Once a Family, Always a Family

Once a Family, Always a Family

Written by Erik Marsh

When Dad retired I was only seven years old. It’s safe to say any old hockey stories I know or retell, I don’t know from first hand. More often than not I’ve collected the story after sitting around the table with a couple of cold beverages and my Dad and his buddies as they talk about the good ol’ days. What’s most incredible however, is not the stories themselves. It’s the camaraderie that is truly amazing. It doesn’t matter if they played together or against each other. It’s not even important that they played in the same era, for these guys it’s about sharing a common bond that lasts a lifetime.

I’ve learned from an early age that whenever there’s an opportunity to follow Dad around and get a privileged glimpse into the inner circle of the NHL brotherhood, I tag along without shame. At 26, some might say I’m getting a little old for it but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Through all of this tagging along I’ve learned that for every superstar there is an underrated linemate, for every wound that time has healed there’s likely a grudge that will never die and for every player lucky enough to play in hockey’s greatest league, there’s a team of mentors that got them there. The true insights into how the game is or was don’t come from commentators and analysts but from the men who were there long before outrageous contracts and composite one piece sticks.

The NHL Alumni is a strong family encompassing everyone lucky enough to make a living playing the game they love at the highest level. Each team’s Alumni is special in their own way but the Ottawa Senators Alumni is truly an exceptional group of guys. When the Alumni was formed it consisted of former NHLers who now call Ottawa their home. Most of the guys never played together and in the beginning, very few even played on the Senators. Despite the differences in where and when they played, these men came together forging a unique bond to make a difference in the Ottawa community. As the history of the Senators gets richer and richer every year, new players are joining the Alumni not only to give back to the city that cheered them on in their career, but to restore that kinship that only a hockey dressing room can build.

I can barely put into words the feeling of riding into Scotiabank Place June 4 with my Dad to the encouraging crowd awaiting our arrival. The outpouring of support has been incredible and truly appreciated through our entire ride from everyone but the Ottawa Senators Alumni especially have always, and continue to go above and beyond in helping this cause. Whether it’s as big as arranging an entire parade including military vehicles, a police escort and hundreds of people or being the first to offer a place to stay or just taking time out of their day to come say hi and show their support, the Ottawa Senators Alumni have the most heart in the league.

Calgary Welcome and Then Some!

Click here to see what a great WELCOME is!

Brad enters Calgary!

The ride into Calgary started out with a hard fight. A rare wind from the east negated the mostly downhill route and it was all Pat and I could do to turn the pedals. We traded off the lead to try and share the workload and despite the tough headwind we were actually making decent time. We had a deadline to meet some friends of ours at Calaway Park just outside the Calgary city limits so we had to keep up the pace. As if the day wasn’t hard enough, 30 km away from our meeting point, I broke a spoke on my wheel. We tried calling Erik in the support car but he had already parked it and got on his bike to meet us on the road. Pat assessed the situation and decided that if he swapped wheels with me he might be able to ride it into town and we’d both get there on time. Erik met up with us about 15 km from Calaway Park and with a set of fresh legs in the mix we powered on into the unrelenting wind.

Riding into Calaway Park was truly special. About 30 people, Flames Alumni and friends from Talisman Energy, cheered us on as we rolled into the parking lot. Our tough efforts riding into the wind were immediately rewarded with a tremendous display of support. Best yet, all of our friends at the park were there to join us for the last 25 km into town and to keep everyone safe, the Calgary Police Department established an escort for us. We had an entire lane of Highway 1 and every intersection along the way blocked off for us to ride through smoothly. It was unbelievable having such great company and having a chance to catch up with some of my buddies I played with in the NHL and having the police go through all that effort for us is something I’ll never forget.

Brad is presented with a $10,000 cheque from the Calgary Flames Alumni & Foundation

Just when I didn’t think the day could get much better, we turned a corner and the Boys and Girls Club was in sight. Dozens of screaming and cheering kids held up a banner for me to ride through on my arrival. People were there from the local media and after a few quick interviews, we went inside to the gym. The kids lined up along side the doorway and gave high fives and cheered as we all came inside. I can’t say enough about how overwhelming our entrance was. It was truly special to see all the support the people in Calgary have for this cause. As if all this wasn’t enough, the Calgary Flames Alumni and the Calgary Flames Foundation donated $5000 dollars each and Talisman energy donated $2500 and lots of sports equipment.

Calgary BGC, Talisman Employees
& Flames Alumni

It was truly a most memorable event and I’m so thankful to everyone who made such a special day possible. We raised $12 500, a whole lot of equipment for the club, and we sure turned a lots of heads rolling into town with our police escort. With every visit to a Boys and Girls Club I’m reminded of why we’re doing what we’re doing. After our visit today I really can’t say enough for how important the Boys and Girls Club is in every community they operate. I urge everyone to donate and get involved with the club in your area and help make an impact of a child’s life.

Brad

Merritt & More Part 1

As I sit back and reflect on the last few days, its hard to take it all in. It seems more like a month than three days. So much has happened it is difficult to distill it all down to one or two overriding themes.

As much as we’ve been preparing for months and we’ve been away from home for almost a week now, it felt like everything started as soon as we stepped into the Kimount Boys and Girls Club in Vancouver. When we walked up to the front door of the Club there was no way any of us could have imagined the beehive of activity going on inside the modest building, hardly any bigger than the houses around it. As it turns out, the Kimount club was the first club to be built specifically for the BGC in all of Western Canada. The kids were bustling all around the club and Joel, a supervisor, showed us around. Our tour finished in the gym where the kids were anxiously getting ready for a floor hockey game.

Big welcome & thanks from the kids

The goalies stretched and the other kids picked out their sticks while Dad was introduced and he told them what we were doing. The support from the kids was unimaginable. They had made a sign on the wall and presented us with a tee shirt all the kids signed with their words of encouragement. We finally got down to business and started playing hockey. Canucks Alumni Bob Murray and I joined one team while Dad went to the other. The competition was fierce and the kids really had us running. In the end my team won. I think it had something to do with our strategy. While waiting for our shift one kid, maybe 11 years old, said to me, “You and Bob play forward next shift.” I said, “Well I thought we’d put all the speed up front?” To which he replied, “Yeah but I have a better shot so pass it to me on the point!”

After the game Dad signed some autographs and the kids all wished us good luck and gave us high fives and hugs goodbye. After spending just a few short hours with these amazing kids it’s easy to see why this ride is so important. Kids need a place to be kids, a place where they have a positive environment to grow and play. It’s amazing how a few nets, some sticks, and a fun game of hockey can bring together kids of so many different ages and backgrounds.

When we woke up the morning of the 25^th and got all our gear on and loaded up the car, we were excited to do the Kimount BGC proud. We went to Kitsilano beach and dipped our tires in the Ocean. Some new friends from Visalus and my uncle, along with a few of his friends came to see us off. My uncle is a minister and blessed us for our ride and we were off. We didn’t have much time to enjoy the early excitement, however as 15 minutes into our ride, we were lost. Trying to weave our way out of Vancouver, our heart-warming Father-Son ride quickly turned into frustration before we rendezvoused with Mom. We quickly re-evaluated the route and got back on track. On the open road toward Hope we finally settled into a rhythm and could enjoy the scenery as we headed into the mountains. Even then, we weren’t without challenges. It was chilly and very rainy and a local told us there were cougar sightings in the area. We were quite relieved to roll into Hope and stretch out after our first day of riding.

Erik ( Co-pilot and son)

Why the Boys and Girls Club?

People have asked me why I chose the Boys and Girls Club as my charity for my ride.  It was actually an easy choice.  Over the last number of years, I have worked closely with the Boys and Girls Club in Ottawa, and have been very impressed with their focus on mentorship and leadership.  This is something that really hit home with me.  You see, I was lucky in my life to have had great mentors and leaders, and I took great pride in becoming a mentor and leader myself.  I am proud to say that I was a captain or assistant captain on every team that I played for (all the way back to minor hockey), and I have tried to remain a leader in my community since I retired from the NHL. 

I think sometimes people don’t put enough emphasis on the value of good leaders and mentors. If I had not come into contact with leaders like Bobby Clarke in Philadelphia, or Steve Yzerman in Detroit, I know I would not have become the player I was able to be.  Seeing their focus, work ethic, and commitment every day really led me to take a hard look at how I was conducting myself, and look at what more I could be doing to improve my play. 

But you do not have to be an NHL player to have that kind of effect on young people. You can be that mentor, that leader, that person that makes a difference in someone’s life. It can be as simple as taking an interest in a young person’s life, helping them to accomplish a goal they have set out for themselves, or being a sounding board for them when they need to talk something through.  Not much to ask, and the benefit can be so great.