Aboriginal NHL'ers shine in Montreal

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It's a long, hard road to the National Hockey League. And according to Montreal Canadien Sheldon Souray, that road is even longer for players from remote Aboriginal communities.

"I moved from Fishing Lake to Edmonton when I was 13 so I could play in the city league," said the six-foot-four, 235-pound Metis defenceman. "It was really hard to do. As close-knit as Native people and communities are, a lot of kids get really homesick and call it quits. I guess I was lucky because my parents made me endure the separation so I could get to where I am today."

According to Souray, there is a huge amount of hockey talent waiting to be discovered on the frozen ponds and outdoor rinks of Native communities across Canada. Limited numbers of junior hockey scouts means the smaller leagues and rinks are ignored, and Aboriginal players have to relocate to join large city-league teams in order to have their talents properly recognized.

For Sheldon, his road to the NHL included stops in Quesnell, Prince George and Kelowna, B.C., before being drafted by the New Jersey Devils in 1994. He played in 60 games for the Devils in the 1996-97 season, scoring three goals, including his first NHL goal, a game-winning marker, on Dec. 16, 1997 against the Rangers. During the 1998-99 season, he scored once and added seven assists in 70 games. Sheldon, along with Josh DeWolf and a second-round pick in 2001, was traded to Montreal for Vladimir Malakhov on March 1, 2000.

The path was similar for Montreal's small but feisty Metis centre, Arron Asham, who left his home in Portage La Prairie, Man. for teams in Red Deer, Alta. and Fredericton before being drafted by les Canadiens in 1996.

"You see a lot of good Aboriginal players playing in small communities or in their own leagues on the reservations," said Aaron. "But you don't get any exposure there, so you have play in the highly competitive city leagues."

Asham, who now earns $350,000, and Souray, who makes $750,000 per season, recognize that hockey is an expensive sport to play, and the costs can be prohibitive for many parents.

"It's not that easy for the average family to have a hockey son any more," said Souray. "There has to be something done to help out the kids who really want to play, but are unable to because of costs," echoed Asham.

"What it comes down to is the fact that there are a number of Aboriginal players in the NHL proving to our kids that they can be here living their dream if it's what they want," said the latest addition to the Montreal Canadiens, and arguably one of the most well-known Aboriginal NHL'ers, Gino Odjick.

"There's more than 20 Aboriginal guys in the league now, and the exposure that comes with being a professional hockey player allows us to encourage the young players, showing them that it's possible," he said.

Odjick, who hails from Maniwaki, Que., was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in 1990, where he still draws loyal fans even after being traded to the New York Islanders, the Philadelphia Flyers, and to the Montreal Canadiens.

According to a website dedicated to Native Hockey Players (http://www.du.edu/~svalerio/native.html), there are 21 Aboriginal NHL'ers, 16 past Aboriginal NHL legends.