write about a player's personal life away from the rink. I truly believe they are entitled to as much of a private life as anyone reading this blog. This story, while personal, feels different because it's a stark reminder that hockey players are people and that they have their flaws just like you and I.

Eric Comrie was down in the dumps after a few outings where he likely believes he should have been better, but his best friend was there to pick him up when he needed it most. Haley Comrie put things back in perspective with one simple reminder: stop worrying about all the noise, and just have fun like the kids would do.

I want to pass on a "thank you" and some major kudos for Mike McIntyre filing this story late last night with all the credit for the quotations rightfully go to him, but this is the kind of story we should be seeking more often. Hockey in North America is a cutthroat business that chews up and spits people out of they can't handle the pressures that come with playing, and stories like the one Eric Comrie shared with McIntyre shows that there is a human side to the game that needs to shine through the joyless business of the game.

Thank you, Eric, for sharing your story, and thank you, Haley, for providing a perspective that too often gets forgotten today.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!