Interesting - Quebec Rempart Goalie

Fatherhab · Senior Member

Interesting - Quebec Rempart Goalie

Nil d · Guru

Fatherhab wrote:

Ovedia Blog:

Wow! Patrick Roy has an Orthodox Jewish goalie playing for his junior league team. Because of his religion, goalie Benjamin Rubin can't play Friday night to sundown Saturday, meaning he'll miss about half of the Quebec Remparts' games. Obviously there have been Jews in hockey before, but you don't see many Orthodox Jews, mostly because the religious commitments make it very tough to fit in sports, especially at the professional level. I don't think of Patrick Roy as a particularly patient guy, but it's huge for him to extend an opportunity to someone like this.

If Michael Peca and Darcy Tucker can patch things up (much like Peca's knee was patched up after that cheap shot in the 2002 playoffs), maybe there can even be peace in the Middle East.

Was Matthieu Schneider one of the first Jewish NHL players, if not the first? I don't know if he was Ortodox or not, but he played every night (and I wish we had kept him).

Fatherhab · Senior Member

He certainly was fan friendly. I remember when my son played in a summer hockey tournament in Cornwall Ontario, Schneider was at the complex for another function, and went out of his way to come to the dressing room and walked around shaing hands with all the players. He did this on his own and I was really impressed with his down to earth attitude.

We sure could use his speed and agility on defense.

skandel · Member

Nil d wrote:

Fatherhab wrote:

Ovedia Blog:

Wow! Patrick Roy has an Orthodox Jewish goalie playing for his junior league team. Because of his religion, goalie Benjamin Rubin can't play Friday night to sundown Saturday, meaning he'll miss about half of the Quebec Remparts' games. Obviously there have been Jews in hockey before, but you don't see many Orthodox Jews, mostly because the religious commitments make it very tough to fit in sports, especially at the professional level. I don't think of Patrick Roy as a particularly patient guy, but it's huge for him to extend an opportunity to someone like this.

If Michael Peca and Darcy Tucker can patch things up (much like Peca's knee was patched up after that cheap shot in the 2002 playoffs), maybe there can even be peace in the Middle East.

Was Matthieu Schneider one of the first Jewish NHL players, if not the first? I don't know if he was Ortodox or not, but he played every night (and I wish we had kept him).

MAtthieu Schneider was not Orthodox, because if he was he would not have been able to play on friday nights or saturday days. because you are not allowed to "work" on the sabath.

As far as this goalie for the ramparts, it would not be the first time a jewish player refused to play on a holiday. One of the most defining moments for jews in sports is when Sandy Kofax refused to start a world series playoff game because it was Yom Kipur, one of the jewish high holidays. It may be a different sport, but if roy thinks that this goalie is good enough to make up for his absence on the sabath, then i bet he is a great goalie.

Guess well have to wait and see how it all plays out...

Nil d · Guru

skandel wrote:

One of the most defining moments for jews in sports is when Sandy Kofax refused to start a world series playoff game because it was Yom Kipur, one of the jewish high holidays. It may be a different sport, but if roy thinks that this goalie is good enough to make up for his absence on the sabath, then i bet he is a great goalie.

Guess well have to wait and see how it all plays out...

There was also that long distance runner who skipped a race in the Olympics, whose name I forget but they made that movie about him (and I forget the name of the movie too). The mind is the second thing to go.

doodie · Veteran Member

Nil d wrote:

skandel wrote:

One of the most defining moments for jews in sports is when Sandy Kofax refused to start a world series playoff game because it was Yom Kipur, one of the jewish high holidays. It may be a different sport, but if roy thinks that this goalie is good enough to make up for his absence on the sabath, then i bet he is a great goalie.

Guess well have to wait and see how it all plays out...

There was also that long distance runner who skipped a race in the Olympics, whose name I forget but they made that movie about him (and I forget the name of the movie too). The mind is the second thing to go.

Hey nil d there are two things that go -First is the mind-Second is..............I can't remember the second one.............

Nil d · Guru

doodie wrote:

Hey nil d there are two things that go -First is the mind-Second is..............I can't remember the second one.............

And the movie was Chariots of Fire (a great movie for anyone who hasn't seen it). I knew I'd remember eventually.

Fatherhab · Senior Member

An Update: Turns out this 17 yr old, Benjamin Rubin, is a left winger who played his minor hockey in Montreal alongside Rempart star Angelo Esposito. He was recommended to Patrick Roy by Jean Perron who presently coaches the Israeli National Team. Guy Lafleur as well intervened on Rubin's behalf and asked Roy to invite him to training camp. Roy now states that he is pleased he did. Rubin can still recite by heart the bio that appeared on the back of the hockey card of his boyhood idol Jean Belliveau, which his mother use to read to him each night as he went to sleep. There are a handful of Jewish professional athletes in North America, including 3 in the NHL- none being Orthodox Jews---Mike Cammeleri(Kings), M. Scheinder(Red Wings) and Jeff Halpern(Stars). Major league Baseball has about a dozen Jewish players in the league including Shawn Green and Gabe Kapler, both imitating Sandy Koufax(right on Nil) who refused to play on Yom Kippour. Koufax refused to play the first game of the World Series in 1965

Nil d · Guru

Fatherhab wrote:

Major league Baseball has about a dozen Jewish players in the league including Shawn Green and Gabe Kapler, both imitating Sandy Koufax(right on Nil) who refused to play on Yom Kippour. Koufax refused to play the first game of the World Series in 1965

Thanks - I'd love to take credit for that, but it was Skandel who said it, not me.

Fatherhab · Senior Member

Sorry about that Skandel.......I love the trivia just the same. Someone started a Habs trivia thread here, forget who it was, wish they would continue with it, it was fun.