The Sad Saga of Mon Ument

Ok, ok, the real title of Mark Smollin's creation is "Hockey On The Edge." I prefer a title that honors the player on the canvas.

The artwork depicts Washington's Mon Ument. A towering presence on skates, teamates joked that he looked 555 feet tall, and was as solidly built as marble and granite.

Despite overcoming great odds to reach the NHL - no ears, no nose, no mouth - Mon could never find a helmet to fit his obelisk-shaped head.

Largely forgotten after his quick exit from the league, Ument is still occasionally spotted wandering aimlessly along The Mall.

(Ok, ok, it's possible that this story is fictional.)


Life Imitating Art
Long after posting the Mark Smollin artwork above, I stumbled across this photo of Kevin Hatcher and was struck by the similarities.

From the positioning of Hatcher's gloves on the stick, to the dip of his shoulder, to the angle of his skate blades... plus the fact an unposed shot was snapped at just the right angle and moment... imitating art without really trying!