Date Posted: May 27, 2011
Print Edition: May 27, 2011
By Joel Smart (The Cascade) – Email
Kevin Bieksa has come up huge in the 2011 playoffs; not only with three goals and an assist in the first three games of the Conference Finals, but also with his extraordinary defensive play. If the 7-3 victory in game two against the Sharks was maybe the most fun game of the playoffs to date, it should be no surprise that Bieksa played an enormous role in making that happen, managing a Gordie Howe Hat Trick (goal, assist and a fight) and first star in the game. That is because although Kevin Bieksa is one of the toughest players in the NHL, he’s also one of the most entertaining.
Sometimes it is tough to know if it’s more enjoyable to watch Bieska fight someone or hear what he’ll have to say about it after the game. Perhaps his most famous fight involved a jumping “Superman” punch to the face of Mike Richards in December of 2009. However, even after a tough punch to the eye in a fight earlier this year against Tom Kostopoulos, Bieksa was in light spirits; “I’ve been hit harder than that before,” he said in an interview with The Province. “My daughter has head-butted me harder and you’re naive if you think you’re going to go through your NHL career without taking a good shot or losing a fight. There’s always time for a rematch.”
Bieksa, who stands six feet tall and is roughly 200 pounds, has played his entire professional career as part of the Vancouver Canucks franchise. The right-handed defenceman was drafted in 2001 in the fifth round, 151 overall. However, he didn’t play his first NHL season until the 05-06 season. With the exception of injury, including two serious calf lacerations, Bieksa has been a regular in the lineup ever since. Before he played for the Canucks, and before he played for the Manitoba Moose, Bieksa played four seasons in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA), with Bowling Green State University in Ohio. It was his excellent play there from 00-04 that got him noticed by Canucks scouts.
Born and raised in Grimsby, Ontario, he grew up playing hockey with his two brothers. “My dad coached all three of us,” Bieksa said in an interview with The St. Catharines Standard. “It was one of those childhoods where you went to the rink and played hockey, then went home and played road hockey. You’d wake up the next day and go to school and then do the same thing all over again. It was an enjoyable childhood.” He still lived in Grimsby until a few years ago, when he moved to Yaletown, but still has close ties, as both he and his wife Katie grew up there together. They have two children, Cole and Reese.
This was by far the Bieksa’s best season to date, and some of the credit has to go towards his new linemate Dan Hamhuis. Whatever the cause may be, he finished the season second in the league in plus-minus with an unbelievable plus-32, despite missing a couple weeks with a fractured bone in his foot. Although Bieksa has always had an impressive offensive edge to his game, it’s been smarter plays under pressure that have taken his game to a new level.
In a revealing video produced by ESPN, Bieksa and Alex Burrows are seen interviewing each other, asking each other questions that no sports journalist would dare. Bieksa clearly gets a rise out of roasting his teammate. “Your beautiful wife Nancy is expecting her first child fairly soon, a girl I believe,” Bieksa began. “Are you prepared to be a father and what about all those degrading comments you’ve used towards women the last few years?” Laughter ensued, but Bieksa wasn’t done yet, “You’re French obviously, and you and Nancy have a pretty passionate relationship. I’ve heard about some of the stories and all that. Will having a child around affect that? Will you keep the romance in your relationship?” Burrows took the bait, including in his response that he’d taught his wife all about the “French kiss.” Bieksa couldn’t help but burst out laughing in his final comment about Burrows and his wife, “Okay, well, you know what? You two turn me on.” Despite being hilarious, though, the real value of the interview was how it showcased how tightly knit the Canucks really are. Bieksa plays a huge role through his play, but also by keeping the team loose and making the environment fun for his teammates.
