• Home
  • Books
    • San Francisco Dragons
    • In The Zone
    • Hockey on Tap
    • Camp Firefly Falls
    • Be-Wished
    • Moo U
  • About Kate
  • Newsletter
  • Stay in Touch
    • Contact
    • For bloggers
  • Fun Stuff
    • Favorite Books 2021
    • 2022 Book Bingo
    • Books by Trope

Kate Willoughby

USA Today Bestselling Author

  • USA Today Bestselling Author

05.29.2014 Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Hockey, In The Zone Series, Jeff Carter, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, NHL, On The Surface

A Real Life Bottlegate!

Look at the bottom left of the photo

I’m taking recent events in the NHL as a sign from God that I’m on the right track. My first hockey novel, On the Surface, features a former Blackhawk who is traded to the San Diego Barracudas because of an incident with a fan involving a water bottle.

Now, keep that in mind as I tell you that this spring, the water bottle has been the weapon of choice for NHL players.

Corey Perry of the Anaheim Ducks sprayed water into the glove of one of “My Guys”, Jeff Carter.

Shawn Thornton of the Boston Bruins sprayed the visor of Montreal Canadien PK Subban.

And finally Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers gave Pittsburgh Penguin Sidney Crosby a little mid-game shower.

It’s like an epidemic. It’s harmless really. It doesn’t hurt anyone (except wimps, as you’ll see below). It’s just annoying. However, so far the hydro-taunting has been player vs. player. A few days ago, that changed.

Corey Crawford of the Chicago Blackhawks got fed up with a heckler–JUST LIKE IN MY BOOK–and sprayed water into the face of the heckler–JUST LIKE IN MY BOOK!

Well, that last part isn’t quite accurate. The back cover copy, over which I had only minimal input, says Tim threw the water bottle at a fan. In reality, I never fully describe what Tim Hollander does to the fan with his water bottle.

But still!

What are the chances that real life incidents almost completely mirror what I wrote a year ago? Like I said, I take it as a sign from God that my time has come and I’m on the right track. I also bask in the knowledge that what I wrote is utterly believable and possible in the real NHL.

It feels pretty damn good.

The LA fan (yes, he was rooting for LA. ) claims his eyes were irritated by the saliva backwash–from the type of bottle that squirts from a spout. He’s filed a police report. What do you think about that? Feel free to comment.

Photo credit: Paul Sakuma, AP

Share:

Comments

  1. Robin Bielman says

    05.29.2014 at 3:51 pm

    This just proves how brilliant you are. ๐Ÿ˜€

  2. Kate Willoughby says

    05.29.2014 at 3:57 pm

    LOL, Robin. People always said I was psycho…psychic. Whatever. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  3. Samanthe Beck says

    05.29.2014 at 4:01 pm

    Hi Kate!

    I think it's an awesome sign of your skill at crafting a plausible, relatable, entertaining sports story ๐Ÿ™‚ …and kind of a sad indicator of the state of sportsmanship today, on both the fan side and the player side. ๐Ÿ™

    I'm sure I'll get a squirt for that!

  4. Melanie Ting says

    05.29.2014 at 4:11 pm

    Where are the water bottle police, aka David Clarkson, when you really need them?

  5. Robena Grant says

    05.29.2014 at 4:38 pm

    See, I always knew there was a bit of the witch in you. ; ) Seriously though, you have a creative mind that you allowed free range to explore all logical possibilities that could get your player in deep trouble. It must be infuriating for people in the public eye to have to withstand the abuse they get. How can they protect themselves? Look at poor old Brad Pitt yesterday. Some guy jumped a fence at a movie premier and took a swing at him. And he has bodyguards.

  6. Claire Merrianm Hoffman says

    05.29.2014 at 6:52 pm

    Wow. Nothing like art imitating life. Or is this life imitating art? Whatever it is, good job.

  7. Kate Willoughby says

    05.29.2014 at 10:26 pm

    Thanks, Sam. I don't know. Like I said, it's pretty harmless. Stupid, but harmless, irritated eyes notwithstanding.

  8. Kate Willoughby says

    05.29.2014 at 10:28 pm

    I was actually inspired by a true event where a player hit a "fan" with his own shoe in the seventies. I don't blame Brad for having a bodyguard. Those paparazzi are crazy.

  9. Kate Willoughby says

    05.29.2014 at 10:29 pm

    I know, right, Claire? That's exactly what I thought!

  10. Anonymous says

    05.30.2014 at 12:34 am

    I think you're missing the big picture here, Kate. These players have obviously READ YOUR BOOK!!

    Marcy Shuler
    aka: Two ๐Ÿ˜‰

  11. Tanya Hanson says

    05.30.2014 at 3:54 pm

    You were way ahead of the game! I enjoyed the post, Kate, and the book sounds great.

  12. Kate Willoughby says

    05.30.2014 at 6:35 pm

    LMAO. I can see it now…a rough and tough NHL player, sitting in the locker room reading my hockey romance and drinking Gatorade. Awesome.

  13. Kate Willoughby says

    05.30.2014 at 6:36 pm

    Thanks, Tanya!

  14. Mia says

    05.30.2014 at 9:03 pm

    Woot and for whatever reason I just want to say, "What a wimp!" to the LA fan. Clearly, the "fan" was being a jack- ehrm – rabbit or the player wouldn't have been that irritated. On the other hand, perhaps the player was being a jack rabbit for letting the "fan" get to him. Hmmm.

  15. Christine says

    06.01.2014 at 11:22 am

    This is awesome, Kate! Definitely some synchronicity in the air…

  16. Kate Willoughby says

    06.03.2014 at 9:09 pm

    I agree. The fan was being a wimp and a jackrabbit. On Twitter, fans say some really horrible things, which is what prompted me to write what I wrote. My player's 5-year-old daughter dies from leukemia and shortly thereafter while in the penalty box, he is heckled by someone telling him his daughter is better off dead than having a dad like him. In my book, anyone who would say something as horrible as that deserves more than a water bottle thrown at him.

  17. Kate Willoughby says

    06.03.2014 at 9:09 pm

    Thanks, Christine!

Currently Enjoying

JOIN KATE’S MAILING LIST

Link on Facebook

Kate Willoughby

USA Today Bestselling Author Kate Willoughby happily writes her contemporary hockey romances in Southern California. She is married and has two sons and a Chihuahua. When sheโ€™s not writing, sheโ€™s watching hockey. When itโ€™s not hockey season, she whines a lot.

Learn More

  • Darkroom for website
  • On the Surface
  • Across the Line
  • On the Brink
  • Out of the Game
  • Under the Spotlight
  • Crazy website book cover
  • FFF website book cover
  • CFF-Cover-Kate-Whatever-It-Takes2
  • Once Upon A Fling Cover Art
  • Once Upon A Wolf Cover Art
  • Once Upon a Kiss Cover Art
  • Once Upon a Hero Cover Art
  • Clean-Sweep-Kindle
  • Animal-Attraction-Kindle
  • Series:
  • In The Zone
  • San Francisco Dragons
  • Hockey on Tap
  • Be-Wished
  • Camp Firefly Falls
  • Moo U

This website contains affiliate links, which means when you click on a link that I recommend, I may receive a small commission. Not every link is an affiliate link, but some are.

© 2022 Kate Willoughby | Designed + Developed by Jelly Design Studio

Copyright © 2022 ยท JDS Responsive Child Theme on Genesis Framework ยท WordPress ยท Log in