Godard vs. Cote: A Whimsical History

Although they played two full years together in the WHL, when their teams met up it was Todd Fedurok and Craig Brunel who had a go with Eric Godard, while Rockin' Riles was concentrating on his scoring. They had missed their chance to begin their relationship, and from that point their paths would take them apart from each other for 4 years. To a day called March 4, 2005. It was the NHL lockout and even though Godard had already proven he was NHL ready he, like many other younger players, was sent down to the AHL for a full year of seasoning. Cote however, was taking the opposite route, climbing the ladder after having just played most of the previous year in Dayton of the East Coast League. On that night, in a pretty entertaining fight, Eric Godard scored a narrow win over Rockin Riles. Riley,a believer in fate knew that their paths would cross again. But when that next chance came, just like in juniors, someone else was on Godard's dance card that night. That dancer was Jesse Boulerice and that night was the opening night of the 2007-08 season - the opening night of this blog.

Call it fate, call it magic, call it love. Whatever it is it works in strange ways. Just when these two fighters, separated by a Conference though they might never get a second chance to engage in physical combat, Godard became a Penguin and this happened:



But that was in Pittsburgh, and today's game is in Philadelphia. In Riley Cote's home ring. And once again, these two star-crossed pugilists will meet.

Eric Godard, the giant slayer:



And Riley Cote, the Bernard Hopkins of ice skating:



To cross paths again this afernoon at one...