'Cheech' shines from Moose Factory down to the Tank
Jessica Ayala
Issue date: 4/16/09 Section: Sports
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Jonathan Cheechoo, also known as "Cheech" among his teammates, grew up in Moose Factory, Ontario, Canada, an island near the mouth of Moose River that has a population of about 2,700.
In the winter, temperatures can range from about minus 40 to minus 10 degrees Celsius, but that did not stop Cheechoo from following his dream to play professional hockey.
Cheechoo said he began skating at the age of two and that by the age of three, he was already picking up sticks and playing the game. From an early age, he would watch hockey games every Saturday night where he developed his passion for hockey.
"Jari Kurri was probably my favorite hockey player," Cheechoo said. "He was on Wayne Gretzky's line and he ended up with over 600 points in the NHL. For me, probably growing up, that was probably my idol. Also being a native, (Ted Nolan) was a big influence on me."
Leaving home
Cheechoo's decision to further his career in hockey required him move away from Moose Factory.
"I had to leave home when I was 14 to play hockey and go
to high school at the same time," Cheechoo said. "For me, it was tough when I first left because I was that young, but every year it got easier."
At age 16, he was playing in the Ontario Hockey Association with Kitchener Dutchmen, a Canadian junior hockey league team, and recorded a total of 35 points that season.
Cheechoo also learned at an early age that if he was going to pursue his dream, he had to sacrifice a few things.
"There were a lot of things my friends were doing that I probably could've got dragged into, but my parents basically explained to me if (hockey) was my goal, I had to sacrifice doing a few things with (my friends) that may hurt my chances," he said.
Cheechoo soon ended up working with private instructors to improve his skills.
"It came when I was 16, before my draft year to the NHL, one of the things the scouts had always told me was that I needed to improve my speed so that I was fast enough to compete at a higher level," he said. "So I went to a skating school, and it cost a lot of money doing that."
But because Cheechoo grew up in a community that believed in him, the community helped
him raise the money he needed, which he said was about $10,000 U.S. dollars.
The following year, "Cheech" made it to the Ontario Hockey League, where he played for the Belleville Bulls.
Taking it to another level
His dream of making it to the NHL would soon come true. In 1998, the San Jose Sharks signed Cheechoo, but he didn't make his debut until 2002.
"They wanted me to develop my skills a little bit more," Cheechoo said. "They knew I could score, they knew I could play good in the offensive zone. But they wanted me to work on my defensive game and they wanted me to work on my skating a little more."
When Cheechoo came to the Sharks, he said some of the players who guided him were Mike Ricci and Adam Graves.
"Adam Graves, he probably taught me the most," Cheechoo said. "He was a great guy and a great individual, as well as a good hockey player, so I definitely learned a lot from him on how to deal with things, how to handle things that came along during the season. To me, he was definitely one of the biggest influences when I got here."
An early success
Cheechoo has shined since he signed with the Sharks. In the 2005-06 season, he scored 56 goals, which earned him the Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy, awarded to the player in the NHL who records the most goals in a season.
San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton said Cheechoo has own unique way of celebrating a goal.
"When he scores, he just has these great big celebrations and he gets so excited and enthusiastic," Thornton said.
But Cheechoo can also be laid back. Teammate Jeremy Roenick, who is outspoken, described Cheechoo as kind of the opposite of him.
"He's very low key, very soft spoken," Roenick said. "At times when you talk to him, you really have to listen, because he doesn't speak that loud. And his personality, I think that is why he is liked so much."
The ups and the downs
Some of Cheechoo's most memorable moments have been winning the Ontario Hockey League title, his first game in the NHL, playing against Brett Hull, who was one of his biggest idols growing up, making it to the Western Conference Finals his second year and the realization of achieving his ultimate goal, which was to play professional hockey.
But Cheechoo has also had some challenges, just like any other professional player.
"Last couple of years, I ran into a couple of knee problems and earlier this year I had a shoulder problem, so it's something where they're pretty frustrating when they happen," Cheechoo said. "They can kind of throw you off your game a little bit, and it takes you a while to get back. But it's something that everybody goes through."
Just an average guy
During his free time, Cheechoo said he just likes to relax, play video games and watch his favorite show "Entourage," which he recently purchased on DVD.
Left wing Ryane Clowe, who also plays for the Sharks, said that he and Cheechoo are big sports fans.
"Me and him are baseball fans," Clowe said. "Cheechoo is a diehard baseball fan - loves the A's. Huge sports fan, he knows everything about everything in sports, so we chat a lot about sports."
Despite his success in hockey, Cheechoo does not forget his roots. He said he tries to go back home every August.
"I like to go up and see my parents," Cheechoo said. "My brother and sister still live up there, and it's nice to go see them."
In fact, he is highly admired back home.
"We went to Ottawa and he had, like, the whole tribe there to see him and take pictures with him," Roenick said. "And we all looked around, and Cheechoo was sitting in a chair like Santa Claus, taking pictures."
Today, the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin for the Sharks and Cheechoo is now just a few steps away from winning the Stanley Cup.
What was once a dream of his when he played hockey by himself, pretending to play for the Cup, is now reality.
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