A Goalie's Bizarre Exit From High School Hockey Game

In hockey, no player wants to be tagged with an "own goal," a mistake in which a player accidentally puts the puck in his or her own net. This past Tuesday, a high school goalie in Minnesota did that, but it was on purpose. Barry Petchesky, who has written about the incident for Deadspin, joined Bill Littlefield.

BL: Barry, what happened on that rink on Senior Night in Farmington, Minn.?

[sidebar title="'Slap Shot' Turns 35" width="630" align="right"]Goalie Austin Krause's display sounds like something out of Slap Shot. The movie turned 35 in 2012. OAG's Doug Tribou talked with the Hanson Brothers for his look back at the movie.[/sidebar]BP: A young senior goaltender named Austin Krause, who has spent all season frustrated with his lack of playing time, late in the game with his team up by one, tapped the puck into his own net, turned towards his bench, raises his middle finger towards his own coaches, and then skates off the ice into the locker room, never to be seen again.

BL: Well I presume he took of his goalie gloves before raising his finger. Otherwise nobody would have known, right?

BP: Absolutely, the gloves came off, the bird went up, and he was out of there.

BL: Krause said that his actions were a way of ending his own season. So was his subsequent 10-day suspension really necessary?

BP: Well it’s actually a 10-day suspension from school, as opposed to from the team. I think Krause was well aware that he was probably never playing high school hockey again after that, and I think he’s come to terms with that.

BL: My favorite response was from Chaska High School senior Garrett Paulzine, who was credited with the tying goal because he was the last to touch it. He called it the "goal of the year" and he dubbed himself a "sniper." At least someone involved with that game had a sense of humor.

BP: You know, that’s Paulzine’s, only his third goal of the year, so you take them where you can get them.

BL: Austin Krause has had his issues with the sophomore goalie he had been benched for much of the season, but I was surprised to learn that the families of both goaltenders have been doing a sort of Montague-Capulet thing all season long.

BP: I think there is no drama like the drama surrounding a high school sports team, not even matched by any pro sport, because everyone knows everyone, the parents see each other outside of school, and think of your local soccer mom. She knows little Billy is clearly the best player on that team. Think about the high stakes, like Minnesota hockey. Those parents are not going to be pleased that Mr. Krause has been getting benched for a 16 year old.

BL: And Mr. Krause, I assume, you suggested that his high school hockey career was over. I’m not thinking there would be too many college coaches who’d be calling him.

BP: I’m not sure that’s because of this incident. If he’s not getting calls from hockey coaches, it’s probably for the same reasons he was getting benched for a sophomore.