Stahl’s legacy more than just a number

COLUMBUS , GA  – Professional athletes hope that throughout the course of their careers, they can make an impact on the court, field or rink that they perform on. Some are able to transcend the game and become an impact player in the communities in which they play. A select few go beyond and enter the rarified air of “legend”.
If you ask hockey fans who frequent games at the Columbus Civic Center, most will give you a very short list of names who qualify as legends who deserved to have their jersey numbers retired. Jerome Bechard and Frankie Ouellette were the first two so honored. On Opening Night of the 2010-11 season, the roster grew to three when long-time captain Craig Stahl’s number 32 was added to the Cottonmouths’ Wall of Honor.
“It’s a dream. You play the game to try and leave an impact. Obviously I left some kind of an impact,” Stahl said prior to the emotional ceremony. “It honors me and humbles me as well. Words can’t describe it. I’m glad. I hope I left a positive impact on people.”
Stahl needn’t worry about leaving an impact. From the first time he donned a Columbus Cottonmouths sweater in 2000 when the team was part of the CHL, fans could see something special. He left Columbus for three seasons but was never far from the minds of his former teammates and the paying customers.
When the Cottonmouths became a charter member of the SPHL in 2004, Bechard , now behind the bench along with being general manager, needed someone he could count on. One of the first calls he made was to Stahl, who jumped at the chance to return to Columbus. Bechard bestowed the captain’s “C” on Stahl, an honor that the Cranbrook, British Columbia native and one-time Detroit Red Wings draft choice took seriously and wore proudly.
Stahl became the emotional and physical leader of the Cottonmouths. He earned the respect of his teammates and at the same time the respect of opponents across the SPHL. Why? He played with heart every night. It endeared him to fans in every city he stopped in and in turn he left a piece of himself in each place. Naturally, the biggest piece was left in the place he played the longest – Columbus.
“I’ve been everywhere from Tri Cities in the Western League to Detroit in the NHL to New Mexico (CHL) and Greensboro (ECHL). I loved Austin. I loved New Mexico. My heart was in Austin. My heart was in

Greensboro,” he said. “I’m a BC boy and the first time I came to Columbus, it reminded me of being in a big little city where everybody rallies around you. It was a pleasure to play here. When I played here for the first time, I knew it was a place I would want to hang my hat and I was fortunate enough (that) they took me back and I could come back here and do that.”
Along the way, Stahl played with numerous teammates. Some, like Orrin Hergott and Tim Green, were with Stahl until the end. Others, like Lorne Misita and Daryl Moor, moved on to other teams and found themselves on the other side of the puck from the man they know as “Chief”. Although Stahl admitted that playing against a friend was tough, it was simply a part of the game.
“The name on the front of the jersey is who you play for. I love Daryl Moor like a brother. He’s one of my best friends. It stinks playing against best friends but you‘re wearing a crest on the front of your jersey. You put stuff aside. It’s just the way it happens,” Stahl said. “Lorne Misita is like a brother to me. A lot of these guys are like brothers. I’m not going to lie to you and say that it’s not tough but you’re wearing an unfriendly jersey and that’s the way she goes.”
This year was the first in a long time that Stahl didn’t have to prepare for a training camp. Although he now works out year-round to keep himself in shape, it was still strange to not be putting on the skates.
“Where ever I’m training it’s different. Whether it’s jiu-jitsu or hockey or Cross Fit on Veteran’s Parkway, I’m always training,” he said. “This year it’s different because it’s getting cold and I’m still training. I’m lacing up my work boots when I should be lacing up my skates. It’s one of the biggest adjustments in my life. I’m 33 years old. I laced up my skates for the first time when I was three years old and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since. It is a big adjustment.”
The notoriety that Stahl has earned over the years still brings him back into the limelight every now and then. Recently, he was asked to drop the ceremonial first puck for the first game played by the new Auburn University hockey team at the Columbus Civic Center.
“It was an honor to drop the puck for Auburn. All college hockey is great,” he said. “When I saw this year – my first year out of hockey – seeing the Auburn logo painted on the ice, whether it be Auburn, Georgia, what ever kind of fan you are, it’s pretty cool to see college hockey in the south. The sport is growing and it was an honor for me to do it.”
He may not be at the Snake Pit on a daily basis but the Cottonmouths are never far away from Stahl’s thoughts. He said that if the team or any of the players are looking for assistance in any way, they need not look any farther than his front door.
“My heart’s with the Columbus Cottonmouths so if they ever need anything, my door is always open,” he said. “A lot of the guys I’ve played with for years, I’m still friends with them to this day. Whether it be office stuff, training stuff, hockey stuff, my door’s always open. Anything these guys need, I’ll be there.”
Just as he was on the ice and now in Cottonmouths lore.
Contact the author at lee.marion@prohockeynews.com