That is my word to describe one of my worst days. It was October 1976, and I was 11 years old. I was in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada, and the weather was cold with snow on the ground, maybe 40 below. I walked uphill both ways from home to hockey practice and then back home, over a mile both ways. My kids try to dispel this truth, and my mom won’t back me up in this story, but I blame her age, and my kids weren’t there. But I did walk uphill both ways over a mile because this is Kirkland Lake and it's always cold, maybe, always 40 below. I was a hockey player, but most importantly, I was a goalie. I started skating at 1 ½ years old and put on the goalie pads at 3 years old. I loved hockey, and it was everything to me.

My dad, Leo Puppa, was a goalie. He instilled the love of the game and, more importantly,y goaltending. My dad, on that fateful October day, came home with a present for me. I was excited at first, as most of my equipment was used and this was brand new. As I opened the gift, I was immediately struck by betrayal. My father bought me a brand-new hockey helmet. He said I had to wear it from now on. No discussions, and I was devastated. I had never worn a helmet before. I did wear a face mask that covered my face. Which I did wear with no problem, and appreciated as I got older, as I still have all my teeth. But an actual hockey helmet that covered my head, this was too much.

My reasoning for my devastation is that I knew that the other kids on the hockey team would make fun of me. Goalies did not wear helmets. I was a tough goalie, and I was not going to wear a helmet either. And I was firm that I would never wear it. My father, Leo Puppa, never wore a helmet. He played goalie and even had a tryout with the Detroit Red Wings. They had another goalie at that time named Glenn Hall. They also only had one goalie on the team during that era. My dad did not wear a helmet then, and neither did Glenn. Why should I, and where did he get this idea from? He said it was for my safety. He said I couldn’t play any hockey if I didn’t wear it.

You probably know the outcome…I wore the helmet.