Milo Jahn: International !!!

The first post war IIHF World Championship took place in Prague. Belgium, the home country of IIHF President Paul Loicq, delegated a team that, according to insiders, would prove to be the strongest team ever. Coach Carlos Van den Driessche formed the following team: Goalies: Henri Heirman and Bob Van der Heyden. Defence: Percy Lippit, Jef lekens, Pierre Van Reysschoot and Jackie Mullenders. Forward: Hugo Van Reybroeck, Leon Van Eeckhout, Johnny Hartog, Georges Hartmeyer, Johnny Haneveer, Raymond Lombard, Hubert Anciaux, Charles Laurençin and Jules Du Pré. Jackie Mullenders from Antwerp and Hubert Anciaux informed the federation that travelling so long by train caused them to get sick and instead they would prefer to travel to Prague by plane. The only direct flight to Prague left from Amsterdam, so both friends decided to book the Amsterdam - Prague connection and travel to Amsterdam by train.
As the Belgian delegation assembled in the Czech's capital it was only then noticed, that they were missing their goalies. Bob van der Heyden's wife decided to deliver their baby the moment they were boarding the train. So he chose to stay in Belgium a day longer for moral support. As it turned out, first goalie Henri Heirman got delayed in Strasbourg.
So Belgium was left without a lock on its door. None of the other players was prepared to step up to defend the net and get butchered out there (in those days still without a mask). Until . . . some players had a bright idea and suggested to dress up Milo Jahn. Milo was the only supporter who had made in to Prague and surely he would be willing to help his team out. After all, being a goalie isn't all that hard. Now Milo skated with his home team in Brussels "CSHB" once and that was about as far as his hockey career went.
So the evening before their game, the Belgian team rented an hour of ice so Milo could get the feel of it - and suited up in borrowed equipment, Milo took position in the net. Mullenders, Haneveer and C° had already agreed that Milo was not to be harmed in any way and should get the feel of a W.C. smoothly - the easy way so to speak.
None of the players shot hard and all of them made sure all pucks hit his leggings. Encouraged by his team mates, Brussels Milo fell sound asleep . . . dreaming about his international ice hockey debut. The next day, on February 16th the game was on between Sweden and Belgium. Milo Jahn would never forget this game for the rest of his life.
The Swedes fired missiles at him. In no way could the sissy shots his team mates took at him the night before be compared to the lethal projectiles the Swedes launched.
And they weren't hitting his leg protection at all! Not even close!!
Belgium lost that game 24 - 1. It turned out to be the one and only international game Jahn ever played. He later emigrated to Greece.
Posted on September 1, 2013 at 02:31 by OVB