How good of a hockey prospect were YOU yourself ??!!
I always dreamed of playing ice or roller hockey for
any team, but as an orthodox Jew going to Yeshiva in a modern-day Jewish ghetto, my dreams never materialized. My parents were against it too. (Actually my Dad was a massive hockey fan), so I was never really a prospect. However, once I was playing street hockey with a friend (I was, and still am, quite good at it). We were playing on his block (we were 14 years old), when we noticed this guy watching us play. We'd seen him come by to watch us practice a few times before, but hadn't thought much of it, but he finally came over to us and asked both of us if we'd like to try out for his team. I think it was an Atom AAA team, but I'm not sure. Turns out he was a coach who had been watching us play and was very impressed with our game. We'd have like 10 friends down there, and he only asked 2 of us
. He also spoke to my friends younger brother, who was a smallish butterfly goalie with brilliant reflexes. He was amazing. He'd dominate pick-up games in the park with 20-25 year olds as a 9-year-old. By the way, he gave us his number and we never got back to him, being that we both left to out-of-town Yeshivas the enxt year.
What type of a hockey player were you ?
Originally a forward, but as the years went on I found I was always playing defence first, and was willing to throw my body around. I switched into a 2-way-defenceman role.
Highest level you played hockey at ?
As I said I was brought up in a very religious environment (and I'm still going through that), which unfortunately isn't exactly pro-sports of any kind. But there are two highlights.
1 - When I was in Yeshiva in London I would walk 1 hour once a week down to Alexandra Palace, where the Haringey Greyhounds ice hockey team would play. (They're like a division-3 British hockey team). I watched all the thursday night practices, and eventually got friendly with the coaches and some of the players. Well, one Thursday I was standing on the sidelines and some guy broke his stick and stormed off. Well, the team needed an extra player so the coach, who knew I was form Canada, asked me to play. Naturally I had no equipment so he got some skates and padding from the back rooms, borrowed a stick from someone, and put me on the ice. I was terrified and fell flat on my ass just seconds into the practice. But soon I started getting comfortable, and eventually we went for a scrimmage. I was sent on defence
and scored one goal on a nice deke off a great pass from a team mate. We won 4-1 and I was sound both ways. The coach asked me to stay with the team, but I had to refuse, as it would conflict with my studies, and I'd be thrown out if the Yeshiva would find out.
2 - Last year in Sydney, Australia I would play pick-up roller-hockey every sunday. Well, I decided it's about time to join a league and live my dream, and went to check out the league to find out if I can play the upcoming season. Well, I came on a game day and spoke to the league manager. He said I couldnt play that season unless a team needed me, but I should try to join a team for the next season. Just as he finished, one of the pick-up regulars noticed me and asked me to join his team as they were down a man. So I played my first 'professional' game wearing a size too big skates and shooting with a righty stick (I shoot left). I played defence and scored 1 goal, but we lost 6-1. I returned the next week for the last game of the season, was put on offence and scored a hat-tirck as our team lost 7-4. Unfortunately the league closed down after that, and I haven't played any games since.
Got any hockey stats on yourself ?
Not really.
Hockey career highlights ?
1 - I once played pick-up hockey with Simon Gagne on the year of his draft. Anyway, we were on the same team, and I was put on offence (he was playing with his friends and I had happened to join). Well, I'm floating around the other net when he lets this wrist shot go from centre 'court'. Well, I saw it was going wide so I raced to the side of the net to try and stop it, and hopefully send it to a teammate, but my stick somehow connected with the puck, and I deflected the puck in. The guys all thought I was amazing.
2 - While playing with my friends in Yeshiva (I organized illegal Yeshiva hockey games in the basement, and the faculty never found out :p ), I was once placed with the worst goalie we had (I trained virtually all the players), and the two worst players we had. I was up against the best goalie I'd trained and the best two skaters. I was on fire... I scored 12 goals and 1 assist while playing defence... we won 13-0!!! Someone counted the number of shots I blocked that game... 32! And my goalie told me he had faced 8 easy shots.
3 - I organized an entire Jewish hockey league in Sydney and trained almost every player. One of the major highlights was seeing two players I'd trained selected to play on professional teams... in only 1 year of ever playing roller-hockey!!!
edit: typo