Ligue nationale de hockey - Journeyman: the many triumphs (and even more numerous defeats) of a guy whos seen just about everything in the game of hockey

JOURNEYMAN

VIKING

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First published 2012

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (RRD)

Copyright Sean Pronger, 2012

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

Manufactured in the U.S.A.

LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION

Pronger, Sean

Journeyman : the many triumphs (and even more numerous defeats) of a guy whos seen just about everything in the game of hockey / Sean Pronger.

ISBN 978-0-670-06591-2

1. Pronger, Sean. 2. Hockey playersCanadaBiography.

3. National Hockey LeagueBiography. I. Title.

GV848.5.P766A3 2012 796.962092 C2012-905305-8

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THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO
ALL THE JOURNEYMEN EVERYWHERE.
KEEP FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT.

CONTENTS

by Brian Burke

by Chris Pronger

Pronger All-Stars

FOREWORD

By Brian Burke

I was pleased when Sean asked me to write a foreword for his book. I was involved in drafting both Sean (in 1991 with Vancouver) and Chris (in 1993 with Hartford). As I said in a speech in Winnipeg years ago, this makes me one for two! Maybe in terms of talent, but not in terms of character or brains.

Sean was a great organizational player. He was smart positionally, versatile, and hard-nosed. He did many small things extremely well, which is the mark of a thoughtful player. Our coaches never had to tell Sean anything more than once. Not only that, Sean was able to pass much of this instruction on to other players.

Scouting description: extremely intelligent player with a high hockey I.Q. Excellent work habits in games and in practice. Very intense, utilized in every manpower and clock situation. Physical on every inch of the ice surface. Team-centred and coachable. So its no surprise to me that Seans post-hockey career has also been marked with distinction.

Reading Seans book brings back a lot of memories, from my days as a Springfield Indian and Maine Mariner. (That is, getting paid almost no money, taking endless bus trips, and having no job security.) In fact, I had so much fun in the AHL I applied to Harvard and got in to their law school as soon as I could. For those of you fortunate enough to know Sean, obviously, this was not an option for him. We read every day about pro athletes who turn down multi-million dollar contracts. This book is written by a guy who scraped for every cent.

Reporters often ask me why I tend to draft guys with a good work ethic on the ice. Seans book shows us why hard workers succeed: they are always learning and improving. Im glad he wrote this book; it should be required reading for every person who is thinking of making a living from pro sports.

PRESS BOX EPISTLES

By Chris Pronger

Some may see the glamorous life of a professional hockey player and wish it were theirs. The thing is, they always envision themselves as the star player. Trust me, its great and I wouldnt trade it for anythingbut there is another side of life in the NHL that we never think about or see. Ive been lucky in many respects; while having been traded four times in my career, I have always been wanted. I have been well-compensated for my play in the NHL and am very grateful for it. But Seans book is all about that guy you dont hear about muchthe one struggling for a spot on the fourth line, or hoping to be the seventh defenceman. These people do NOT make big money, especially if they are sent down to the minors, as they often are.

Dont believe me?

How many times have you read about the player who signs late or the last player cut at training camp? We see this happen all the time yet we dont seem to think much about it. But the media tend to ignore or forget the guy playing in Abbotsford for $35K a year. There are dairy clerks at your local grocery store who make more, while the guy in Abbotsford is living out his dream. My point? I think my brothers book is funny, self-deprecating, and full of stuff the average fan might not know. Thats because the journeymen know how lucky we are, all of us, to be getting paid to play the most exciting game in the world. In fact, the journeymen are probably paying more attention than the guys who play the big minutes. They probably work harder than anyone else and they may even enjoy it more than anyone else, because every shift means something to them. They also know how lucky they are to be where they are. Other people start their shift in a factory at 5 a.m., or drive city buses till 2 a.m. We, on the other hand, fly first-class charters, stay at the best hotels, eat gourmet food, and then work about sixty to sixty-five minutes a night, three or four times a week. Journeymen never forget that. Ever.

Reading this book reminds me of long winter nights in Drydenmy brother the captain of team A, me the captain of team B, the whole ten of us freezing, but none of us caring. We would play the game we loved as long as we could, no matter the wind or cold. As we used to say, Its for the love of the game. Well, when youre a journeyman, its not only for the love of the game. Its also to keep the dream alive.

BLACKOUT

Where am I? How did I get here?

Before you jump to conclusions, let me clarify. No, I dont have a concussion. And no, Im not in jail (though getting out of here wont be easy). Where I am is sitting on rented furniture in a room with a slanted floor and peeling walls, trying to figure out exactly how my dream of becoming a professional hockey player has turned into a nightmare.

Is it my black eye and broken nose? Maybe.

Is it the $500 a week Im raking in playing in the East Coast Hockey League? Maybe.

Is it the unheated farmhouse on the outskirts of the hockey hotbed known as Knoxville, Tennessee, that I currently call home? Maybe.