Hockey player’s faith keeps him positive despite tough times
WINNIPEG, MB - Winnipeg Jets right-winger Eric Fehr's NHL career has not been what one might call a breezy afternoon skate in the park.
Since he entered the league in 2005, Fehr has never played a full season. In 2007-08, he missed almost the entire year after undergoing back surgery. The last couple of seasons he's battled shoulder problems and played 61 games in 2008-09, 69 games in 2009-10 and 52 games last season.
So for Fehr, playing in Winnipeg is new in many ways.
But it will be a bit old, too. And that's a good thing. Even when he played five seasons with the Washington Capitals, he maintained his permanent home in Winnipeg. With the Jets return to the Manitoba capital, he's also back near family and friends, close to his hometown south of the city and near a church that's welcoming and comfortable.
In the meantime, Fehr's skating hard, preparing for camp and doing a load of extra work with both the Jets and the Focus Fitness training staffs. And most important of all, he's healthy.
"It was tough for awhile but that's why having faith and understanding that hockey isn't everything, made it so much easier to handle," Fehr said after a particularly tough pre-training camp workout at the MTS IcePlex.
"It was never easy, but when I missed that entire season with the back injury, I never really got too down, because the one thing my faith always taught me was that there was more to life than any one thing, even hockey."
Fehr grew up in Winkler, a pre-dominantly Mennonite community south of Winnipeg. His was a Christian life in a Christian town and he and his family attended Emmanuel Mennonite Church. It was a great life: hockey, school and the church community, not necessarily in that order.
But as Fehr grew older and moved away - first to Brandon to play for the Wheat Kings and then to the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League - he faced the same problems that confront most young, faith-based athletes: he had trouble finding a place to worship.
"When I was in Washington, I attended church as often as I could, but it was pretty difficult," he says. "During the season, you'd only be in town a few days and then you were off again.
"We tried to put a hockey chapel together, but that was pretty difficult, too. The guys were from all over and it was hard to get them pinned down. I know there are teams that have very successful hockey chapels and we might try to get one going here at some point. I've talked to Lorne (Korol, of Athletes in Action Manitoba) and he's a great guy. But I doubt much will happen this year. Guys are just going to want to get accustomed to their new surroundings.
"That's the one thing that's always been important to me," Fehr says. "I have my faith and I'm comfortable in my faith, but the most important thing about being on a team is to act and play like a team. I don't ever want to be off by myself.
"It was always important to me to be a part of the team and that often means putting your personal feelings aside for the good of everyone involved and just being with the guys. I'm not pushy about things. I'm here to win and to be part of the team."
It will be easier for Fehr this year if, for no other reason that just being able to go home after games and practices. He worships at a church in Winnipeg and is already comfortable there as a full-time member of the community.
He's excited that he's a member of what he considers his "hometown" team after six seasons in the NHL. He's healthy and ready to play all 82 games.
"I'm really excited about this season," he said. "It's going to be a lot of fun."
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