When my household moved from New Jersey to a small city simply north of Columbus, GA named Shiloh within the early 90s, you couldn’t even get the NHL scores on native tv. That each one modified in 1996 when the Columbus Cottonmouths got here to city. They have been an on the spot hit, successful the Central Hockey League Levins Cup only one 12 months later. One of many males who was entrance and heart constructing that workforce was a former NHL veteran and Stanley Cup Champion by the identify of Phil Roberto.
Sadly, Phil Roberto handed away this week.
I first met Phil Roberto in the course of the Championship season in 1997. I used to be a younger and impressive 20 12 months previous obsessive about hockey. He could possibly be slightly gruff, however he all the time loved speaking concerning the sport we each cherished. I didn’t know the in and outs of the game, I believed a backcheck meant you skated backward and hit any individual. Over time, Mr. Roberto taught me the fundamentals of the sport. I’m not an skilled, by no means will likely be, however the time I spent speaking with Mr. Roberto after which Cottonmouths Coach Bruce Garber, I discovered sufficient that just about 30 years later, I bought a dream job working for the New Mexico Ice Wolves as their PA Announcer. No, you don’t essentially must know the sport to try this, however I’d prefer to suppose it helps. We didn’t all the time get alongside, there have been durations that we didn’t discuss in any respect, however we all the time managed to begin speaking concerning the biggest sport on the planet. I all the time referred to as him Mr. Roberto though he advised me to name him Phil. I hadn’t seen Mr. Roberto in nearly 20 years, however I’ll always remember the hockey talks.
Relaxation in Peace sir, thanks for the reminiscences.
