Interview With A Goon

Davy Rothbart interviews career hockey goon Doug Smith, whose autobiography is now a movie:

I got onto a summer rec league in 1988 where you just pay a few bucks and sign up. The coach knew that I was a horrible hockey player but that I was trying to have fun and learn how to play. He didn't know I had a bit of a secret agenda: I was not only trying to learn to skate at a higher level but also looking for opportunities to square off with someone. I wanted to learn how to keep my balance in a fight. That was one thing Adam couldn't teach me. We'd spar on skates day after day, but there's nothing like the real thing. In summer hockey, though, it didn't take too long to find opponents willing to brawl.
An actual NHL scout was watching these summer leagues and after our last game, he approached me and said, "Smitty, I've watched you all summer. You're one of the worst skaters I've ever seen but you're a helluva fighter. I might be able to help you out. I know a team that could use you." This gentleman made a phone call to a coach he knew, and before I knew it, I was heading down to North Carolina for a tryout with the Carolina Thunderbirds of the East Coast Hockey League.

The whole thing is worth the read, it is hilarious.