Just something I’ve noticed…

In hockey there are players tasked with protecting their teammates.  They are referred to as enforcers…  I’ve had the opporunity to meet three of them.

• Jeff Odgers – Former Thrashers player
• Eric Boulton – Current Thrashers player
• Dan Sullivan – Gwinnett Gladiators player

Jeff is well known to Atlanta hockey fans, and VERY well liked.  In 2002 he won the Gilner-Reeves Community Service Award for his efforts off the ice in the community.  This past season, the award was split between Eric and Garnet Exelby (“X” is another of the Thrasher’s enforcers).

Dan is also a big supporter of the community.  He is a partner in the Come and Get It hockey camp.  Their goal is to help kids play better hockey… and they offer scholarships to help make sure that money isn’t an obstacle.

It is kind of ironic that the guys that make their living fighting ON the ice are often the ones that give the most of themselves off the ice… or maybe it isn’t so surprising.  On the ice, their role of enforcer is also that of “protector of their teammates”.  One could say that off the ice they want to help protect their communities.

And Atlanta seems to respond with open arms to the guys that protect their teammates!