11/22/01 -Look, between the pipes, it's Dryden, it's Roy, it's… José?
I went to one of those geeky comic book/gamer stores yesterday and bought an action figure. You're thinking, that's about right. Only 30-odd shopping days until Christmas and she's picking up a Spiderman figurine or a Power Puff Girl for the young'uns.
Think again.
NHL action figures have become a big deal, for the most part because of a certain hockey fan cum comic book writer cum toy maker who grew up in Alberta (and no, we're not giving you a plug, Mr. McFarlane). The first collection that came out in 2000 included an incredible life-like model of Curtis Joseph and a stunning replica of Patrick Roy. And that made me very sad. I assumed I would never see a beautiful action figure wearing les bleu, blanc et rouge. Face it, the Montreal Canadiens haven't had a big name star worthy of super hero status since… since… well, since Patrick Roy. Argh!
Early this year I received an insider's newsletter (okay, I AM a geek!) telling me what players were going to be the next big 6 in the action figure gallery. Peter Forsberg, John LeClair, Dominik Hasek, you know, the usual suspects. But there on the list, hidden among the future Hall of Famers was José Théodore. Yes, Montreal's little #60. Huh? Isn't he a backup goalie? Do I even remember watching him play?
Oh me of little faith.
Théodore has had some incredible moments in his erratic career with the Canadiens. As a rookie in the 1997 playoffs, he posted a 56-save performance in a 4-3 triple overtime victory over the New Jersey Devils. In the 1999-00 season, he played 30 games, recording five shutouts along the way, and was ranked second in save percentage with a 91.910 mark (superstar Ed Belfour finished first at 91.916). Last season he scored a goal and recorded a shutout in a single game.
But an action figure? A super hero? I wasn't convinced.
Until recently. José, the perpetual backup goalie, was called on to fill Jeff Hackett's boots as Montreal's number one stopper. He's taken that challenge and raised his level of play beyond what any puck pundit believed he could. In spite of the team's middle-of-the-pack .500 play this year, Théodore has a better goals-against-average than Roy, Joseph and Hasek. He's 8th in save percentage as he faces a barrage of rubber almost every night.
But it's not a statistic, not a measurable number or a ranking of any sort that has earned Théodore his super hero status. José stays in the game. When his teammates have a lousy first period (and that happens a little too often for my liking), he keeps them in the game until they wake up and start shooting. When the game goes into overtime and the skaters look like they're happy with the single point, Théodore is still working his cup off to keep the puck out.
Because of that attitude, that dogged effort from the little guy who doesn't have a Robinson, Savard and Lapointe in front of him, it looks like his mates are starting to be inspired. Rather than settling for the tie in OT, they're licking their chops for a goal. They're shooting. They're hitting. They're playing like a team who wants to be better than .500.
So today I walked into the geeky little store and headed to the NHL action figures. Pavel Bure? As if! Mats Sundin? I don't think so. Martin Brodeur? Spare me. A José Théodore to go, please! And now he sits in the number one position on my top shelf while Patrick Roy has been relegated to the bottom. He's getting a little dusty anyway.
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Changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes
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Montreal and Dallas completed a big deal Wednesday night as underachievers Martin Rucinsky and Benoit Brunet were sent to the Lone Star State while underachievers Donald Audette and Shaun van Allen are headed north. Canadiens' GM André Savard spoke after the trade was made:
“I think we lost an offensive player and we gained an offensive player. The difference is contracts. Certainly we didn't want to give up any offence, and we didn't. That's what we got with Donald so it's a gain, I think, for the future.”
A change of scenery will probably work wonders for these 4 guys, all of whom have played key roles offensively and defensively in their careers. Donald Audette in particular has been a proven catalyst for struggling teams. Last season he single-handedly gave the Atlanta Thrashers credibility in the strong Eastern Conference. Maybe a dose of his offense will give José Théodore a breather from time to time.