Two Stanley Cup winners wrapped up their tour of Grande Prairie-area schools today, with a presentation at Harry Balfour School.
Reggie and Jamie Leach are the only Aboriginal father/son duo to have their names on the cup.
Reggie explains they talk to the students about making positive life choices.
“The choices you make as a youngster, it follows you through your whole life…Â and today’s society says that you have to have an education to do anything, and that’s one of the main things we talk to the kids about.”
Jamie says the biggest choice he had to make was pursuing a career in hockey instead of baseball, but says there are little choices that are just as important.
“Do I go home and study for my test tomorrow or do I go home and play my Xbox? Some choices are small, some choices are big. We all make mistakes, we just try and learn from them; don’t do them over and over and over again.”
The former NHL players were brought as the second First Nations, Métis, and Inuit school tour of the year.
Reggie won in 1975 with the Philadelphia Flyers and Jamie won in both ’91 and ’92 with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
It’s hoped they’ll be positive role models that can help break down negative stereotypes.
Photo: Reggie and Jamie Leach drop by the Free FM newsroom