Former Stanley Cup champion Ryan Walter helped Osoyoos youngsters at their practice on Friday at the Sun Bowl Arena. Walter, who has been coming to Osoyoos since he was a child, later dropped the puck for the ceremonial faceoff at the Osoyoos Coyotes’ game against Kamloops. (Richard McGuire photo)
No matter how many times he’s asked, Ryan Walter said he never gets tired of showing off his Stanley Cup ring.
“Most of the young guys I meet, the first thing they ask me is if they can get a peak at the ring,” said Walter, the B.C. born and bred hockey star who was a member of the 1985-86 Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens’ squad.
Walter was the special guest speaker at an event in Osoyoos last Thursday evening co-sponsored by the Osoyoos Coyotes hockey club and the Spirit of the Game, the local organization that raises funds to allow local children to participate in minor sports and other recreational activities.
After giving a motivational speech, Walter accepted an invitation to participate in a practice featuring more than 30 local youngsters last Friday afternoon at the Sun Bowl Arena.
He was also on hand to drop the puck for the ceremonial opening faceoff in Friday’s game between the Coyotes and the Kamloops Storm.
Walter, who was born and raised in Burnaby, said he and his family have a longstanding relationship with the Town of Osoyoos and he didn’t hesitate for one second when asked to return to give a speech about his career in hockey as a player and coach.
“We love Osoyoos … my wife Jenny has been bugging me about getting a place here for the summer for many years,” said Walter, who enjoyed a solid 15-year NHL career after being selected second overall by the Washington Capitals in the 1978 entry draft.
“My family used to come to Osoyoos virtually every summer when all of the kids were young. We would spend weeks camping and enjoying the beautiful sunshine. I’ve always had a special place in my heart for Osoyoos and I have nothing but great memories of this place.”
Walter spent most of his career playing for the Canadiens, before ending his career with a brief two-year stint with the Vancouver Canucks in the early 1990s.
Following a successful coaching career in major junior hockey and the NHL, Walter and his oldest son Ben have developed a series of educational videos used to promote proper hockey skills.
“My son plays professionally over in Austria … and we thought we might have some success putting together instructional videos and now we’ve got more than 20 and they’re doing quite well,” he said.
All of the videos can be purchased on Walter’s website at www.ryanwalter.com.
Being able to work with youngsters who are just learning to skate never gets tired and he was thrilled to be asked to work with the kids in Osoyoos on Friday, he said.
Walter said he has been blessed to be able to enjoy a solid career as a player, coach and motivational speaker from the game he loves.
“I’ve tried on more than one occasion in my life to try and get away from hockey, but inevitably I get drawn back in,” he said. “For a kid from Burnaby to be able to have played in the world’s best league and to win a Stanley Cup and then go on to continue staying involved in the game I love is something I am thankful for every single day.”
At age 56, Walter, a father of four, admits he could stay involved in coaching full-time, but that is no longer a priority.
While he plans to expand his hockey skills production business and provide one-on-one coaching with elite players, Walter said he and his wife plan on doing much more travelling around the world and hopefully freeing up time to take care of grandchildren in future years.
Mark Antonello, who had his son Nolan, 6, on the ice during last Friday’s practice, said he still plays a lot of hockey and was thrilled to have a former Stanley Cup winner on the ice with his son.
“It’s cool when a player who has won the Stanley Cup takes the time to come out and work with four, five and six-year-old kids,” he said. “He really seems to be enjoying working with the kids, so it’s nice to have him here.”
The fact his own father Mike is a huge Canadiens fan is sure to make for interesting conversation.
“I’m not a Habs fan, but my dad is and I’m sure he’ll be thrilled that a guy who won the Stanley Cup with the Canadiens was spending time with his grandson,” he said.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
Former NHL hockey player Ryan Walter helped Osoyoos youngsters at their practice on Friday. (Richard McGuire photo)
Former NHL hockey player Ryan Walter helped Osoyoos youngsters at their practice on Friday. (Richard McGuire photo)
