Journeyman…Sean Pronger Gets Around!

So I've neglected to blog for some time…not because I don't like to write, but because I haven't been reading all that much these days. I am a real estate agent, and this is my busy time of the year. Not too many days go by that I don't read, but spring and summer time are my busy work times, so I haven't finished as many books lately.

Sean Pronger's Journeyman has kept me company during these last few months. I bought this book as a Christmas present for Claudio. He's not much of a reader, but I have these secret hopes that he will, one day, find as much pleasure as I do from reading. (OK, I guess that's not likely, so I decided to pick up Journeyman and read it for myself.)

Manitoba Moose:
His Happiest  Time

Surprisingly, I really enjoyed Pronger's autobiography. It was an honest and entertaining story of a man who bounces from team to team and from league to league always with aspirations of making a living by playing professional hockey. Living a hockey life in the shadow of his younger brother Chris Pronger, Sean tells an entertaining story of his ups and downs. He is honest and self deprecating. He never overstates his talents, and he tries to be as honest as possible with his feelings about team mates and coaches.

This hockey story as a straight account of one persons attempts in the NHL and other lower leagues. I really enjoyed his gritty accounts of the locker room and team bus experiences (and charter planes when he's in the Big Show). These stories were funny and eye opening. They made me respect the  3rd and 4th line grinders a lot more than I had ever thought.

I've read Ken Dryden's book called The Game (see one of my previous blogs). Boy was that a pile of bullshit piled a mile high. What can you expect from Dryden: written by a lawyer turned politician, it was so contrived and manipulated, there was never any genuine stories that were believable.

This isn't the case with Journeyman. Here, the author makes every effort to keep it real, and to name names when necessary. Sean Pronger isn't an elected official, and as such, you get a real life account of the trenches. He isn't afraid to call certain coaches jerks (Pat Burns), and some trainers inconsiderate. He names certain players as selfish and spoiled. On the other hand, he also is very gracious in his praise for the players, coaches and agents who cared about the journeymen of the game.

Sean Pronger's Biz Venture

On a personal note, I wanted to mention that I thought it was wonderful that Sean didn't spend a lot of time discussing the merits of his younger brother's abilities. Sure we all know about the hockey superstar Chris Pronger, but that is not the subject of this book. Sean dismisses Chris quite authoritatively throughout the book, and justifiably. This is not the story of a superstar. It's the story of a player who lived in the shadows of the shining star. Sean allocates less than a chapter to the examination of his relationship with his brother. This amount of discussion is entirely fair given that it's his story, not Chris'.

I have experienced the force of nature that is created by a brother who makes a mark in the NHL. It creates a huge shadow for the siblings, and it sometimes shapes how they are treated by others. Without a simple greeting or introduction, "Hey, how's your brother?" is tossed out at the sight of the star's sibling. It really is sickening for the sibling after some time. It can really be offensive, and I appreciate Sean's honesty when it came to discussing this aspect of his family dynamic. I loved his honesty when he said he wanted to  fill in some of the people who see right past him without any consideration of his well being first. (Unfortunately, it's a common occurrence for many siblings of NHL stars.)