Chuck Mindenhall Writes About Gabe Gauthier

(left) Chuck Mindenhall wrote this essay about former Pioneer player Gabe Gauthier. Gauthier scored the biggest goal in DU hockey history against the University of Maine in the 2004 National Championship game.

From: Inland Empire Weekly
by Chuck Mindenhall

Temecula’s (California) own Gabe Gauthier (GO-chay) was called up for the proverbial cup of coffee this past week with the Los Angeles Kings, an 8-2 drubbing of the Buffalo Sabres. This matched the largest margin of victory for the last place Crowns since that aberrational 6-0 beat down of the Preds in October, and it’s really no coincidence. Gabe’s impact was obviously why—he was the thunderclap which shifted the herd. That of the possible 24 dispensible points—eight goals, eight assists, eight moochers—Gabe scored none is particularly irrelevant information. His presence was enough. As an attorney friend of mine who attended the game said afterwards while pretending to hold two imaginary grocery bags, “Man, Gabe’s stout.” Stout, well, yes—forty-two-solid-inches of diametric J-Lo-type rump roast is enough to make opposing skater’s knees creak louder than toilet seats under his pressure. In the Saturday night game against Phoenix, Los Angeles inexplicably (unless losing face-offs can be deemed explicable) skated the stoutwinger nine measly shifts for 5:45 of ice time in a rather familiar-looking 4-2 loss before hurling him back to the AHL affiliate in Manchester, New Hampshire. That’s an awful lot of mojo to ship across the country, I know, but the move ensures the Kings will retain their throne as the ultimate practioners of mediocrity. Until next cameo, Gooch!