In the hockey world, and in society in general, we spend a lot of time celebrating stars. That will never change.
As we get set to flip the calendar to a new year, I think we need to spend more time celebrating those who really care about giving back. In the NHL there are so many that do.
Calgary Flames defenceman Travis Hamonic is a great example. The 27-year-old lost his father to a heart attack when he was 10 and has now become part of a program that brings children who have lost parents to hockey games. Hamonic has stated on many occasions that while it has given the kids something to look forward to and has provided an opportunity for them to share their stories, he has also benefitted greatly.
[snippet id=3636339]
I vividly remember my dear friend Kelly Remple telling me how impressed he had been with what a tremendous young man Hamonic was during his rookie season with the Moose Jaw Warriors. Kelly wasn’t wrong.
I was fortunate enough to broadcast a number of Hamonic’s games during his time in junior and always looked forward to chatting with him. On the ice he was so competitive. Off the ice, he was a young man that I could tell loved the game and just oozed respect and kindness for anyone and everyone he came in contact with.
During the opening game of the 2010 MasterCard Memorial Cup in Brandon, the then-Wheat Kings blueliner was involved in a hellacious collision with Windsor’s Taylor Hall in the tournament’s opening period.
The two had been teammates a few months earlier at the world juniors in Saskatoon, Sask., an event in which Hamonic was hurt on the final shift of the semifinal game against Switzerland. Yet with no chance of playing for gold against the United States, he sat dressed on the bench to support his team.
Surprisingly enough, I had never really asked Hamonic about the hit on Hall until late last week. He told me they chatted before the tournament was over, and that he had never been so happy to see someone get up in his life.
[snippet ID=3322139]
The latest chapter of the Hamonic story was written last week. Travis and his wife Stephanie, along with the Flames Foundation, are sponsoring what’s called the Northern Project. The Hamonics flew in a father and his two boys from Nunavut — a total of five different flights — to attend their first NHL game last Saturday and to experience a game day with the Flames’ No. 24. To be able to meet them and see their glowing faces was magical. Hamonic is Metis and will continue to bring in families from the northern part of the country as part of this wonderful new project.
When asked by the media about the new initiative, Hamonic spoke about The Tragically Hip lead singer Gord Downie and the work that he had done in the last years of his life to bring awareness to the situation and how he wanted to use his platform to carry on the need for more education and help.
As he has proven time and time again, Hamonic is so much more than big hits, goals and assists. Hamonic is a champion in life. He has been motivated by the loss of someone he loved to make the lives of others better. How proud his family and friends must be.
Boy did my buddy Kelly have it right.
[relatedlinks]
