CONNOR SHAW , Transcona Railer Express
MANITOBA MAJOR JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
want to make proud and even though I don ’ t have my mom around anymore and I can ’ t show her what I ’ ve done , it doesn ’ t change the fact that everything I do , I do for her . Even though she ’ s gone , I ’ m still living my life and everything I accomplish , I accomplish for her .” In the meantime , Shaw will admit that hockey has played a major role in his emotional recovery . “ Most of my friends play hockey and at my mom ’ s funeral , my entire hockey team came ,” he said . “ Not one guy was missing . Every guy on my team was there for me . On a hockey team , even if there are some guys who don ’ t get along , they get along when they ’ re together as teammates . Hockey brings guys together from 20 different families and when it comes to hockey , we all come together to make one family . My teammates were always there for me and that was important .” One person who was a big part of his emotional recovery in Dauphin was his high school coach , Bruce Helgeson . “ Coach Helgeson was my coach when I played high-school hockey
for the Dauphin Clippers ,” he said . “ He coached in the past with Barry Trotz and knows a lot about hockey and motivating players . He taught me business in high school , but above all he taught me about hard work and respect . He ’ d ask us to give him an hour on the ice at practice and he always gave it back . We lost the high school championship by one goal . It was tough year , but it was a very rewarding year .” This year , the Railer Express is not one of the dominant teams in the MMJHL , but it should be a playoff team and that means there is always a chance . Shaw believes the Railer Express is a lot like last year ’ s MMJHL champion Stonewall Jets in terms of their grit and toughness . “ The way Stonewall won the championship last year , I think we can do the same ,” he said . “ We just have to stick to our game plan and play it a game at a time . Once we get into the playoffs anything can happen . It ’ s not how we start , it ’ s how we finish this thing .” Conner Shaw is in the midst of proving that that ’ s exactly how he ’ s living his life . n
CONNOR SHAW , Transcona Railer Express
The goaltender for the MMJHL ’ s T ranscona Railer Express is University of Manitoba student Conner Shaw , a former member of the MJHL ’ s Dauphin Kings . We asked Conner , 20 , about his life away from hockey and found out what drives him to be the teammate that he is today .
What ’ s your favourite NHL team ?
“ I ’ m a big Toronto Maple Leafs fan and I have an ally on the Railer Express in head coach Bruce Schmidt . Any game the Leafs win the guys hear about it big time .”
Who ’ s your favourite goaltender ? “ I think the Leafs finally have a goalie in Frederick Anderson , but I ’ ve always liked Roberto Luongo as well .”
What are your strengths as a goalkeeper ? “ I would say my work ethic and his hand-eye coordination . I didn ’ t even start working on net movement until I got to the MJHL .”
Do you play other sports ?
“ Golf . My short game is his strength . I would say Pine Ridge is the finest in golf course in Manitoba , but while the ninth hole at the Ridge is indeed a tough , I think the 420-yard , Par 4 , 11th hole at Gilbert Plains is among the toughest Par Fours anywhere . At Men ’ s night , any team that birdies the hole gets a free round of drinks at the club house .” ( Note : Shaw is a one handicapper who shot 80 , 76 , 75 , 71 , in the Manitoba Amateur this past year ).
Read any good books lately ?
“ I enjoyed Jordin Tootoo ’ s book and I ’ m just finishing Bob McKenzie ’ s . I found the part on John Tavares to be the most interesting .”
What are your favourite games , movies and music ?
“ I play a lot of NHL video games and was introduced to Sky Room recently and I really like it . My favourite music is country and I really like Dallas Smith . My favourite movie is Shawshank Redemption .”
Who are the best players you face in the MMJHL ?
“ Chase Falconer of Stonewall is right at the top of the list . He combines strength and skill . And Mike Lorange , Charleswood ’ s captain . He has the best shot in the league .”