HALIFAX -- Two Halifax-area high school hockey teams put their rivalry aside last weekend when one player switched teams midway through the game.
Citadel High School played Island View High School on Sunday and, according to a Facebook post, Island View's goalie was injured halfway through the game.
With no backup, they were ready to end the game, but Citadel Coach Mike Murphy had a better idea.
"Rather than see the game end, it's all about playing the game," Murphy said. "The score is the score, but it's playing the game, and it would be difficult to see all of a sudden the game stop and the kids not be able to continue on and maybe develop and play."
James Lawley was sitting on the Citadel bench, so he put on his mask and jumped onto the ice.
He says his Citadel teammates did not take it easy on him.
"I think they were going a little bit harder, probably," Lawley said.
Murphy said his players were excited.
"They wanted to score on him and they couldn't," Murphy said. "He shut the door down for them. But it was all in the spirit of sportsmanship and having fun."
The Island View team calls it a classy move, and one that exemplifies the spirit of the game, and the lessons they hope to teach their young players.
Murphy says he didn't think twice about loaning his player.
"I only hope if I was ever in that situation, someone would pay it back to me," he said.
