Jeremy Roenick, One of my Hockey Heroes

10/20/14

In class today, we had the opportunity to talk about an athlete that brings a lot of qualities to the sport world. I chose to speak about Jeremy Roenick who is my all-time favorite hockey player. I’m sure that many people in the class had no clue who he is but I still really wanted to talk about him. To me, he made a pretty awesome impact in the NHL and he was an idol for many young American hockey players. Growing up, I would watch him and I always told my dad that I wanted to play like him. I remember my dad got me a Jeremy Roenick hockey stick when I was around the age of 10. I still have it and use it when I play street hockey at home. As I talked about in class, he has a passion for his fans and the fans of hockey. While playing in Philadelphia, he would park in the general lot on game days for a little bit so he could sign autographs for the fans. When my cousin needed open-heart surgery, he called her the night before and while she was recovering in the hospital to see how she was doing. If that doesn’t make you love him, I really don’t know what else would. Another thing that I liked about him was that he would like to keep it light on the ice when possible. If he was on the ice and a song came on that he liked, he would dance and try to get the other players into it. That definitely doesn’t happen in the league anymore. Roenick was a fearless player in every way. If there was a shot coming his way, he would block it (he has broken his jaw many times). If an opposing player were chirping him or his teammate, he would fight him. He also wasn’t afraid to say how he felt about the league. A few years ago he released a book. In it, he explained his journey in the NHL and pretty much every feeling he has towards the league. He then went on a small book tour. My dad took me to meet him. It was one of the coolest days ever, and I will never forget it. He autographed my book and jersey that I will cherish forever. Jeremy Roenick made the game of hockey the best thing to watch while I was growing up. I am thankful that I got to see him play, and I hope the younger generation of hockey fans can learn about him as well.