I’ve been debating adding this guy to the account, but I felt it would be a cool learning experience for those who didn’t know of his Asian or hockey roots. Also, I finally found an official “card” depicting him in a hockey jersey. Keanu Reeves -
1. Keanu was a Chinese Canadian goalie who was born in Beirut, Lebanon. After his parents divorced, Keanu lived with his mother and siblings in Sydney, Australia, and New York before settling in Yorkville, Ontario.
2. Growing up in Canada, he played street and ice hockey as a goalie. His play was described as acrobatic, and he displayed the tremendous ability to win games on his own.
3. Keanu played high school hockey for @delasallecollege, where he was nicknamed “The Wall” and won team MVP honors.
4. Keanu’s prowess led to his earning an @ohlofficial tryout with the @windsorspitfireshockey. However, an injury prevented him from participating, and Keanu went on to visit his former stepfather in New York while recuperating, which led to Keanu developing an interest in acting. He remarked, “I loved hockey, but I never wanted it to become too serious. I never said, 'I'm going to play for the @mapleleafs.' I just had this mental picture of a dressing room, guys with steam coming off their backs. It wasn't me."
5. From there, pretty much everyone knows his career, and I will always remember him as the French Canadian goalie in “Youngblood.” Former NHLers Peter Zezel and Steve Thomas also participated in the movie, and Keanu claimed they “kicked [his] ass” in net.
As an aside, I also remember watching Keanu up close and personal (literally behind the net for a period) at the Healthsouth Center (now @toyotasportsperformancecenter) in El Segundo playing in a low key celebrity hockey game when I was in college (in the late 90s). He was in net, and I remember him making a couple impressive sprawling saves!