First, it was NHLer Carl Hagelin who almost didn’t make it over the boards. Now it’s youth hockey player Everett Schomig, who tried — and eventually succeeded — a board-clearing of his own.
Eight-year-old Everett plays Navy Youth Hockey as a Mite at the Naval Academy in Annapolis. He’s only been playing hockey for a year, and line changes are hard — especially if you’re not (yet) vertically gifted. In New Jersey on Friday night, Hagelin demonstrated a useful technique for getting over.
“I did the kid version of what Carl Hagelin did,” Everett said after dad Keith showed it to him on RMNB.
Usually, Mite players use the door, but Everett was playing pick-up with older kids and had lofty aspirations. “I think he got inspired by playing with the big boys and decided to go for it,” said Keith, who assistant coaches the team and is on the ice for teaching and funny video recording reasons.
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This kid has got the Carl Hagelin technique down! (🎥: Keith Schomig/@pancakesbyrequest)
“The full video included a few more failed attempts,” Keith added.
Big breakthrough at today’s stick-and-puck: E learned to clear the wall like a pro! @russianmachine #ALLCAPS #carlhagelin pic.twitter.com/FgK5laxRqZ
— Keith Schomig (@Kschomig) March 9, 2019
Everett says that during his (lengthy) struggles, he kept asking himself, “how hard is it to get over the wall?!”
Everett’s favorite player is Brett Connolly, because he goes to a game every year as a birthday present, and in February Connolly threw him a puck during warm-ups. “Not surprising that Brett would do that,” said Keith, “he clearly gets the value of making a kid’s day (or in Everett’s case, year)!”
Connolly throwing a puck to young Keelan Moxley went viral earlier in the season.
Keith, a DC attorney, Naval Academy grad, and Mite hockey coach, also makes his family pancakes by request on Saturdays, including a wide variety of hockey-themed options. It’s harder to fit those in on Saturdays with early Mite practice, but you have to make exceptions for the Stanley Cup Champions.
The family of four — Keith, Everett, supportive mom Sara, and little sister Melodie (a four-year-old who hopes to start playing next year) — are big Caps fans in Annapolis. Connolly’s already Everett’s favorite player, but Hagelin’s blooper should have him moving up the list fast.
Headline image: @Kschomig
