Crash The Net Pt. 3: Turning 26 & My Road From Awkward Kid To Caps Reporter & Hockey Player

BETHESDA, M.D. -- A couple of minutes before midnight last night, I decided to get started on another project. I put on a random episode of Bob's Burgers and finally got around to doing something I've meant to do for a while now: actually sort through my hockey equipment.

The gear in my apartment is teetering on... well, pro shop level. There are 14 sticks lying around, five pairs of skates, a couple of pairs of pants and gloves and more scattered about.

My dog is a big fan of the hockey sticks, but she wasn't exactly thrilled when five of them I'd clustered together clattered to the floor while she was trying to sleep.

As I went to pick them up, my phone rang. It was my mom.

"Happy birthday!" she reminded me. I had caught a teeny glimpse of the clock, but again, I was more fixated on watching the "Bed & Breakfast" episode from Season 1 for the millionth time.

Then, I froze, stacking a couple of my sticks back up against the wall and thinking to myself...

Man, time goes by fast.

It really does. I'm turning 26, which I know some of you reading may say, "Oh, stop, that's so young. You haven't experienced life moving that fast yet!"

But I have. And thankfully, hockey's been the biggest part of it.

The road to 26 has been filled with ups and downs, and 2023 so far has been incredibly special. So much changed, and there was a lot of personal and professional growth and dreams coming true that I'd never realized could happen.

I'll admit that 2022 wasn't my favorite year. I'd dealt with a family tragedy that took a long time to get through, and for months, I wasn't the Sammi I knew, let alone really liked.

Ultimately, family, friends, my love of hockey and a lot of time to reflect helped me get back to feeling like myself, and now, I'm happy to say I'm feeling great. And sure, there's still anxiety, still moments of sadness and lows that seep in, but you roll with the punches and make the most of life in all of its beauty.

But truly, hockey was something that helped me get back to feeling 100 percent -- both on and off the ice.

Any time I take the ice, my mind turns off, and it's all about the game. It's a release, and when I'm skating, I feel free. 

But first and foremost, I'm a hockey reporter and am so thankful to have the opportunity to write about the Washington Capitals. My hometown team has been an absolute privilege and honor to cover, and whenever I'm at the rink, taking in practice or at a game, I realize how lucky and blessed I am to do what I love.

It's funny because when I pen an article or schedule something out, I still get the same feeling of anxiety of, "Oh, boy, I'm writing and people are going to see this." But that's the best part of the job: sharing stories, news, updates, analysis and everything in between with my readers.

So that's why, when I got the opportunity to start the Capitals site at The Hockey News, I was absolutely honored and taken aback. It was the first hockey magazine I'd read, the one I begged my mom to get me at the Borders bookstore (crazy to think that doesn't exist anymore) in the mall.

Back then, I was an awkward kid, one who just switched elementary schools, had a terrible lisp and had just her mom and sister. Little did I know it would lead me to a journey I wouldn't trade for anything else.

My mom encouraged me to love hockey with all my heart and pursue a career that we had no idea I'd be good at (and I still question nervously if I'm good at it), all while raising my sister and me with my dad out of the picture now for the last 13 years. I'm happy to say that I've since been able to start returning the favors and giving back for all the sacrifices she made for me.

And then, through the game of hockey, from my first year covering the Capitals and watching Alex Ovechkin and company hoist the Stanley Cup to skating in games each week, I learned one huge lesson.

Crash the net.

By that, I don't 100 percent mean it literally (though that's, like, what I do on the ice). I mean go all in, race to your opportunities and seize every single one of them.

Good things will come in time and, most importantly, at the right time. And if you work hard and put everything you have and your heart into something, you can make it happen.

For me, March was when those good times started to roll.

That's when I started penning things for The Hockey News. I also got into graduate school at Arizona State and was voted captain for my local HNA hockey team, the Ghost Pirates. It was also when I, again, got the amazing opportunity to see my work show up at The Associated Press.

Then, a month later, I'd gotten word that my amazing team at Peacock earned an Emmy nomination for our work on the Olympics. It was personally my first nomination, and even though we didn't win, it was a proud moment. And getting my first career goal on the night of the ceremony made it even more special.

But most importantly, I'm grateful and so thankful to be on this journey. I'm also so blessed to be immersed in the world of hockey, where people skating on knives chase after a small disc. In all seriousness, though, I can't wait to keep on this path and keep loving the game.

As for all the equipment, I definitely didn't put off sorting it out to play Xbox and hang out with my dog. In fact, I ended up finding something very special to do with all of it as a way to pay it forward and give back the way so much was given to me.

Stay tuned, and remember:

Crash the net.