If you’re a hockey fan, you’ve probably heard the old saying: “You have to be crazy to be a goalie!”
Sitting in the net, the only thing standing in the way of the opposition lighting the lamp, as discs of rubber are hurled your way at speeds of up to 160 km/h.
It’s true, tendies are mad. Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy used to talk to his goal posts during games. When asked why, he responded, “Because they are my friends.”
Gilles Gratton, a legendary goalie from the 70s not because of his playing career but because of his antics, once refused to play in a game because the moon was in the wrong place in the sky, and claimed that in a prior life he was a soldier in the Spanish Inquisition.
Brandon Weare, goaltender for the Revelstoke Grizzlies, disagrees.
“This is how I see it,” said Weare. “So, I have loads of equipment on stopping the puck. Sure, I stop the puck. These other guys, they get hit and block shots with half the gear I wear. They’re the nuts guys in my opinion. They’re the crazy ones, not me.”
Weare, a native to Calgary, Alta., is in his second season as goaltender for the Revelstoke Grizzlies.
Weare didn’t always want to be a goaltender. In his second year in U9, his coach stuck him on defence. He didn’t like it. So what did he do? He decided to go all the way back between the pipes, instead.
As a Calgary boy, Weare grew up a Flames fan, and idolized Calgary’s long-time legendary goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff, who played 576 games for the Flames, and is the franchise leader in wins with 305.
Weare’s favorite memory of ‘Kipper’ was the infamous scorpion-style save he made against the San Jose Sharks in 2012.
Aside from hockey, Weare likes to hit the slopes on his snowboard in the winter, which is a pastime he takes very seriously.
“I’m not a big goof, I dial it in. I like to dial it in.”
Having fans back at the games for this season is exciting for Weare and the rest of his teammates. Weare said that when the game starts and the Forum is packed with people, he can’t even hear himself think.
“The momentum they give us is just crazy,” said Weare.
Revelstoke is a fan of Weare, and in return, he is a fan of Revelstoke.
“I think it’s an awesome town. It’s a close knit community, people come out to the games, cheer hard for us. Feels like home away from home.”
READ MORE: ‘You get out what you put in’: Revelstoke Grizzlies captain doing the work on and off the ice
READ MORE: ‘Chaos festival’: How to support the Grizzlies according to a legendary fan
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josh.piercey@revelstokereview.com
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