When RA Dickey wrote his bestselling autobiography “Wherever I Wind Up,” not even he imagined that place would be the NHL. Starting this offseason, Dickey will work part time for the New York Islanders as the new “knucklepuck coach.”
“I was watching D2 [The Mighty Ducks sequel] with my son one day,” Dickey said. “When I saw the guy from ‘Saturday Night Live’ shoot that knucklepuck, I thought ‘I can do that.’”
And he did. Unbeknownst to the Mets’ execs, Dickey practiced the shot for weeks until he had perfected it. He contacted a friend in the Islanders’ organization and offered his services.
“I have a soft spot for lovable losers,” Dickey said. “The Rangers and Devils are good, so I figured I’d help the Isles get a leg up on the competition.
When the news ultimately leaked, Dickey made a vow to the Mets he would not take another shot until the baseball season ended. The Wilpons and Sandy Alderson gave the ace their blessing to give the long-struggling Islander franchise a hand.
“You gotta see the puck move,” said Islanders’ GM Garth Snow in awe. “There’s no chance I would have been able to stop it in my prime … then again, I wasn’t exactly Patrick Roy out there.”
As for Dickey’s plans beyond helping the Islanders knuckle their way into the playoffs. The beloved pitcher went on to say he plans to continue his dominance on the National League, climb six more mountains, and work to perfect his “knucklekick,” which he claims will make receiving punts in the NFL virtually impossible.
