Surreal Winter Classic for Mike Condon, Montreal goalie and Patriots fan
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The 2016 Winter Classic isn’t Mike Condon’s first time at Gillette Stadium. But it is the first time he’ll be part of the action, rather than needing binoculars to watch it.
“Usually when I’m at Gillette Stadium, I’m in the last row of the nose bleeds,” said Condon, the Montreal Canadiens goalie who grew up in Holliston, about 30 minutes away from Foxborough.
Condon’s a New England Patriots fan, as evidenced by the visages of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick on his mask. His language is peppered with the inspirational coach-speak that surrounds the NFL team, including the “DO YOUR JOB” on the back of that mask.
So he’s back in Boston, back at Gillette, leading the hated Canadiens into the outdoor game against the Boston Bruins, which is a Bostonian sports sin akin to having a homecoming as New York Jets quarterback.
Truth be told, Condon wasn’t a dyed-in-black-and-gold Bruins fan growing up. He loved hockey, catching the bug from his father, Ted, who taught him how to skate and was a volunteer equipment manager for a local youth hockey program. But Ted Condon told ESPN Boston that while he and Mike’s older brother were die-hard B’s fans, the goalie was ultimately captivated by the intensity of the rivalry between Boston and Montreal.
“He got the bug from being in the atmosphere in that building,” his father said. “His brother was a big Bruins fan, as was I, but Mike was always a big fan of the rivalry. I’m just overwhelmed and shocked by all this. It’s just incredible.”
There are several levels of surreal for Mike Condon at the Winter Classic, but he reached another one as the Canadiens traveled to Gillette on Thursday.
His father is a sergeant in the Massachusetts State Police violent fugitive apprehension section, having assisted in the manhunt for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the Boston Marathon bomber. But on Thursday, he was dressed in full uniform and assisting in another matter: Helping to protect the Montreal Canadiens team bus that contained his son as it traveled to Foxborough for practice.
“That was pretty funny to see him with the bus,” said Condon after practice. “Tomorrow, he definitely has a day off. So he’ll be tailgating.”
There weren’t many days off for Ted Condon when Mike was growing up. As detailed in an excellent feature by Alex Prewitt in Sports Illustrated, Mike Condon’s parents separated when he was seven. That led to Ted Condon working every shift he could grab and additional jobs as well, the money going towards everything from goalie gear to tuition at Belmont Hill, where his education led to his attending Princeton University later.
“You see your dad working so hard to get you these goalie pads, you’re going to put every ounce of sweat and blood you have into practice and into those games,” Mike Condon told SI. “Why would you put your dad through that if you weren’t going to give total effort?”
Hockey players make no secret of the fact that they’re the product of their parents’ sacrifices. Some of those are sacrifices of time – early morning trips to the practice rink and long road trips to games – and some of them are deeper sacrifices, like the ones Ted Condon made.
So to have Mike Condon on the ice, with Ted Condon and many members of his family in the stands, serves as a point of inspiration for his Canadiens teammates.
“We could see how special it is for him. It gives me a little bit more motivation because this is real life. At the end of the day, to see his father that proud and for him to come home and be able to play in front of his friends and family at this type of stage, it means a lot to him,” said Habs captain Max Pacioretty.
It’s been a surreal season for Condon behind the Habs. An injury to Carey Price necessitated his call-up in October, as he completed the journey from undrafted free agent to NHL goaltender. He won his first four appearances, and opened with a 7-1-2 mark through Nov. 16.
His fortunes changed dramatically, as they did for the Canadiens, in December. Condon went 2-7-0, his save percentage creeping over .920 just twice after it dipped below that in his first seven starts.
There was more than a little concern that the local boy might not get the start in the Boston Winter Classic. But two strong starts in a loss at the first-place Washington Capitals and a 36-save win at the Tampa Bay Lightning solidified his spot.
“Michael deserves to play,” said Michel Therrien, the Canadiens coach. “He did really well the last two games, and we got to consider too the fact that he is from here.”
Mike Condon’s roots will show in the stands, as his family and friends watch him compete in the Winter Classic – “They will be wearing the bleu, blanc and rouge for sure,” said Condon.
And his teammates will know they’re there as well, and are determined not to let the hometown boy leave the rink as anything but a hero.
“For me, and I’m sure my teammates as well, it’s something we can kind of build off of and use as a little bit of motivation to go out there and play better in front of him than we have been lately,” said Pacioretty.
As Tom Brady can attest, you’re only as good as the team around you. It’s something Mike Condon used to witness in the nosebleeds in Gillette as a fan, before becoming a pro athlete competing on the field – albeit on a rink, on the field.
“You’re up there, and now you’re down here,” he said.
“It puts things in perspective.”
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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.
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