If you have read this column over the last couple of years, yousa国际传媒檒l come to realize how I like to root for people rather than teams.
On Tuesday, two of my favorites were named as part of the Hockey Hall of Fame class of 2024 to be inducted in Toronto on Nov. 11.
Shea Weber and Jeremy Roenick will be part of a class that includes David Poile, Pavel Datsyuk, Colin Campbell, Krissy Wendell-Pohl and Natalie Darwitz.
Isa国际传媒檓 lucky enough to call Weber and Roenick friends.
A few years ago, I emceed Weber and Cody Fransonsa国际传媒檚 golf tournament at Hyde Mountain in their hometown of Sicamous, and the pair always returned the favor by playing in our tournament at The Harvest in Kelowna.
Roenick was a regular for us on our TSN 1040 days and wesa国际传媒檇 always meet up whenever our paths crossed whether it was during a golf trip to Phoenix, the Olympics in Vancouver, or a Super Bowl in New York.
The funny thing is you couldnsa国际传媒檛 pick two guys farther apart when it comes to personality.
Roenick was outspoken at every turn whether it be during his two decades as a player or as a broadcaster for NBC.
From his infamous sa国际传媒淲ake up NHL!sa国际传媒� rant as a player to his current Snipes and Stripes podcast with former NHL referee Tim Peel, Roenick has never been at a loss for words.
As for Weber, he is as quiet and unassuming as they come. During his tournament in Sicamous in 2012, Weber donated $80,000 to local flash flood victims but didnsa国际传媒檛 even speak to the golfers gathered for dinner sa国际传媒� he left that to Franson. It wasnsa国际传媒檛 a case of Weber being too big for the moment sa国际传媒� it was just another example of Weber leading by example and not wanting the fanfare for it.
The one thing that the pair had in common was their passion for the game that drove them to success.
Webersa国际传媒檚 story has been well-documented.
Small-town Sicamous boy who plays junior with the Kelowna Rockets, gets drafted by the Nashville Predators where he spends 11 seasons while winning a pair of Olympic Gold medals with Team Canada in the process. Hesa国际传媒檚 then traded to Montreal where he spends the last five years of his career.
Roenick beat the odds in a different way, making the NHL when Americans in the league were the exception and not so much the rule sa国际传媒� part of a generation inspired by the sa国际传媒楳iracle on Icesa国际传媒� performance of the 1980 U.S. Olympic team.
In January of 2008, Roenick became just the third American-born player to reach the 500-goal plateau. He is one of only 47 players to score 500 goals in the NHL. Of that group, Pat Verbeek, Petr Bondra and Roenicksa国际传媒檚 good friend in fellow American Keith Tkachuk have all been denied entry into the Hockey Hall of Fame until this week.
Roenick had been eligible since 2012 and had given up hope for a spot in the Hall.
sa国际传媒淵eah, I pretty much did. Thatsa国际传媒檚 why it was so surprising. I didnsa国际传媒檛 think it would happen. I didnsa国际传媒檛 think it would have this big of an effect on me. I was happy about that,sa国际传媒� said Roenick from his home in San Diego.
For Roenick, the call from Hall of Fame committee members Lanny McDonald and Mike Gartner to inform him of his selection for induction was an emotional one.
sa国际传媒淚 couldnsa国际传媒檛 speak. I started crying. There was like an overflow of emotions. Just hearing Lanny and Michaelsa国际传媒檚 voice sa国际传媒� I thought I was dreaming. I just started crying. I was at a Starbucks, going through the drive-thru, getting my coffee. The guy must have thought somebody died,sa国际传媒� Roenick said.
Weber was playing golf at Black Mountain in Kelowna with his father-in-law and two brother-in-laws, trying to qualify for the RBC Scramble and had just made the turn when he got the phone call.
sa国际传媒淚 had no idea anything was coming. I kind of just dropped down to one knee sa国际传媒� I couldnsa国际传媒檛 believe it. I didnsa国际传媒檛 tee off on that hole and everyone was kind of wondering what was going on. I was on the phone for a while and then we went out. Itsa国际传媒檚 funny actually - I almost jarred the next approach shot. It was a family group so it was pretty special. I wasnsa国际传媒檛 really supposed to say anything to anyone but they were asking a lot of questions. I think they kind of got a grasp on what was going on. It was a pretty special moment. I think golf was definitely a second thought at that point. I donsa国际传媒檛 think anybody in the group really cared how we did,sa国际传媒� Weber said during a conference call.
After that 10th hole, Weber called his father James to inform him of the honour but was still to shook up to convey what was going on.
sa国际传媒淚 couldnsa国际传媒檛 even talk to him. I was choked up. I was crying. Itsa国际传媒檚 funny because my dad is such a stoic guy. He was like sa国际传媒淲hatsa国际传媒檚 your problem? Get it together! What are you doing?sa国际传媒� and then I finally spit it out, and he was just like sa国际传媒淥h my goodnesssa国际传媒�. I chatted briefly with him and then I called again later that night and we had a good, long discussion,sa国际传媒� said Weber.
For both father and son, the discussion later that night was a bittersweet one.
sa国际传媒淚 mean for mesa国际传媒specially him and my momsa国际传媒hosa国际传媒檚 not around anymoresa国际传媒ust how much they gave me and my brother in life. Not just the opportunity to play hockey but just the values and morals that him and my mom gave us. It just really made me break down at that point,sa国际传媒� said Weber, who lost his mom Tracy to brain cancer in 2010
Going in with the general manager that drafted him in Nashville makes the induction even more special. Poile selected Weber with Nashvillesa国际传媒檚 second round pick sa国际传媒� 49th overall sa国际传媒� in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
sa国际传媒淚t means a lot. I spent 11 years with them and hesa国际传媒檚 done so much for the game - not just in Nashville - but everywhere hesa国际传媒檚 been. Hesa国际传媒檚 been a builder and thatsa国际传媒檚 why hesa国际传媒檚 going in. Hesa国际传媒檚 a deserving man and it means a lot to be going in with a guy that I had for a long time, believed in me and gave me a chance to play,sa国际传媒� said Weber.
Ironically enough, Weber and Roenick never won the Stanley Cup.
Weber and the Habs lost in five games to Tampa Bay in 2021 while Roenicksa国际传媒檚 Chicago Blackhawks were swept by the Pittsburgh Penguins in four games in 1992 sa国际传媒� even though the four games were decided by a total of five goals.
sa国际传媒淚 watched the Cup get raised last night like Isa国际传媒檝e watched for the last 35 years. I had a lot of emotions that went over me - mainly envy and just how lucky those guys are - and what it must feel like and how happy I was for Matthew Tkachuk and all that. But then getting the call from the Hall, it was almost like that was my Stanley Cup,sa国际传媒� explained Roenick.
As for Weber, who has won everything but a Cup including Olympic golds, World Hockey Championships both on the junior and senior levels as well as a Memorial Cup, the emotion was totally different.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 totally different to be honest. When yousa国际传媒檙e in a tournament or Stanley Cup playoffs, yousa国际传媒檙e in that moment. This one was unexpected. I had no idea that it was going to be coming at all, let alone now. As the days go on here, itsa国际传媒檚 probably going to sink in a little bit more. Not just the shock aspect, but what it actually means,sa国际传媒� said Weber.
Well fellas, you better get those emotions in check.
You donsa国际传媒檛 want to be a slobbering mess when you have to give those speeches on Nov. 11.
Veteran B.C. sports personality Bob sa国际传媒渢he Mojsa国际传媒� Marjanovich writes twice weekly for Black Press Media.
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