For as long as I can remember, the game of hockey has been the core of my existence. As my 18th and final year of competitive hockey has concluded, I can't help but ask myself, “what now?”.  From the best days of my life, through the roughest patches, this sport has always been there to lean on. Being at the rink has always felt like home. 

Minor Midget was probably one of my favourite years of hockey. I played in Kitchener for the Jr. Rangers. Being my draft year, every game was a battle. It was one of my first encounters with performing under pressure. As the draft approached, I had been contacted by different OHL teams to get together for a chat. Playing in Kitchener, the Rangers had donated some of their time and money towards the Minor Midget program. For that reason, I was fortunate enough to get to attend upwards of twenty practices with the Kitchener Rangers, as goalie (at the time) John Gibson was absent due to injury. That was my first taste of junior hockey. Getting that kind of experience at the age of 15 had given me such a drive and dedication to push myself to make it to the next level. 

As Minor Midget concluded, I had been meeting with the management of the Sarnia Sting. A few short weeks later, I was lucky enough to get drafted by the Sting. As they currently had a goalie, JP Anderson, who was expected to make an East Coast, or AHL roster the coming season, I was faced with the opportunity to crack a roster spot in the fall. I probably had one of the best training camps of my life. I had the chance to turn my dream into a reality. Growing up watching the Kitchener Rangers play, I had set out to play in the Ontario Hockey League. Being only 16, this opportunity was larger than life. Unfortunately, due to the NHL lockout that season, there was a bump-down effect. Most NHL players were relocating to different leagues in order to keep playing. For that reason, JP stuck with the Sting for the season, which ultimately zeroed in on the vacant goaltending spot that I had been hunting down. As I was faced with a big piece of adversity, I continued to push myself. As training camp concluded, the Sting had suggested keeping me as a third-string goalie for the season, but Head Coach and General Manager Jacques Beaulieu insisted that it would not assist with my development, as I would not consistently play. Trying to find a junior team to return to in mid-September was highly unlikely. Rosters had already been finalized and most teams had already claimed their 16-year-old cards. As a result, I was forced to head back to Major Midget. The Guelph Jr. Storm were still searching for a goaltender, so I joined the team. As the year went on, I still attended the odd Sting game, or skated at the odd practice in Sarnia. As December came around, I received a call that I’ll never forget. The Sting’s goaltender had badly broken his ankle, freeing up a spot. In a matter of days, I had picked up and moved to Sarnia. My billets Rick and Barb welcomed me with open arms. They’re one of the nicest families that I've ever had the chance of meeting. I still keep in touch and visit them when I get the chance. Without them, my transition to living away from home for the first time probably wouldn’t have been so easy. My time with the Sting was some of my greatest memories from junior hockey. Whether it be a Wednesday night road trip to the Soo, or the Ottawa weekend. That was my first real junior experience, and I loved every minute of it. 

The following season, after some contract disputes, regarding scholarship funding, my time with Sarnia had been compromised. As they say, when one door closes, another one opens. And it was exactly that. I had the chance to play for my hometown team, the Waterloo Siskins. My grandfather had spent many years working at the old barn – Waterloo arena, watching and following the Siskins. After making the team, he told me that seeing me play for the Siskins was on his bucket list. So obviously it was a very special year for me and my family. Before that season, the Siskins hadn’t won anything in 20 years. I was lucky enough to share time in the net with Russian netminder, Leo Lazarev, who now plays for the Barrie Colts in the OHL. As I was fresh off an OHL experience, and he was looking to get drafted into the league in the upcoming priority selection, we shared a bit of a special bond. We were a really close team, all of us got along, and that played a big role in our success that year. We defeated the Stratford Cullitons to win the Cherrey Cup, the first one the Siskins had won in my life time. My time with the Siskins is definitely something that I will always hold close to me. 

The following year I got traded over to the Listowel Cyclones, coached by Jason Brooks. Brooksy was one of the best coaches I ever had. Very intense, but his passion rubbed off on all of the boys. So it’s no doubt that Listowel has enjoyed success in recent years. As that year concluded, so did my time at Bluevale Collegiate. Which meant that post -secondary education was yet to be determined. I turned down the chance to spend another year with the Cyclones to put more time into my studies at Conestoga College. All of which lead me to choose to play Jr. C for the Ayr Centennials. 

My time with Ayr was short-lived. After catching a rut in the ice in attempt to stop a 2 on 1, I badly sprained my ankle, an injury which would land me inactive for months. During my rehabilitation, I had been picked up by the Wellesley Applejacks. I already knew a few guys on the team, so I was pretty excited to get started with the group. Little did I know my time with this team would be the best years of junior hockey. I cant say enough about the town of Wellesley. There’s something a little more special about playing for a team that has an entire community behind it. The memories that I made as a Jack are sure to be something that I hold close to me for the rest of my life. As my days became numbered, I learned to make the most of every chance I got to suit up and play the game that I love. Knowing that the end was in sight was definitely tough to digest, but I made the absolute most of it. I’m beyond thankful for my time with the Jacks. The town of Wellesley feels like home.

As the final moments of my career concluded, it was hard to hold back the emotions. Moving on from something that has been the base of who I am is going to be a lot more difficult than I assumed. But looking back, I wouldn’t have changed a thing. I can’t begin to express how grateful I am for the friendships the game of hockey has brought me. The support from my family means more to me than I will ever be able to put into words. Stepping onto the ice and seeing the same people in the crowd that have been there for you since day one is what it’s all about. I can’t thank them enough for believing in me, for giving me the opportunities to better myself as not only a player, but as a person. This game has taught me so much about life. What it’s like to chase your dreams, to never shy away from the face of adversity, and to truly believe in yourself. To all of the coaches that made these years possible, thank you. To my teammates and life-long friends, thank you. To everyone who has made my six years of junior hockey possible, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. 

Ryan Hergott - February 2018