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Inspirational trio to be inducted in Hall of Fame

When Cowboy Bill was a few pounds heavier and whole lot harrier, he barely knew his way around the road hockey court. He had the instincts for the game, but he made the usual rookie mistakes, getting caught behind the play, failing to pick up his check in the defensive zone.
But with the mentorship and guidance of notorious gameshow host gone bad Wink, he learned how to become one of Sunday Morning Road Hockey's steadiest and steadfast two-way players, a force in the defensive and offensive zones.
"He took me under his wing," said Cowboy Bill of one of the game's fellow founding fathers. "He showed me some of the keys to success on the court and that's something I'll always remember him for."
On Sunday, Feb. 21, Wink and two other beloved veteran roadsters, Lobsterboy and Paul One, will be inducted into the Sunday Morning Road Hockey Hall of Fame as part of a gala day of festivities including the first Hall of Fame Game which will feature some of the league's most colorful players sharpening their sticks alongside the next generation of stars.
Wink's dedication and contribution to the game as one of its staunchest and stalwart players will also be honored with the commission of the new Wink Trophy, to be awarded to the most valuable, dedicated, reliable roadster as voted by his fellow players at the end of the regular season. He played 18 seasons, enduring all kinds of weather and stick pull indignities, before he became inactive two years ago.
He was an inspiration to every generation of roadsters, said his longtime nemesis, Lak Attack. "He was always reliable, and that was important for the game. He always tried to work with his team and not just by himself."
He was a leader, said Cowboy Bill. "You knew when you got up in the morning he would be one of the guys who would be at the court no matter what. He was sort of a catalyst for getting other people out to the court."
"He led by example," said one of his fiercest rivals, the Colonel. "He was dependable, you always knew what you'd get out of him."
And that was a defensive stickler who could turn a game with his fearsome slappers from the point.
"He was a smart player," said the Colonel. "He always got you out of trouble, he was the guy you looked to for some leadership."
"He was always in the way," said Cowboy Bill. "He was one of those guys you hated to play against and always wanted to play with him on your team."
"He had great hands and a great shot," said Lak Attack. "He wasn't known for being the quickest guy, but he definitely had great vision out there."
Lobsterboy and Paul One came to Sunday Morning Road Hockey together as one of the game's most dynamic duos and helped transition it from a loose, lazy weekly scrimmage to a structured, competitive battle with recognizable heroes and villains.
More often than not they were the former, as Lobsterboy stood large and colorful between the goal pipes and Paul One wore his heart on his sleeve week in and week out. Each of them had the knack for coming up with big games when it counted the most.
"There's very few people like Lobsterboy," said Lak Attack. "He always motivated his team. He got his team fired up and the other team fired up against him. You loved him and you hated him all at once."
Lobsterboy played goalie in the "small pad" era, straddling the seasons when Goaltending Stalwart Wawrow played without leg protection at all and the big pad goaltenders like Turk, Ottoman and Pig Farming Goalie.
"He always wore the little pads, he never looked big, but his heart was huge," said Gump, who faced the clawed creaseminder from the opposite end of the court through much of his career. "He was one of the first really steady goalies who played consistently well every week. He really made the players better."
Few roadsters could match Lobsterboy's character, said the Colonel. He was feisty and fearless between the pipes, jovial and high-spirited on the sidelines.
"His passion for the game is the kind of thing that really builds other people's passion for the game."
It was passion that drove Paul One to play his best when the most was at stake. A steady dependable forward in the regular season, he had a limitless capacity to kick his game up to a new level in the Stanley Stick championship series. That's when competitive fire would alight his eyes and fuel his relentless desire for the evil orange plastic ball.
"Paul One was the ultimate competitor," said the Colonel, who survived many battles in the corner with his foe. "He was always hard on the ball. He had great tenacity, and he easily raised the level of his game during the Stanley Stick."
"He had a lot of skill, but he also had a lot of heart," said Gump. "When it came down to the Stick, you always wanted him on your team because you knew you were going to win with him."
"He was one of the few players who, pretty much every shift, he fought for the ball," said Lak Attack. "He never gave up. He would go that extra mile."
And for that he often paid a price. Paul One's career was exclaimed by injuries like bruises, cuts, black eyes, bloody noses and welts.
"He had hands of stone, but he had a lot of tenacity when it came down to chasing loose balls in the corners," said Lak Attack.
"You could see his heart every time he was out there," said Cowboy Bill. "He was going to force everyone else on his team to be a bit better because he was going to make them accountable."
Wink, Lobsterboy and Paul One will be inducted into the Sunday Morning Road Hockey Hall of Fame at a gala ceremony at the refurbished Terminal Pub, following the special Hall of Fame Game, which faces off Sunday, Feb. 21 after that morning's regular game. Former roadsters who've confirmed their appearance so far include fellow hall of famer Goaltending Stalwart Wawrow, Lobsterboy, Lumberjack and Sexboy.