Bollig Blazes Trail from Rec-Plex to NHL
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St. Peters Rec-Plex: HOME OF THE CHAMPIONS Brandon Bollig: back in the day winning trophies with the Spirit, and this year skating in the NHL Bollig Blazes Trail from Rec-Plex to NHL photo courtesy of Chicago Blackhawks Dale and Tracy Bollig were proud, supportive hockey parents. They opened in 1994, Brandon said, “I was pumped. It was right in my enjoyed watching their son, Brandon, play hockey at the St. Peters backyard. I remember tryouts, and playing for years there.” Rec-Plex. But, it’s not like they dreamed about the day he’d play in the Brandon believes that having a hockey rink close to home is important NHL. for local youth hockey. “No, no,” Tracy laughs. “Having a rink in your hometown is huge. You’re more apt to get kids out After years of hard work, that day came, nonetheless. Brandon Bollig, there to skate and play hockey when you have a rink so close to them,” former St. Peters Spirit and Francis Howell North hockey player, got the call Brandon said. “Luckily, my parents were kind enough to drive me to rinks from the Chicago Blackhawks this year to bring his rugged, hard-hitting that weren’t necessarily right there. For other kids, it helps a lot to have a style to the National Hockey League. Brandon debuted with the rink close by, even if the kids can ride their bikes to the rink.” Blackhawks on Feb. 29, and he scored his first NHL goal in the Stanley SACRIFICE & HARD WORK Cup Playoffs. Tracy remembers the early mornings at the Rec-Plex hockey rink with her “He’s ecstatic. He’s loving life right now,” Tracy says. young son. She’d put the hockey gear on Brandon, and then watch him After making the NHL, Brandon, 25, reflected on all of his teams and the play. “It doesn’t seem that long ago that they were that little. You took care places he played on his path to professional hockey. He fondly remembers of them. They just needed to step on the ice and play,” Tracy recalls. his days playing hockey at the Rec-Plex with the St. Peters Spirit youth Brandon always played on the top local team—the “traveling team.” He hockey club. says that his family gave him every opportunity to play hockey. His parents “Some of the best memories I have are at the Rec-Plex, growing up took Brandon to tournaments throughout the Midwest … Minnesota, there,” Brandon says. “That’s where I really kind of developed my game.” Michigan, Wisconsin, wherever ... and even Canada. His sister, Brittany, Brandon grew up in unincorporated St. Charles off of Highway 94 near played basketball and softball, but had to miss her sports sometimes St. Peters, where his parents still live today. He started playing hockey at when the family traveled for Brandon’s games. the Creve Coeur ice rink before the Rec-Plex was built. When the Rec-Plex “My family did a lot for me. They sacrificed for me,” Brandon says. 4 My Hometown stpetersmo.net Strong In Spirit | continued tournaments. Brandon considers the two men his mentors. McRae and MacInnis told Brandon that “college will always be there for Dale called his kids’ athletics a way of life, and added, “I wouldn’t you. Take the opportunity,” Tracy said. change it for the world.” Brandon is often asked when he knew he had a chance to play in the Tracy recalled the moment when she fully realized that her son had NHL. He says it wasn’t until he signed a professional contract for a minor special talent as a hockey player. In junior high, Brandon tried out for the league team. “When you sign that contract, you’re only one phone call AAA amateur St. Louis Blues in Chesterfield. The family had no away,” he said. connections with the team, and they wondered if politics might shut the door on a kid from St. Charles County. Instead, Brandon’s abilities opened Coming down the stretch of the 2012 regular season, the playoff a door. When the coach told the family that Brandon made the amateur contending Blackhawks traded veteran enforcer John Scott, making room Blues, he explained that Brandon had “all the tools in the toolbox to make for Brandon. After 58 games in the minors, Brandon Bollig got that call to it to the next level of hockey.” play for the Blackhawks, a storied franchise just two years removed from an NHL Stanley Cup championship. “That was eye opening,” Tracy said. “Twenty years of hard work has paid off,” Tracy said. “He’s a hard worker, and honestly he deserves to be at that level just based on his work ethic.” Brandon credits his parents. “I’m not the most skilled player out there. The reason I got to the NHL is that I work hard. I learned that from my parents,” Brandon said. “I couldn’t have had any better support growing up.” Naturally, he was thinking about Mom and Dad when he got the call from the Blackhawks. “I couldn’t wait to get off the phone and call my parents,” Brandon says. “To call them and hear their reaction on the phone was one of the best things I ever heard. Mom was at work, and she was crying on the phone. My Dad was ecstatic about it. It was an amazing feeling to see how excited they were for me.” CHICAGO’S NEW ENFORCER At 6-foot-2, 223 pounds, Brandon fills the unofficial role of “enforcer,” which means that he’s expected to prevent and respond to dirty shots by opposing players. Yes, that means fighting when needed. In 18 regular The Bollig family—Tracy, Brandon, Dale and Brittany—in a recent visit to the season games for the Blackhawks, Brandon logged 58 minutes in the penalty box. You can search online for some of Brandon’s handiwork. 1,200-seat ice arena at Rec-Plex South. Brandon played at the Rec-Plex when it “My game is based on bringing energy to the team, and making featured one indoor NHL-size ice rink and a covered temporary rink. He was teammates feel comfortable and feel protected out there, knowing that if impressed with Rec-Plex South, built in 2007 to add two ice rinks and more. someone takes a run at them, I have their back,” Brandon says. “And I will address it out however it needs to be addressed. Besides that, I’m always playing a little defensively, and taking care of my own end first. And, Brandon played high school hockey at Francis Howell North and also chipping in here and there offensively is a plus.” moved up to the St. Louis Junior Blues in Affton. After he graduated high During his Rec-Plex days, Brandon was a skill player. “Growing up, I was school in 2005, Brandon moved to Lincoln, Neb., to play at the next level more of a goal scorer, a skill guy. To make it to the NHL, not everyone is a with the Lincoln Stars Junior A club of the United States Hockey League. goal scorer, so you have to adapt,” Brandon said. NHL teams showed some interest in Brandon starting with his high His NHL coach is suitably impressed with Brandon’s game. school days with the Junior Blues, but he was never drafted. Tracy says that as her son moved up the different levels of hockey, the focus was to “I like how he’s playing, and I’m not talking about his fighting,” gain a college scholarship. Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said in a media report in mid-April. “Positionally, he’s got an awareness. He brings us energy. He finishes hits, “If you go to the hockey rink and you ask all of the little kids, ‘What do and technically he’s doing the right things.” you want to do?’ They’ll all say that they want to play in the NHL. They ALL say that,” Tracy said. “For Brandon, one of his big goals was to play college In Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with his team trailing the Phoenix hockey. That was an achievable goal.” Coyotes 2-1 in the second period, Brandon took a pass from defenseman Nick Leddy at mid-ice, charged in and fired a shot past one of the playoffs’ That dream came true after three years sharpening his craft with the hottest goalies, Mike Smith. It was Brandon’s first NHL goal, a crucial play, Lincoln Stars. In 2008, Brandon accepted a scholarship to play for as the Blackhawks went on to win the game 4-3, tying the series at 1-1. St. Lawrence University, an NCAA Division I hockey school. (Phoenix would ultimately win the series 4 games to 2.) In 2010, after two college seasons, Brandon got a call from the Chicago “I was just kind of streaking in on left wing and put a shot on net,” Blackhawks. They offered him a contract to play for the Rockford IceHogs, Brandon recalls. “I just threw it on net and it happened. It was awesome to Chicago’s minor league affiliate in the American Hockey League. get my first NHL goal in the playoffs.” This was exciting news, but Brandon didn’t jump at the offer right away. Quenneville was quoted as comparing Brandon’s style of shot to that of After all, he had two years left on a great scholarship. Should he give that Bryan Bickell, another brawny left winger who scored 17 goals in up for the off chance that he gets called up to play for the Blackhawks? 2010-2011 for the Blackhawks.