CBC-Sports

The most uncertain off-season of my career

October 30, 2009 04:53 PM | Posted by   Kevin Weekes  

It was quite an interesting off-season for me, definitely THE most uncertain in my 14 years as a professional goaltender.

Early free agency was spent in my ancestral home, (beautiful) Barbados for my Celebrity Golf Classic benefiting the Phoenix Academy on the island and Sky's the Limit in Canada.

The search for a team

Between workouts, rum punches, catamaran charters, beach barbeques, golf, our parties at Sandy Lane (Tiger Woods’s wedding choice) - OK, you get the idea - there was the reality of NHL free agency. Checking the internet and seeing goalie signing after goalie signing, calls to and from my agent, and a quickly shrinking marketplace for me.

This was a stark contrast to what I discussed with my agent prior to July 1. The opportunities and compensation were still below market for a capable backup goalie, let alone the fact that I was a number one goalie for four years, had playoff experience, was a Stanley Cup finalist and had a .920 save percentage last season in a very limited role.

The past two seasons I played for NHL rookie salaries in spite of my resume and I wasn't going to make that concession again. We had discussions with teams in Russia, but that was like dealing with some senior Taliban officials. There was LOTS of run around there! The last team there gave me time to make my final decision, but in the end, the dollars were below market by KHL standards.

New beginnings

The opportunities, starting with the CBC and the NHL Network, in addition to other networks here and in the U.S., were more in line. Compensation, support and room for growth were higher than what teams were offering me!

I looked at the picture with a wide-angled lens and a longer-term approach. Almost forensically, I broke this down with family, friends, teammates, mentors, industry insiders and even Benjamin - a local Rastafarian (dreadlock) sage who hangs on the beach on the 'Platinum' west coast of Barbados.

In the end I came to a very Zen-like state and made the decision to pursue this career in broadcasting, choosing the legendary Hockey Night in Canada and the NHL Network. I knew I was going to eventually transition into TV, it was just a matter of when, where and with whom.

Different perspective on the game

It's been a smooth evolution for me so far, but I've hit the ground SPRINTING! I'm busier than ever, and everybody knows that I can't hide behind a playing schedule, so they take advantage of that in many ways. Trust me on that!

Watching the game from the broadcast booth is like watching the war from the cockpit of a B-1 bomber plane. It's different from being down there in the on-ice combat. I'm quickly getting used to it though, and now I have four unique perspectives on the game: player, TV viewer, arena viewer, and broadcaster.

My dad always asked me "what are you going to do when you retire? You're still gonna be a young man with a long life ahead of you.”

Well, Dad, I think I've finally answered that question for you.

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