Sean Joly was surprised at being chosen as the North Eastern Alberta Junior B Hockey League’s (NEAJBHL) 2010/2011 Most Gentlemanly Player with Skill award.
Joly played minor hockey in St. Paul, and was also a member of the St. Paul Canadiens Junior B hockey team for four years, up until the 2009/2010 season. Since he now works at a pipe yard in Bonnyville, he started playing as a defenceman for the Cold Lake Ice.
“I didn’t see it coming but it’s definitely an honour,” he said of the award. “For me it’s the icing on the cake for this year really.”
He explained he didn’t know about the award until he received text messages from his friends and his parents congratulating him for winning. His best friend on the team called him several times, teasing him good-naturedly about being “soft and stuff,” he said, adding, “Everybody’s pretty happy about it.”
Joly currently has 13 points with two goals and 11 assists in 29 games, and has only 10 penalty minutes so far in the 2010/11 regular season.
When asked what contributed to his style of play that netted him the award, Joly answered that the Ice has players on the team that take care of the “rough stuff.
“That definitely helps when you don’t have to step up and do it yourself,” said Joly.
Paul Desjardins, head coach and GM of the Ice, described Joly as a team player, who brings professionalism to the league. “He’s a fair player, and he plays the game as it should be played, fun and not trying to hurt anybody,” said Desjardins.
In the 2009/2010 season, Joly broke his cheekbone after getting into a fight during a Canadiens’ game against the Vermilion Tigers. His season ended early and he had to go through multiple visits to the doctor and for an X-ray and surgery at the University of Alberta hospital.
“The other guy hit my head when I was down on the ice,” explained Joly, while adding with a laugh that he felt “pretty stupid” afterwards.
After the incident, he decided to play hockey for the sake of playing, instead of getting all “riled up.”
Joly explained he started playing hockey starting at the age of five after he was introduced to the game by his dad, Remi Joly. He has been playing hockey every year since.
The player has another season of hockey at the Junior B level, and hopes to finish his Junior B days with the Ice.
