Rick Schwartzentruber was shopping at Target in Stratford a few years ago when he ran into one of his former hockey players.
Rick Schwartzentruber was shopping at Target in Stratford a few years ago when he ran into one of his former hockey players.
Advertisement 2
Article content
Schwartzentruber coached the Jr. Warriors’ minor and major atom MDs from 2003 to 2005, so it had been a while since he’d spoken to the smooth-skating center who went on to have some success off the ice.
Article content
“He came over and shook my hand and thanked me for being his coach,” Schwartzentruber said of his chance encounter with pop icon Justin Bieber. “I thought that was pretty cool. He told me he was still playing hockey in LA and having fun, and that’s what we instilled in those kids – have fun and hopefully you can still play hockey as adults and have fun doing it.
“I was pretty proud when he told me that.”
Bieber never lost his love for the sport, the beginnings of which will be included in an ESPN story on the Stratford musician during the lead-in to this weekend’s NHL All-Star Game in Toronto. Bieber is one of four celebrity captains and will represent the squad led by his friend, Maple Leafs’ superstar Auston Matthews.
Advertisement 3
Article content
The American sports network sends a producer and cameraperson to the city last Friday to get shots of Stratford and dig into Bieber’s hockey background. One of their stops was the Stratford Perth Museum and its popular Bieber exhibit.
“I was watching them become engaged in this place,” museum general manager Kelly McIntosh said. “I was really proud that their interest went into a broader picture and really appreciated the beauty of the museum and the way we tell stories.
“I’m always interested in the people around the story,” McIntosh continued. “So many people know Justin because of Stratford, and he grew up here, and they have so much to say about him.
“He was just a little kid when he became famous.”
Bieber was playing for Schwartzentruber when he started to embark on a music career that would make him an international celebrity.
Advertisement 4
Article content
“He was a really good skater, really smooth on his skates and a really good stickhandler,” Schwartzentruber said. “To raise the puck at nine, 10 years old, most kids can’t do it much, but he could raise the puck and shoot high or wide and hit the goalie in the stomach.”
Bieber’s teammates voted him captain in minor atom.
“Everybody knew the way Justin was,” Schwartzentruber said. “Whether it was on the ice or in the dressing room or on the bus, he was the center of attention, very popular.”
When the ESPN crew was at the museum, McIntosh reached out to Bruce and Diane Dale, Bieber’s grandparents. They encouraged her to talk to a coach, and Schwartzentruber was the first to answer his phone. He came to the museum with a T-shirt from 2003-04 with the name of each player and coach from that minor atom squad. There was also a yearbook and DVD recapping that season.
“It was really an eye opener for me learning about the relationship between coach and kid,” she said. “It’s quite a beautiful thing.”
ESPN didn’t immediately respond to a request Monday for the air date or when the feature will be online. The all-star game is Saturday at 3 p.m.
Article content