One minute and fifteen seconds into the second overtime. Game seven. Scoreless. The puck is grabbed by the Red Wings left defenseman, he feeds it over across the ice. Gretzky stabs at it deflects it wide. Steve Yzerman grabs it, he skates past the Blues right-winger. He brings it past the the Blues’ blue line and Winds up for a slap shot. He fires. It is a laser beam of a shot. The puck flies in the top right corner of the net, bar down. John Casey has no time to react. The Red Wings have won. Steve Yzerman is the hero. Perhaps one of his most famous goals in his career, Steve Yzerman lead the struggling Red Wings to success. The longest serving captain in the NHL, “Stevie Y” earned his way to the top with his work ethic and leadership. The game of hockey was changed forever by the imprint that Steve Yzerman left on the game. He used his determination, love of the game, and natural leadership to impact hockey for the better. Steve Gregory Yzerman was born on May 9, 1965 in British Columbia. In Canada he grew up, but he did not pick up the game of hockey until he was seven years old. He would play on the ponds by his house during the winter. Sometimes he would stay out on the pond for hours skating and practicing. In the actual youth hockey that Yzerman really played his Peewee team went 78-2 on the season. (“Steve Yzerman” Biography.yourdictionary.com) Steve Yzerman definitely showed the potential to be a hockey star at a very young age. At the age of 16, Steve Yzerman debuted in the OHL, for the Peterborough Petes. He had an outstanding year posting 91 points in just 58 games. Although he didn’t look as good as Pat Lafontaine, “he was still considered one of the top prospects in the upcoming draft”. (“Steve Yzerman” Legends o... ... middle of paper ... ... is still going to this day. He led his team as the longest serving captain the NHL has ever seen, earning him the name “Captain”. Yzerman also had the honor of having his number 19 retired by the Red Wings. Immediately after Yzerman’s retirement he was offered a job in the front office as special assistant to the GM, Ken Holland. Soon after that, Yzerman was offered a job as the GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning, an offer that he accepted. He also served as a GM for Canada’s two Olympic gold medal teams in 2010 and 2014. Yzerman The Red Wings found Yzerman to be there dynasty player in the 1900s through the 2000s. They looked at him and found him as a man with the heart, courage and grit to lead the team and turn the Red Wings around. When the Red Wings looked at him they saw the Red Wings logo tattooed on his chest. Steve Yzerman was definitely a player to remember.
Sometimes you just have to watch the movie. Some people were not even alive, some forget, some just do not know the story of the Olympic hockey glory experienced by everyone in the U.S. in 1980. You did not have to be a fan of hockey on that faithful day when the U.S.S.R. and the United States played that extraordinary game. One man’s vision and leadership brought one nation to its feet. Herb Brooks was the head coach of the 1980 U.S. men’s hockey team. In this brief report I will discuss the man, his visionary and ethical leadership, and his success.
Not long after Gretzky arrived, the franchise closed its doors and sold its young asset to the NHL's Edmonton Oilers. “In the fall of 1979, Gretzky embarked on his first full NHL season As he had at every other level, he quickly started to dominate the competition, racking up an astonishing 51 goals and 86 assists, on his way to winning the league's Hart Memorial Trophy, an award recognizing its most valuable player,” (“Wayne Gretzky Biography”). It was the first time in history a first-year player had ever been honored with the award. Gretzky went on to win the Hart Memorial Trophy nine more times over the span of his career. To this day, he still holds the record for the most times that specific award has been given to an individual (Getz).
Wayne Gretzky Not many people can argue that Wayne Gretzky dominated the game every time he stepped on the ice. No player is rewarded the name, "The Great One", for no reason, and he has proven that since his first year in the NHL. Wayne Gretzky is by far, the greatest Canadian hockey player of all time. He holds the record for the most goals, assists, and overall points for both the regular season and the playoffs; he has won over 20 trophies throughout his career, and within his team(s) brought home four Stanley Cup wins, and three Canadian Cup championships.
Tom Landry was born in Mission, Texas (Moritz 270). Landry really excelled in football at the high school level, attaining the prestigious honors of being selected as an “all-regional fullback” (Moritz 270). As most high school football stars do, Landry went on and “enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin” (cemetery.state). Although Landry seemed to do as every other great high school star had done, his college experience had a twist to it. “After a semester at the University of Texas, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and, as a co-pilot of a B-17 bomber in World War II, eventually flew thirty missions over German occupied Europe and survived one crash landing” (Whittingham 83). After his experience in the military, “he returned to the University of Texas and resumed his football career” (Whittingham 84). Landry’s success in football seemed to pick up where it had left off, as “he made the All-Southwest Conference second team” (Moritz 270) as a junior, and “was cocaptain of the University of Texas team” (Moritz 270) his senior year. Landry’s success in college football was clear, and showed...
Saul Indian Horse is an Ojibway child who grew up in a land which offered little contact with anyone belonging to a different kind of society until he was forced to attend a residential school in which children were being stripped away of their culture with the scope of assimilating them into a more “civilized” community. Saul’s childhood in the school, greatly pervaded by psychological abuse and emotional oppression, was positively upset once one of the priests, Father Leboutillier, introduced him to the world of hockey, which soon become his sole means of inclusion and identification, mental well-being and acknowledged self-worth in his life. It is though universally acknowledged how, for every medal, there are always two inevitably opposite
The most memorable moment in hockey history came thirty-four years ago with the 1980 Miracle on Ice. The Americans defeating the dominant Soviet team at the Olympics was not only an important triumph for USA Hockey, but for the entire nation. Contrary to popular belief, the underdog win was not only the result of a miracle; it was also the result of a hard-working team led by Coach Herb Brooks. With increasingly negative views on the position of the United States in the Cold War, the Miracle on Ice and the gold medal win lifted the spirits of the nation and brought hockey into the American spotlight.
A brave hero often risks his/her lives to save someone else. In Zeitoun, Dave Eggers tells us a story of Abdulrahman Zeitoun, the hard working Syrian American owner of a contracting company in New Orleans. Zeitoun and his wife Kathy ran the company together. They have three children named Nademah, Safiyah, Aisha. Kathy has a child from her first marriage. Zeitoun is very closed with his family and he takes his family like nobody else. When hurricane Katrina landed in 2005, endless number of people were affected. Mayor Nagin ordered a first time ever mandatory evacuation. Kathy moved with the children to her sister’s house in Baton Rouge. Zeitoun refused to leave with his family because he didn’t want lose his properties, but at the same time, his customers trusted him and gave him their house keys to check on their houses, which caused his separation with his family. This illustrates that Zeitoun is a responsible, powerful, trustworthy, and unselfish person. During the hurricane, Zeitoun was using a canoe rescuing people. Due to the lack of rescue work, many people didn’t get enough supports at that time. Zeitoun had the courage to sacrifice his family, safety, and selfish needs for saving the people.
Maurice Richard was the hero of the French Canadian people and his dedication to his game was no different from the dedication to his family and his work and his love for the French Canadian people. He went on to win many awards in hockey and in his personal life that honored him as the role model for all French Canadian.
The defining moment of the importance of hockey in Canada was “The Goal of the Century” in 1972. It was the evening of September 28th; the site was Moscow – U.S.S.R. In the midst of the Cold War, a game-winning goal by Canadian hockey player Paul Henderson at the end of the third period with only 34 seconds left on the clock vaulted Canada to a victory at the Summit Series and put them on top of the hockey world. The heart and character of Canadian hockey internationally began. “The exact moment of that spectacular goal has become a reference point in our national collective consciousness.”- R. Eagleson (Foreword). It was the climatic goal watched by almost every Canadian, and their pride swelled to amazing heights. Hockey is more than just a game in Canada, it is a celebrated history. Hockey is Canada’s identity. “Hockey captures the essence of Canadian experience in the New World. In a land so inescapably and inho...
Terrence and Jordin Tootoo grew up in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, in Canada’s arctic region. They were like other Inuit children in Rankin Inlet in many respects: They were brought up to respect the customs of their people and they enjoyed the resources the land around them provided- they learned to hunt and fish for food like the others. However, the brothers were also different from their peers in one main respect- they were blessed with a love for the game of hockey, and also with extraordinary amounts of talent which would enable them to leave their native community to pursue the dream of professional hockey. While the brothers were growing up they were inseparable; however, after leaving Rankin Inlet to pursue the professional game their respective careers took strikingly different paths. Jordin’s journey took him to the top- he was drafted into the National Hockey League and signed a lucrative contract with the Nashville Predators. However, Terrence’s road to the professional ranks was filled with hardship and tragedy, ultimately resulting in his suicide in August of 2002. The contrasting paths taken by the brothers is an illustration of how professional sporting careers can have varying impacts on the lives of Native American and Canadian athletes and their communities. In the following few paragraphs I will outline the history of Native Americans and Canadians in sports. I will examine how successful Native athletes are able to help their communities, both financially and by serving as role models for younger Natives. Also, I will argue that their still exist barriers and challenges to Native athletes that do not confront other athletes. For example, Native athletes are often placed under increased scrutiny because of their positions as role models. I will conclude by commenting on how Native athletes fit into pro sports today, and speculate on what can be done to increase the amount of success enjoyed by Natives.
I’m shifting gears this week from Cape Breton athletes of the past to an old-time Ottawa-born goaltender who played in the NHL from 1917-18 through to 1929-30. Clint Benedict was first a member of his hometown Senators and later the long-since folded Montreal Maroons. Although a couple of his non-conventional “gimmicks” greatly influenced the game, and he is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, Benedict is virtually unknown.
Hundreds of people knew about Wayne Gretzky as he was growing up. He was born January 26, 1961, in Brantford, Ontario. His family included his mom, Phyllis, his dad, Walter, and his brothers and sisters: Kim, Keith, Glen, and Brent. As a child, he was a great hockey player that was the frosting on the cupcake. In other words, he was on the top of leaderboards. Most kids and parents called him “Hot Dog” because he wore white gloves. As a teen, he had a national article written about him and Canadian television had a 30 minute show all about him. He didn’t go to college. Instead, he went immediately into Ameatur Hockey League(AHL). As Wayne Gretzky was
Who is your hero? Many of us can clearly picture our idea of our personal hero in our head, but is the person you consider to be a hero really a hero by definition? In Heroism: Why Heroes are Important, Scott LaBarge, a Classics and Philosophy Professor at Santa Clara University, awakens your thoughts on the word heroism and how it has changed since its origins in ancient Greece. Throughout his essay, he goes in depth into the term ‘hero’ and compares it to society’s take on heroes today. Although LaBarge uses examples to back up his stance that “Today, it is much harder to detach the concept of heroism from morality (LaBarge. 1),” his essay contains flaws and he contradicts his own words.
Coach Herb Brooks was an admirable leader. When he is given a group of players with nothing in common, he transforms them into a team with one goal in mind: to beat the Soviets. His determination to beat the Soviets and win the Olympics stemmed from his past experiences. He played hockey all throughout this childhood, high school, college, and some semi-professional and professional teams. When he tried out for the U.S National Men’s Hockey Team, he was the last player to get cut from the final roster. That Olympic hockey team went on to beat the Soviets and win gold in 1960. Since then the Soviets dominated hockey and were undefeated champions for many years to come. When Brooks was given the chance
Not only do I ref the game of hockey, I play both ice and ball hockey and participate in multiple school sport teams. As captain on these teams I’ve had the unique opportunity to learn how to lead and inspire others. Through success and failure I grew as a leader and was able to lead my