My first fan: NHL/Olympic goalie Olaf Kolzig

In the grand scheme of all things broadcast, my job doing the on-ice interviews during intermissions of ECHL hockey games is one of the least important. I have one minute of air-time twice per game and maybe an extra minute if one of the stars of the game is an Everblade.

Did I mention my boss' advice? "Be brief. Fans want to hear players, not you."

You can imagine my shock when the first time I was "recognized" in public as the on-ice reporter for the team was by NHL goalie and ECHL hall of famer Olaf Kolzig.

Before this season, I was never a hockey fan. Ciara dragged me to a handful of 'Blades games in past seasons, but I had never heard of hooking unless it involved an actual hooker and the only icing I could feasibly explain was on cupcakes. So the night Olaf Kolzig was invited to the rink to be initiated into the ECHL Hall of Fame, his name meant nothing to me.

Clearly he was important if fans were lining the concourse by the hundreds to get his autograph and the Stingrays' broadcaster, Joe, choked on his headset during his interview with the former Capitals goalie in intermission.

Either way, I didn't go out of my way to get a glimpse.

The next morning I was the opening cashier at the retail store I work (the one job that actually pays me).

Our first customer walks in: a tall, tan dark-haired man with fingers that were each as big as bananas. Right behind him followed his his tiny, tan, blonde wife. I greet them with my standard, "Hi guys, how's it going?"

To my surprise, the man replies: "You were at the game last night! You're the on-ice girl with the microphone."

Me: "Everblades game? Why yes. Were you there?"
Unidentified man with massive hands: "I was."
Me: "Oh good! Did you have fun?"
UMWMH: "I did. They had this little ceremony for me..."

Oh God. It was all making sense. Giant man. With an accent. Ceremony. Everblades game.

THIS MAN WAS OLAF KOLZIG.

He recognized ME. I, on the other hand, had no idea this was the starting goalie for the 1998 Olympic Winter games spotting me in public.

I swooned for at least eight hours.