It was supposed to be a summer of celebration.
The Oromocto Senators had clawed their way to an improbable ODBHL Cup victory — a comeback for the ages after trailing 3-1 against the Scotsmen in the semi-finals. The team that allowed the fewest goals all season. The team with the impenetrable wall in net. The team with that guy: Spencer Knight.
Knight, the cool-headed goaltending phenom who stood on his head night after night, earning him the prestigious Bob Essensa Trophy, was the city’s golden boy. He could do no wrong. Until he did.
Enter: The Afterparty.
According to team sources — who spoke on condition of anonymity because they “value their careers” — Knight celebrated the championship win in legendary fashion. We’re talking top-shelf liquor, bottom-shelf decisions. It was supposed to be one night of glory. But when you’re shotgunning tequila with strangers and swapping vape pens in a crowded bar bathroom, glory comes with consequences.
Just days after the festivities, Knight tested positive for COVID-19. What followed was a fever dream — and not the kind you wake up laughing from. The virus hit him like a slapshot to the chest. Complications followed. Rumours of hospitalization swirled. A ventilator may or may not have been involved (the team won't confirm, but Knight was reportedly heard whispering “Tell my pads I love them” at one point).
He survived, yes. But what came back wasn’t quite the same goalie that led the Senators to championship glory. What returned to the rink looked like Spencer Knight, skated like Spencer Knight, even signed autographs like Spencer Knight — but between the pipes, it was a different story.
Gone was the laser-sharp focus. Gone was the lateral quickness. Gone was the uncanny ability to stare down a 2-on-0 breakaway and make it look like a bad decision for the shooters. This new version of Knight? He flinches. He second-guesses. He chases the puck like it owes him money.
In the pre-season, whispers started swirling. “Is he still sick?” “Did the virus mess with his lungs?” “Has anyone checked if that’s really Knight under the mask and not some adult beer league goalie in disguise?”
Coach Fenton offered the usual PR spin: “He’s working through some rust. It’s been a long off-season.” Right. And my cat is just "taking a break" from catching mice.
Now, with the regular season underway, the Senators find themselves in uncharted waters. A team built on airtight defence and stellar goaltending now has a very expensive question mark in net. And what’s the plan?
Well... they’re just gonna roll with it.
GM Grant Tallen, usually available for long-winded metaphors and quotes about "finding diamonds in the rough," has gone dark. When asked for a comment, a team spokesperson said, “Mr. Tallen is currently out of town on a spiritual retreat in the woods with no phone service.” Sources suggest he’s actually in his office, hiding under his desk with a copy of Knight's contract and a stress ball shaped like a puck.
Internally, there are rumblings about giving the backup goalie more starts — you know, just to see what happens. But no one wants to rock the boat just yet. After all, this is still the same Spencer Knight who backstopped them to the Cup, right?
Right?
In the locker room, players are supportive, at least to the media. One teammate, who may or may not have had a smirk behind his mouthguard, said: “Spence is still our guy. Sure, he looks like he’s fighting off ghosts out there, but who isn’t?”
Whether it’s a crisis of health, confidence, or karma finally catching up to a goalie who was just too damn good last season, one thing is clear: the Senators are skating on thin ice, and the cracks are forming in the crease.
One bad game, and the fans chant. Two bad games, and the whispers start. Three? Well, we all know how quickly a fairy tale becomes a horror story in the ODBHL.
As for Knight? He says he’s “feeling great and ready to go.”
Let’s hope he means ready to stop pucks, not just ready to go home.
5/27/2025 - 673 words
