Bethany's Hockey Rants

For the love of Freddy

by Bethany on 12/18/08 at 09:45 PM ET
Comments (2)

It’s really a sad thing that Fredrik Norrena is leaving and while it certainly isn’t a happy departure for anyone involved, we do need to remember what Norrena did for the hockey club.

Norrena was there when Pascal Leclaire was on constant IR.

Norrena was the FIRST goaltender in franchise history to finish with a better than .500 record.

Norrena was an emotional goaltender, but that’s what you had to love about him. When he let a goal in you could see the disappointment on his face whether you were watching at home, or if you were in the upper bowl of Nationwide Arena.

Fredrik Norrena refused an assignment in Syracuse, that doesn’t surprise me. He was placed on unconditional waivers, the first step in having his contract terminated. He has permission from the club to negotiate with a European club.

While I understand that this is a business, I have to say that I love Norrena. I still do. He was fun to watch, and while he didn’t have the success that he once did, he was always entertaining.

I had the privelage of being able to be in the room after one of the games earlier in the season, it was a loss, and Steve Mason was in net, and Norrena was scratched. I was on the other side of the room, but I remember seeing Norrena walk in the room, and go straight over to Mason. I don’t know what he said, but I am sure he had encouraging words for the young goaltender, and that’s something that stuck with me.

Norrena is a good person. I hope that someday he lands back in the NHL, which I am thinking is quite doubtful since no one picked him up. If he doesn’t, wherever he goes, I will follow his career and how he goes. He is always going to be one of my favorite players.

Regardless of what happens with Norrena, he’s always going to be one of the good guys.

And, we’ll always have the 2006-2007 season.