The Story of Andy Kjearsgaard
Most Dickson boys aspired to become great hockey players and I was no different. We started out playing shinny on the road, a packed field, the river, or anywhere else that was relatively flat.
Goal was my preferred position and I became adept at stopping frozen horse apples with my scoop shovel.
Playing for the Dickson Vikings hockey team was a well-known first step towards hockey fame. When I started high school, the Vikings had a good goalie, Hertel Rasmussen. But he was an import, so the powers that be, decided I should be trained as his successor.
I practiced in the school basement during recess and noon every day. I'd put on the goalie pads and stand in front of the net, a scale drawing on the basement wall. When I was in position, Hertel would shoot pucks at me––real pucks. I got pretty good at stopping them, too.
Finally, the great day came. The Vikings were playing the Markerville team and I was the starting goalie. I was as nervous as a cat but when the game started, I calmed down––but not for long. At the end of the first period, Markerville was leading, eleven to zero. Nearly everyone on their team had scored a goal. In fact, I'd kicked the puck in a couple of times myself!
My hockey career was finished. I became a pedologist–a soil scientist—instead.
Adapted from the 1994 Heritage Book,with permission from the Federation of Danish Associations in Canada
Teasers:
• See hockey at the Dickson Arena, then explore other local attractions
• Read about Danish farm boy Helge Welling's adventures during World War II
