ELMIRA, N.Y. - With the 68th pick in the 1992 NHL draft, the Montreal Canadiens selected Craig Rivet. Two decades later, Rivet's journey led him to the Elmira Jackals.
"When I came down here there was a lot of people scratching their heads," said Rivet. "A lot of players scratching their heads. At the same time, once they got to know me, and I became part of the team, we just had a blast. We had a real special team this year."
A team that won a league best 45 games. For Rivet, this year brought out the true passion of hockey in him.
"I think anytime you are trying to achieve a goal, you're going to hit snags in there that are going to test you. That's something I really tried to work hard on. I know I loved the game of hockey and I just wanted to do my very best."
It's a mentality that he brought to the rink every single day.
"Sometimes you are going to have to sacrifice. Sometimes you are going to have to work harder that you ever thought you could. I know i did everything possibly could to achieve my goal, and my goals came true."
"If we had this exact same team there is no doubt I would be coming back. I think that's what I'm going to leave here with: knowing I still can play with these 22 year old guys that basically live at the gym."
Now it's on to the next chapter, whatever that may be.
