When we last left our intrepid hero, Keith Jones had just been absolved of blame by Baltimore Skipjacks Head Coach Barry Trotz for being on the ice for seven even-strength goals against Utica for an historic minus 7. With that, Jones retreated to a loft in his Odenton, Maryland apartment one evening to listen to a Caps game from Vancouver, hoping against hope for some event that would get him his call up to the show:
Now before the season, the Capitals traded Dino Ciccarelli for Kevin Miller, Kelly's brother, which incidentally gave us Miller brothers and Hunter brothers. Anyway Ciccarelli was coming off a 38-goal season and another productive playoff series for the Caps. He went on to score 41 goals for the Red Wings the year after Washington traded him. Meanwhile, Kevin Miller had zero goals in his first ten Washington games, and the Capitals were now trying to cut bait and deal him. I, of course, saw this as my opening to get called up.I continued listening to the game on my Walkman radio. Early in the third period, Kevin Miller took a spearing penalty and was ejected from the game. I said to myself, "OK, here we go. This will put him deeper in the dog house."
Then, moments later, Mark Hunter takes a big hit in Vancouver that sounds bad even on the radio in Maryland. The hit gives Hunter a concussion that not only knocks him out of the lineup, but eventually ends his career. He never played another NHL game.
With about 10 minutes left in the third period, my roommate, Ron Leask, taps me on the shoulder. He thinks I'm listening to a CD or something.
As I'm listening to the game, the phone rings, but I don't hear it. Rob says, "The phone, it's for you. It's [Caps GM David] Poile."
I pick up the phone and Poile says, "Keith, you have a 6:00 a.m. flight to Calgary tomorrow. Get yourself ready. You're coming to the NHL."
I about poop my pants. I've made the show.
With the exception of two conditioning stints in Hershey and Portland, he'd never go back to the minor leagues again.
