Shinny All-Star Plucked From Kew Gardens, Given Tryout with Toronto Maple Leafs

KW GDNS - Tuesday - Astonishing reports have emerged from Kew Beach outdoor rink suggesting that Maple Leaf’s coach Mike Babcock was spotted watching the talent very closely.

Insiders close to The Pickle claim a local shinny star, Ryan “Bar-South” McNeil, is the individual responsible for interest shown by Babcock and the entire Leafs’ scouting staff.

On top of his undeniable hands and stamina – he stays on the ice for extended periods of time all but ignoring the long line of others waiting to play – McNeil ensures that everyone at the rink notices him by wearing his personal minor hockey jersey.

Sources claim that the 24 year-old has been dominating the local shinny scene for the last five winter seasons, scoring an average of seven goals per game. Not to be outdone by the other players scoring an abundance of goals on the empty nets, McNeil is said to ‘celly’ after each goal as a reminder of his utter dominance.

Finishing his career with the Midget ‘A' Ted Reeve Thunder of the G.T.H.L., McNeil, or as his friends call him ‘Neilsy,’ has found himself well-prepared for the world of shinny. Quite often found dangling guys wearing blue jeans and winter mittens at Kew Beach, McNeil has also been known to travel to Greenwood Park and Monarch Park rinks to sharpen his skills against a steady flow of minors.

Even though McNiel has had a noted absence from competitive hockey it appears as though the ‘dream’ has once again presented itself to McNeil who, after years of blaming the quality of ice for not being able to dangle his little brother, never gave up on his aspirations of “going to the show”. Like The Beach Pickle on Facebook for crucial neighbourhood updates.