BOYLE - The chill of the ice, the roar of the crowd — it’s a thrill whenever you get to skate in front of the hometown fans, but it's even more thrilling when you get to do it at Rogers Place before an Edmonton Oilers playoff game.
On May 10 at Game 5 of the NHL playoff series between the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings, Boyle's own Karsten Porter, 14, donned his goalie gear and carried the team's orange and blue colours onto the ice as country music star Brett Kissel performed the American national anthem.
"My dad put my name in for the draw,” Porter said in a May 17 interview. “I was really excited.”
He said he got the call to be the flag bearer about three days before the event and it was a restless and exciting few days leading up to the big event.
"I got into the building, I went through security, I see these two ladies, got my name (tag) and then they took us down the hallway into where my dressing room was near where the Oilers' dressing room is,” he said.
He was able to store his hockey bag before going on a tour which included the huge Zamboni room under Rogers Place and where Kissel was warming up.
“I got to meet him and talk to him,” said Porter.
From there he was shown the ice and was able to gaze up, way up, from the ice level to the top of the huge downtown-Edmonton arena, a view few young hockey players get to experience.
"After talking to Brett Kissel, we went back, and they showed me where the Oilers room is and where they interview the coaches after games.”
When the time came Porter skated out with the flag attached to a hockey stick, because, Canada, eh, and took in the packed crowd cheering him on before both anthems were sang and the teams took the ice.
While he was close enough to say hello to the Oilers, he wasn't able to get an autograph, but he got something else instead — jealous friends.
"They were pretty jealous,” said Porter. “They were definitely.”
