nivek_wahs
02-09-2007, 05:26 AM
http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/sports/story.html?id=040629c7-270a-497e-8dea-d99f37648e30&k=10358
An unusual hockey background
Greg Harder, The Leader-Post
Published: Friday, February 09, 2007
Regina Pats goaltender Tommy Tartaglione is referred to as 'unorthodox' so often, it should almost be his middle name.
The 18-year-old California product simply flashes his trademark grin when asked for a better word to describe his goaltending style. The fact is, he can't think of one.
"I'll go with unorthodox," he says with a laugh. "Growing up on the roller rink (in L.A.), you weren't allowed to butterfly. You had to (stay) up or sprawl; just stop the puck at all costs."
Tartaglione grew up in Harbor City, a suburb of Los Angeles. While his friends played basketball and football in the local parks, he learned the nuances of a non-traditional sport, facing shots from his older brother Victor and father Louie in the family's garage.
Over the years, Tartaglione has been influenced by several prominent goalies. As a kid, he mimicked the half-butterfly style of ex-L.A. Kings netminder Kelly Hrudey.
When Tartaglione joined the Vancouver Giants last season, Bill Ranford served as his mentor. Now it's Pats goalie consultant Corey Hirsch, who wants him to play more like NHL stars Marty Turco and Martin Brodeur, both of whom are controlled standup goalies who love to play the puck.
"You have to be yourself, but I try to take bits and pieces from everybody I come across," explains Tartaglione. "My first-every coach (at age 8) taught me to go in the player drills. When they would warm up, instead of having me stand around, he made me do the passing drills."
Tartaglione's puck-handling talents paid off in roller hockey, which was his first exposure to the competitive side of the game.
"In L.A., we can't go on the pond," he notes.
The roller hockey fad erupted after Wayne Gretzky joined the Kings. By the early '90s, the Great One's influence helped kickstart a new trend that saw hockey rinks open throughout L.A.
Tartaglione joined the converts in 2001, trading his Rollerblades for a pair of ice skates.
"The pro roller leagues folded in about '98," he recalled. "I kept thinking, 'It's coming back, it's coming back.' It never came back. But I've always known I wanted to play hockey. So I switched to ice."
Tartaglione's initial plan was to play college hockey. Then he learned about the WHL while playing in a bantam tournament in Kamloops.
"I said, 'Wow, I don't have to go to school and I get to play hockey,' " he says with a laugh. "That's me in a nutshell right there."
Tartaglione was signed by the Giants, who cut him at age 16, after which he was slated to play midget hockey in Indiana. That quickly changed when a team in L.A. called with an offer he couldn't refuse.
If Tartaglione agreed to stay home, the club would arrange for him to work out daily with a group of NHL players who were skating during the lockout. Among them were Rob Blake and Luc Robitaille.
"I'm excited to come to the rink every day, but to skate with your childhood heroes was just an amazing thing," says Tartaglione, known for his perpetual smile and positive nature. "Playing with guys who shoot that hard -- at such a young age -- it forces you to stop the puck. The one that hurt the most was Sheldon Souray. He hit me right in the stomach. I had to be tough but as soon as they left the zone I went down. I woke up the next morning and had a big puck mark through my chest pad."
Eventually, ex-NHL goalie Steve Shields took pity on the bruised youngster.
"He was looking at my gear going, 'This is horrible!' " recalls Tartaglione. "My blocker was just like a piece of foam, so he gave me his blocker and I used it until I went to Vancouver and got some new pads there. They all looked after me pretty well."
Tartaglione is doing the same for his teammates in Regina, who acquired him from the Giants early this season. A reliable backup, he has won two straight games after being thrust into a starter's role while Linden Rowat recovers from a sore back.
"We know what Tommy can do," offers head coach Curtis Hunt, who admits Tartaglione's style sometimes gives him grey hairs. "He certainly gives us another dimension in terms of his puckhandling ability. The guys really rally around him, which is a reflection of the kind of person he is."
© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2007
An unusual hockey background
Greg Harder, The Leader-Post
Published: Friday, February 09, 2007
Regina Pats goaltender Tommy Tartaglione is referred to as 'unorthodox' so often, it should almost be his middle name.
The 18-year-old California product simply flashes his trademark grin when asked for a better word to describe his goaltending style. The fact is, he can't think of one.
"I'll go with unorthodox," he says with a laugh. "Growing up on the roller rink (in L.A.), you weren't allowed to butterfly. You had to (stay) up or sprawl; just stop the puck at all costs."
Tartaglione grew up in Harbor City, a suburb of Los Angeles. While his friends played basketball and football in the local parks, he learned the nuances of a non-traditional sport, facing shots from his older brother Victor and father Louie in the family's garage.
Over the years, Tartaglione has been influenced by several prominent goalies. As a kid, he mimicked the half-butterfly style of ex-L.A. Kings netminder Kelly Hrudey.
When Tartaglione joined the Vancouver Giants last season, Bill Ranford served as his mentor. Now it's Pats goalie consultant Corey Hirsch, who wants him to play more like NHL stars Marty Turco and Martin Brodeur, both of whom are controlled standup goalies who love to play the puck.
"You have to be yourself, but I try to take bits and pieces from everybody I come across," explains Tartaglione. "My first-every coach (at age 8) taught me to go in the player drills. When they would warm up, instead of having me stand around, he made me do the passing drills."
Tartaglione's puck-handling talents paid off in roller hockey, which was his first exposure to the competitive side of the game.
"In L.A., we can't go on the pond," he notes.
The roller hockey fad erupted after Wayne Gretzky joined the Kings. By the early '90s, the Great One's influence helped kickstart a new trend that saw hockey rinks open throughout L.A.
Tartaglione joined the converts in 2001, trading his Rollerblades for a pair of ice skates.
"The pro roller leagues folded in about '98," he recalled. "I kept thinking, 'It's coming back, it's coming back.' It never came back. But I've always known I wanted to play hockey. So I switched to ice."
Tartaglione's initial plan was to play college hockey. Then he learned about the WHL while playing in a bantam tournament in Kamloops.
"I said, 'Wow, I don't have to go to school and I get to play hockey,' " he says with a laugh. "That's me in a nutshell right there."
Tartaglione was signed by the Giants, who cut him at age 16, after which he was slated to play midget hockey in Indiana. That quickly changed when a team in L.A. called with an offer he couldn't refuse.
If Tartaglione agreed to stay home, the club would arrange for him to work out daily with a group of NHL players who were skating during the lockout. Among them were Rob Blake and Luc Robitaille.
"I'm excited to come to the rink every day, but to skate with your childhood heroes was just an amazing thing," says Tartaglione, known for his perpetual smile and positive nature. "Playing with guys who shoot that hard -- at such a young age -- it forces you to stop the puck. The one that hurt the most was Sheldon Souray. He hit me right in the stomach. I had to be tough but as soon as they left the zone I went down. I woke up the next morning and had a big puck mark through my chest pad."
Eventually, ex-NHL goalie Steve Shields took pity on the bruised youngster.
"He was looking at my gear going, 'This is horrible!' " recalls Tartaglione. "My blocker was just like a piece of foam, so he gave me his blocker and I used it until I went to Vancouver and got some new pads there. They all looked after me pretty well."
Tartaglione is doing the same for his teammates in Regina, who acquired him from the Giants early this season. A reliable backup, he has won two straight games after being thrust into a starter's role while Linden Rowat recovers from a sore back.
"We know what Tommy can do," offers head coach Curtis Hunt, who admits Tartaglione's style sometimes gives him grey hairs. "He certainly gives us another dimension in terms of his puckhandling ability. The guys really rally around him, which is a reflection of the kind of person he is."
© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2007