By Scoop Malinowski www.mrbiofile.com
(Editor’s Note: With Black History Month coming to the end, the New York Beacon wanted to highlight one of the most successful African American Hockey players.)
Status: Former NHL goaltender from 1997-2009 for Rangers, Devils, Panthers, Hurricanes, Islanders, Canucks and Lightning. Now an NHL Network analyst.
Ht: 6-1 Wt: 235 pounds
DOB: April 4, 1975 In: Toronto, Ont.
Childhood Heroes/Hockey Inspirations: “Outside of my parents, Grant Fuhr, Jerry Rice, Michael Jordan and Roger Clemens.”
Nickname: “Shady 80.”
Hobbies/Leisure Activities: “I love shopping. I love decorating, interior decorating and designing. And reading.”
Favorite Movies: “Shawshank Redemption. On a lighter note, Coming To America. Ali.”
Favorite TV Shows: “The Jeffersons. Three’s Company. Diff’rent Strokes. And probably The Price Is Right.”
Musical Tastes: “Classic soul, R&B, very diverse. Gap Band, Earth Wind & Fire, and Kool & The Gang.”
First Hockey Memory: “Probably when I first signed up to play house league at St. Mike’s Arena at home in Toronto, first time on the ice. And then our first minor hockey tournament that we had in Buffalo, when I was playing house league as well.”
First Job: “Delivering fliers door-to-door for Pizza, Pizza back home in Toronto.”
First Car: “1985 Honda Civic four-door, semi-automatic. (Color?) Maroon. $1,200.”
Favorite Meal: “Probably pizza. I love pizza.”
Favorite Breakfast Cereal: “I love old school cereal. I think probably now I would say Honey Nut Cheerios.”
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Ben & Jerry’s In A Crunch probably.”
Pre-game Feeling: “Just visualizing. Making plays and how I’m envisioning the game to go that night. Just playing different scenarios over in my mind.”
Greatest Sports Moment: “Making the Stanley Cup final with Carolina in 2002.”
Most Painful Moment: “Us losing the Stanley Cup final in 2002.”
Favorite Uniforms: “The Rangers are definitely right up there. I think Atlanta’s third jersey – the blue ones – are awesome. And Montreal’s are nice, too.”
Favorite Arena(s) To Play: “Madison Square Garden and Air Canada Centre.”
Funny Hockey Memory: “Lots of things make me laugh, especially in our locker room. Jaromir Jagr was pretty funny. I’d say Brian Skrudland. I played with him in Florida when I first came into the league. He was our captain. And he shoe-checked the mayor of Peterborough, Ont. We had our training camp in Peterborough that year, because Roger Neilson was from Peterborough. (What is a shoe-check?) Basically, we’re at a meal, at his residence actually – the mayor’s. And he snuck under the table and put some food on his shoe and everybody bangs on the glass. Just kind of a hockey tradition. So he shoe-checked the mayor of Peterborough. I thought that was interesting, gutsy.”
Embarrassing Hockey Memory: “Any time you get beat by seven or eight, or anything north of six goals is embarrassing. You get frustrated.”
Funniest Players Encountered: “No shortage. Jags (Jaromir Jagr). (What is it about him?) He’s just a fun-loving guy. You just got to know him. He’s just a big kid and enjoys having fun. Darius Kasparaitis was very funny, too.”
Toughest Competitors: “Mark Messier. (Why?) Just because he’s Mark Messier every night and he wants to be Mark Messier every night. Regardless as to what game – Game 1 to 82 or playoffs – he’s Mark Messier every night.”
Favorite Vacation Spot: “Barbados, for obvious reasons. My parents are from there.”
Personality Qualities Most Admired: “Integrity. Humility. Sincerity. And motivation.”
Scoop’s book “Facing Serena WIlliams” is available at Lulu.com. 50 pro players discuss what it’s like to play the American tennis champion.
