Sheldon Souray’s competitive career started with a 1 year suspension
Sheldon Souray was a tough defenceman with a wicked hard shot.
Playing most of his 13-year career with New Jersey, Montreal and Edmonton, he was a three time NHL all star and held the record for hardest slap shot. Still holds the record for most power-play goals by a defenceman in a season with 19.
But his hockey career wasn’t always a success.
And he shared his story on The Player’s Tribune.
You’ll enjoy reading his story and thankful comments to other NHL players.
Where did the 1 year suspension come from?
Well, after failing to make a PeeWee B team, he eventually was the last player picked on Midget AAA.
And then all hell broke loose…
From the story:
I come around again and he’s giving me the stink eye, so I just absolutely clobber him. I mean, I beat the living shit out of this kid. The referees weren’t even on the ice yet, so the timekeepers come out of the box to pull me off of him. Everyone from both teams gets into a brawl, and after things finally settle down, the refs kick me and my teammate out of the game. Before it even started.
So we all go back into the locker room so the zamboni can clean the ice before the first period starts. My teammate and I change back into our street clothes and we’re standing outside the locker room. Well, this is a tiny rink south of Calgary. The two locker rooms are like 5 feet apart. So here comes Lethbridge strolling out of their room, chirping us. I’m still pissed because one of their guys sucker punched me in the pile when they were breaking up the fight. So I see him standing there and I’m like, “Hey, fucker, remember me?”
Things kicked off again. We fought their whole team 2-vs-15 in street clothes.
Now, this isn’t 1976. This is 1991. I’m not trying to make this sound like Slapshot. It was basically a big, dumb brawl in a hall (because we were big, dumb kids). Needless to say, the grownups weren’t exactly thrilled about it. The league ended up suspending me for the entire year. My dad wouldn’t talk to me for weeks. My mom was beside herself. I remember thinking, “Well, that was a good run. You like to ride your bike … Maybe you can get a job delivering newspapers?”
Then a few days later, I got a call that changed my life. It was a scout from the Rocky Mountain Hockey League, the home of the most rough and tumble hockey on the planet. “You’re suspended in Alberta,” he said. “But it’s totally legal to go play in British Columbia. I know a team that could use somebody like you. They’re called the Quesnel Millionaires.”
Even the name was straight out of a movie. You know that old joke about not wanting to join any club that would accept you as a member? I felt like a hockey fugitive. I was 15 years old and had barely ever left Alberta. Now someone wanted me to move nine hours away, on my own, to go up against 18, 19 year old giants. But what the hell else did I have to do? When I think about all the incredible places all around the world that hockey has taken me over the years, it’s crazy to think that none of it would have happened if I didn’t decide to pack a bag and head into the complete unknown of Quesnel. It’s even scarier to think that none of it would have happened if I didn’t start a fight in a hallway.
Definitely read the rest of the story here.
Photo courtesy of michelle.
