USA Hockey Adult Hockey

Kevin Whitney is a fixture in the Dallas adult hockey community. You could say he’s the jack of all trades. He plays every position, every week. After all, he’s on five different teams. Whitney plays goalie for the Frisco Over-35, Frisco 3v3 and Integrity Hockey C2 teams; defense for a Frisco C team; and forward for Integrity Hockey C1. He’s goalie for three teams and skates out for the other two.

We caught up with Whitney to talk about how he started playing, and eventually, how he became a captain.

USA Hockey: When and where did you start playing hockey? And were you always a goalie?

Kevin Whitney: I started playing hockey when the Stars came to town in 1993. I was working in the grocery store and going to college when some of my friends got the idea to start a roller hockey team. They asked me to come play. I had never skated. I was raised in Fort Worth and we didn't hardly know what hockey was when I was a kid. So I told them I didn't know how to skate, and they said, “No problem, you can be goalie!” So off I go to the store to buy inline skates and pads and I jumped in net – and I had a blast.

After a couple of years in roller, I moved over to ice when the guys decided to play where it was cooler. Playing outdoor roller hockey in Texas in the summer is not fun to say the least. Bought some pads and started doing lots of drop-ins. Never had any instruction, so I looked terrible, but I found ways to keep the puck out of the net. Now 23 years later, I still look unorthodox, but I still have a way of keeping the puck out of the net. Must be pretty effective as teams keep asking me to play for them. It's nice to be in demand, but then again, there aren't a whole lot of us to draw from.

USA Hockey: And then when did you start playing out?

Whitney: About 12 years ago, a friend knew I played hockey, so he asked me to come play on his team, but they didn't need a goalie, so I re-geared up with player equipment, taught myself how to handle the puck and sort of shoot and began playing wing. After a few years, I grew into a leadership role on the team, and by this, I mean no one else wanted to help run the thing. I mean, getting guys to check in for a game is like herding cats. Who wants that headache? Apparently I do. I coordinate the two teams I skate out on and leave the mess to someone else on the teams where I'm in net. I've tried to do both and it's cumbersome. You can set the lines before, but if things need adjusting during the game, you aren't in a position to do anything about it.

USA Hockey: Recently we rolled out a video How to Properly Warm Up an Adult Goaltender? Have you seen it? Do you think it's helpful?

Whitney: Saw the video and the concept is great. I agree that it would be a great way to warm up the goalie. The reality is that we have 3-5 minutes to get out and take a few shots. I'm lucky if I can get the guys to form an umbrella and shoot. The guys all want to work on their moves and don't seem interested in how the dekes affect me. Oh, and don't get me started on the fool who shoots on net when I'm not looking! Those are just plain dangerous.

Worst injury ever was in practice. I was playing in Addison Square Garden back in the 90s on the Deuce, the smaller of the two rinks. I was taking slap shots from the points from two strong shooters when someone decides to drag pucks out of the net from behind me. In doing so, the guy knocks me off balance and I spin just as my shooter lets loose. I take the puck off my rib cage under my arm when there are no pads. Ended up with a couple broken ribs out of the deal and couldn't breathe for several minutes. Moral of the story: stay out of the goalie’s way. 

USA Hockey: Are you a fiery goaltender? Or calm, cool and collected?

Whitney: My attitude varies from game to game, but I generally keep a pretty even temperature. I don't want to get too high or too low. This comes from my golf background. I still play competitive golf and carry a 2 handicap. To succeed in golf, I need to stay on a very even keel, so I try to carry that over to hockey. Now, with that being said, don't think I don't get upset when I give up a bad goal and get too happy when I make a great save. But I try to get back to the even level as soon as I can. I haven't always been that way – getting to 46 helps calm you down I guess. There have been times when my competitive nature kicked in and I almost got booted for fighting. Guy slashed at my glove after the whistle for the third or fourth time in the game and I came up and rammed him into the boards. Scared the crap out of him. He saw the pros do it and thought that was how it worked. I don't think he does that anymore. 

USA Hockey: Flexibility and agility are big when it comes to the crease. How do you stay on top of that?

Whitney: I stay in shape by walking 5-6 rounds of golf a week, playing 5-6 games a week, chiropractor at least once a week and laser treatment on the problem areas. I've never been flexible, so I pay for it with a bad back, hip, elbow, knees and neck. My brain thinks I'm 25 but my body believes it is 95.

USA Hockey: What’s your favorite part of the game – the camaraderie, the competitiveness, the thrill of making a big save?

Whitney: What drives me the most is the desire to do the best I can. If I give up a couple of early goals, I try to stop the bleeding as soon as I can for as long as I can. Sometimes that involves focusing on the game in one-minute intervals. Don't let one in for the next minute, then the next, then the next. Other times it means getting through the next five minutes. For example, last Sunday my Integrity Hockey C2 team was down 2-0 after the first period. My goal was to keep my guys in the game. They picked me up and we won 7-3. That is what makes me happiest: to come back from adversity and overcome a deficit to win. This particular team has the heart to do that and we have done it several times this season from as much as 3-0 down to win. That's just plain fun