My Story: Kevin Westgarth
The following article written by former Princeton standout Kevin Westgarth appeared January 10 on the Los Angeles Kings Web site.
By Kevin
Westgarth
Special to LAKings.com
I have always loved the ice. So growing up in Amherstburg, across the river from Detroit, many of my earliest memories are of skating outside, bundled up to immobility, shakily pushing a chair around a backyard rink. Hockey was always what I wanted to do. From playing my brother in the basement, road hockey in the neighborhood, or finding a frozen pond, hockey was it.
Skating early let me jump into my first season of hockey at 5 years old, on a team with my older brother, Brett, who was 7. I had quite a season, netting my one and only goal in the playoff finals. In my mind I was flying and pulled a Mario Lemieux-worthy highlight reel goal, although mom and dad still try to convince me it wasn’t quite that pretty.
In any case, I had my first taste of hockey and loved it. Chauffeured by our parents, Gilda and Reg, we got to discover the great arenas of Southwestern Ontario. By the time I was 11, in Atom Major, I was getting pretty good, which luckily coincided with the first AAA team ever available to Essex County. There were some growing pains being part of the blossoming Sun County Panthers, I remember playing our home games in London and often having only 11 or 12 players for a game. The work my parents put in over these minor hockey years and the sacrifices they made is still incredible to me, something I’ll never adequately be able to thank them for.
Complete article can be accessed via the Kings Web site by clicking here.
