The Swooshification of Logan

English 200

Sec. 007

Julie Fox

January 24, 2005

THE SWOOSHIFICATION OF LOGAN

“Are you scared for the game tonight- you might get knocked around again, you’re a pretty small guy.”

“No. Just excited.”

(Conversation, 21 January 2005)

The Summary of a Lifetime condensed into a trio of words. How do you unfold Eternity in a page and a half, 10 point, single spaced, Times New Roman Font? You start from the beginning- but not the beginning, a beginning.

5’9”, 140 lbs of- what? Bone? Flesh? Carbon, Nitrogen and Oxygen? In our society we describe a man in terms of his accomplishments, as if that were the essence of the soul; of heart. No. How about ‘life’. Specifically: life as an Ice Cat. Love is what brought Jaxon to BYU. Love for his brother, Dustin- former Ice Cat and Equipment Manager, and love for the one sport that thrives in the Palmer Alaskan climate- Hockey. Hockey is where the heart of Jaxon lived. Joining the teams as a true freshman, Jaxon lived for Hockey. Dry land practice every night- except Thursdays, Sundays and game nights- at 8:00 p.m. sharp; Ice practice after dry land. An ordinary student athlete stops here. An ordinary student athlete has school, work and a social life competing for the rest of life. Hockey encompassed Jaxon’s life. Injury robbed Jaxon of his meager, fourth string ice time early in his Ice Cat career. Humility. Determination drove him to the PE 150 Hockey class offered to BYU and UVSC students. Although his status as an Ice Cat would allow him to participate for free as an assistant teacher, Jaxon entered the class as a student; determined to improve his skills. Most students had no idea Jaxon played for the Ice Cats, although many thought he should try out after seeing him play. Time, determination and heart carried Jaxon to Southern California to face San Jose State University and Cal-Berkely- the Ice Cats first road trip of Winter semester and the last time Jaxon’s parents would ever see him play in an Ice Cat’s hockey game.

The Ice Cats returned to Provo in good position to clinch a ticket to Nationals. Only accepting the top four teams for the Nationals tournament, the Ice Cats were sitting in fifth place, right below San Jose, and two spots below rivals Utah State, and looking to overcome one or both. Jaxon returned to Provo in good position to clinch a spot on the second, possibly first line. All Jaxon had to do was prove to Coach Beaudry he deserved that spot by playing his heart out in the Ice Cats first home game of Winter semester- Ice Cats vs. University of Northern Colorado. Period one unfolded with the power and energy of an electrical storm. After one period of play, the Ice Cats led the game 4 to 1, and Jaxon was keeping true to his end of the bargain. Shift after shift he made his presence on the ice felt by all in attendance- defensively and offensively. At the end of the first period he was credited with two breakaway opportunities. Although he had not personally capitalized on either, one had led the team to a goal. PERIOD TWO. This was Jaxon’s time to leave the coach with no doubt about his right to move up to a higher line. The fire which fueled Jaxon in the first period continued to propel him to peak performance in the second period. By this time, Northern Colorado could no longer ignore Jaxon as a key player in the Ice Cats lineup and punished him accordingly. With heroism similar to that of Greek mythology, Jaxon continued to show dominance on the ice. With three minutes left in the period and 20 seconds left on the penalty to Mark Ostebo, Jaxon was out to secure his spot. With the last seconds of the Northern Colorado powerplay about to expire, Jaxon slid to the ice to block a slapshot from a Northern Colorado player. The broadside of the puck struck Jaxon directly in the heart, causing it to begin beating in an irregular pattern resulting in a rare condition known as commotio cordis. Like a Phoenix rising out of its ashes, Jaxon rose from the ice, struggling to make it to the players bench. As he hoisted himself over the boards, his strength gave out completely and he plummeted head first into the players bench; a crumpled heap at the feet of his teammates.

For the remaining minute and a half of the second period, it was as if no one had even noticed. Players shrugged it off as a concussion, a common occurrence in hockey; the fans forgot about it as the Ice Cats charged into the Northern Colorado zone, scoring for the eighth time that night. The game continued as usual, oblivious to the struggle for life going on inside the players bench. Eternities later, the paramedics arrived and took over all life saving efforts. After multiple attempts to revive Jaxon using CPR and later the defibrillator, Jaxon was finally skated off the ice on a stretcher to the awaiting ambulance, an unearthly peace immortalizing his lifeless face. The emergency medical technicians, Coach and Police knew, from the moment Jaxon collapsed into the bench, he would not recover. Despite all efforts to revive him, Jaxon was pronounced ‘Dead on Arrival’ by the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center emergency room staff.

To all in attendance that night, a miracle was witnessed on the ice. Opposite in emotions to that of the ‘Miracle on Ice’ of 1980, but exact in glory. A son of God left this world behind and ascended into His rest- a prince in the arms of the King. Jaxon lived with an inner and outer strength characteristic of pure royalty-Love, Humility and Sacrifice. His example will live forever in the hearts and memories of family, friends and fans.

Position: Wing

Height: 5’9”

Weight: 140 lbs

                Profile: Freshman forward Jaxon Logan hails from Palmer, Alaska where he began playing organized hockey at the age of seven. Logan is in his first year with the Ice Cats and is studying Business Management at BYU. This year, Logan is looking to log some quality minutes and be remembered as a teammate who sacrificed on, and off the ice.

(Ice Cat Hockey Home Page, 2005)

In memory of Jaxon Logan.

05/14/86 to 01/21/05

WORKS CITED

Conversation between  Jesse Fox and Jaxon Logan. Three hours before game time, 21 January 2005.

Ice Cat Hockey Home Page. Ice Cat Hockey. 24 January 2005. http://www.icecathockey.org.