As the hockey puck bounced off my skull &ndash; producing a sort of dull, hollow ring &ndash; I came to an epiphany.
In the interest of safety and the preservation of very expensive camera equipment, sports reporters/photographers &ndash; even the small town variety trying to get a killer shot of a high school hockey game &ndash; need to keep their distance from the action they cover.
It was a lesson I would soon forget.