Game On Magazine - April 2017 Game on Preview Edition | Page 71

sure, and I’m excited to get
back out there and make a
case for myself.”
For the kid who spent
the first four years of his life
growing up in Brandon, and
didn’t even begin playing
hockey until he was “about six
or seven”, it is amazing to think
that hockey wasn’t even a focus
in Kolesar’s youth.
“Hockey was never the first
choice in my family,” he said.
“My parents actually put me
in hockey just to stay in shape
during the winter for football
and baseball. I really liked
playing baseball – I thought
it was the most fun I ever
had playing a summer sport.
I played summer hockey and
all that as well. I wasn’t a big
fan of football as I got older,
but I did like it at a younger
Adding to Kolesar’s words,
White said that it was truly a
pleasure getting to skate with
the young Kolesar and watch
him as he grew.
“I’ve known him since he
was like five years old,” White
said. “I’ve been able to watch
him grow up, and he’s a good
kid. I honestly don’t think he
needs any advice from me.
He works hard, and he’s a lot
further ahead as a pro than I
was at his age, so any advice
that I would be giving him
might be a little weird. He
has the right mindset and the
drive to make it, so I think the
odds are in his favour.”
It’s inevitable that Keegan
Kolesar will be playing NHL
hockey at some point soon,
the only question remaining
is, “When?” ❍
as long as I can do anythIng I can
to help the team wIn, whether
that’s scorIng, hIttIng, or blockIng
shots, I know I’m doIng somethIng to
contrIbute
age – it just got too boring for
me. I remember baseball being
so much fun, but it came to a
point where I had to cut it all
off and focus on hockey.”
choosiNg to pursue hocKey
may have been the best
decision for the 6-foot-2, 215
pound former Tyndall Park
Thunder Bear, North West
Star, Winnipeg Hawk and
Winnipeg Thrasher.
“I have had a good
support system throughout
my development,” Kolesar
reflected. “My cousin actually
just got married to Ryan
White’s sister. So at a younger
age whenever I was stopping
in Brandon, I would bring my
gear and we would hit a patch
of ice and work on some skills.
Whenever I see him nowadays
we sit down and chat for a
while. He is a real easy guy to
talk to and really helped the
mental side of things for me,
as well as my skills.”
Everything is designed. Few things are designed well.
B L U E I N K M E D I A .C A
SEPTEMBER 2017 | GAME ON | 7 1