Post by John Davidson on Oct 4, 2009 17:01:05 GMT -5
In keeping with the wisdom of the 12 steps, Brian McGrattan lives his life one day at a time.
But that doesn’t stop the Calgary Flames winger from setting long- and short-term goals for himself.
Quite the opposite, actually.
“I want to lead the league in majors this year,” McGrattan says, peeling off his blinding yellow practice jersey. “And I think this is the right division to do it.”
The tattooed enforcer looks across the room at Jarome Iginla and Olli Jokinen.
“I can’t wait,” McGrattan says, “for the first guy who runs one of these guys.
“That will give me the green light to go get ’em.”
Unfortunately for McGrattan, the yellow practice jersey is actually meant as a red light. The 28-year-old has yet to receive medical clearance to take part in contact drills.
The former Phoenix Coyote is still recovering from shoulder surgery and could sit out the first week or so of the regular season to give the joint a little more time to heal.
“I had a new bone and two screws put into my socket,” he says. “They had to shave the bone off my collarbone and put it in. I had 30 per cent of my socket broken.”
The culprit? None other than Georges Laraque, of the Montreal Canadiens.
“George fell on me twice,” McGrattan says. “And he’s a pretty big guy.”
So is McGrattan. At six-foot-four, 235 pounds, the newcomer on the Flames’ cop beat piled up the penalty minutes in three seasons with the Ottawa Senators (287 in 142 games).
And then came the proverbial crash to the canvas last year as a member of the Phoenix Coyotes. After playing only three games for Wayne Gretzky, McGrattan voluntarily entered the substance abuse program administered by the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association.
“It’s been 10 months next week,” McGrattan says of his sobriety. “It’s been the best 10 months of my life. I can honestly say that.”
Alcohol abuse is a common theme for NHL enforcers (Bob Probert and John Kordic are but two examples) looking for refuge from their brutal job description.
But McGrattan figures addictions hit people in all walks of life. And he, for one, loves to fight for a pay cheque — even if it means taking (or delivering) a beating from the likes of Steve MacIntyre and Derek Boogaard.
“Maybe some guys use alcohol as escape,” McGrattan says. “But to me, what’s hard is coming from the city I come from and working in the steel mill for 12 hours a day.”
McGrattan comes from a long line of steelworkers in Hamilton, Ont. Both his grandfathers, his dad and his uncles worked at the mill.
“So going out and taking a couple of punches in the face is easy for me,” he says. “I’d rather be doing that than working in the mill. And that would probably be my other work.”
With less than a year of sobriety, these are still early days for McGrattan in his new way of life. Over the past six weeks, he has leaned a great deal on Theoren Fleury.
The Flames cut Fleury, a recovering alcoholic with four years of sobriety, on Friday.
Regardless, McGrattan expects to remain close with his new mentor.
“He’s an easy guy to talk to because obviously we’re in the same boat,” McGrattan says. “You’re a different person when you’re sober and healthy than when you’re drinking and doing whatever. “I talk to him at all the time. He’s been a guy to fall back on here, a guy for me to look up to.”
Life on the road is full of temptations for a professional athlete. But McGrattan plans to keep things simple, and stick with his program.
Above all, he intends on remembering where he came from.
“It’s only hard if you make it hard,” he says. “ I think it was harder before when I was drinking and using and all that other stuff. It was way harder to live. This is a lot easier way to live.
“And it’s good.”
McGrattan’s sobriety birthday is set for Dec. 4. In fitting fashion, the Flames are in Phoenix the night before for a clash with the Coyotes.
Talk about coming full circle.
“I’ll have a pop and chips party,” McGrattan says with a sloppy grin. “That never hurt anyone.”
www.calgaryherald.com/sports/Flames+enforcer+wait/2041181/story.html
But that doesn’t stop the Calgary Flames winger from setting long- and short-term goals for himself.
Quite the opposite, actually.
“I want to lead the league in majors this year,” McGrattan says, peeling off his blinding yellow practice jersey. “And I think this is the right division to do it.”
The tattooed enforcer looks across the room at Jarome Iginla and Olli Jokinen.
“I can’t wait,” McGrattan says, “for the first guy who runs one of these guys.
“That will give me the green light to go get ’em.”
Unfortunately for McGrattan, the yellow practice jersey is actually meant as a red light. The 28-year-old has yet to receive medical clearance to take part in contact drills.
The former Phoenix Coyote is still recovering from shoulder surgery and could sit out the first week or so of the regular season to give the joint a little more time to heal.
“I had a new bone and two screws put into my socket,” he says. “They had to shave the bone off my collarbone and put it in. I had 30 per cent of my socket broken.”
The culprit? None other than Georges Laraque, of the Montreal Canadiens.
“George fell on me twice,” McGrattan says. “And he’s a pretty big guy.”
So is McGrattan. At six-foot-four, 235 pounds, the newcomer on the Flames’ cop beat piled up the penalty minutes in three seasons with the Ottawa Senators (287 in 142 games).
And then came the proverbial crash to the canvas last year as a member of the Phoenix Coyotes. After playing only three games for Wayne Gretzky, McGrattan voluntarily entered the substance abuse program administered by the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association.
“It’s been 10 months next week,” McGrattan says of his sobriety. “It’s been the best 10 months of my life. I can honestly say that.”
Alcohol abuse is a common theme for NHL enforcers (Bob Probert and John Kordic are but two examples) looking for refuge from their brutal job description.
But McGrattan figures addictions hit people in all walks of life. And he, for one, loves to fight for a pay cheque — even if it means taking (or delivering) a beating from the likes of Steve MacIntyre and Derek Boogaard.
“Maybe some guys use alcohol as escape,” McGrattan says. “But to me, what’s hard is coming from the city I come from and working in the steel mill for 12 hours a day.”
McGrattan comes from a long line of steelworkers in Hamilton, Ont. Both his grandfathers, his dad and his uncles worked at the mill.
“So going out and taking a couple of punches in the face is easy for me,” he says. “I’d rather be doing that than working in the mill. And that would probably be my other work.”
With less than a year of sobriety, these are still early days for McGrattan in his new way of life. Over the past six weeks, he has leaned a great deal on Theoren Fleury.
The Flames cut Fleury, a recovering alcoholic with four years of sobriety, on Friday.
Regardless, McGrattan expects to remain close with his new mentor.
“He’s an easy guy to talk to because obviously we’re in the same boat,” McGrattan says. “You’re a different person when you’re sober and healthy than when you’re drinking and doing whatever. “I talk to him at all the time. He’s been a guy to fall back on here, a guy for me to look up to.”
Life on the road is full of temptations for a professional athlete. But McGrattan plans to keep things simple, and stick with his program.
Above all, he intends on remembering where he came from.
“It’s only hard if you make it hard,” he says. “ I think it was harder before when I was drinking and using and all that other stuff. It was way harder to live. This is a lot easier way to live.
“And it’s good.”
McGrattan’s sobriety birthday is set for Dec. 4. In fitting fashion, the Flames are in Phoenix the night before for a clash with the Coyotes.
Talk about coming full circle.
“I’ll have a pop and chips party,” McGrattan says with a sloppy grin. “That never hurt anyone.”
www.calgaryherald.com/sports/Flames+enforcer+wait/2041181/story.html