Patrick WilliamsTheAHL.com Features Writer
That wasn't him Julie Roe.
Garrett Roe He admitted that Monday night was difficult. His Hershey Bears had just dropped their third straight game in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Cleveland Monsters, a 3-2 overtime heartbreaker at the Giant Center to force a Game 7. What had been a 3-0 series lead now he saw the Bears pursue and fight for their season.
The situation – both collectively and individually – was tense.
But Roe quickly snapped out of that funk.
“I had two children shouting, 'Dad! Dad!,” smiled Roe, thinking back to Tuesday morning. “It just reminds you how fragile hockey is, and what life means to me.”
Last night, Roe had one of the biggest moments of his hockey career when he came out of coverage and blasted a shot past Cleveland's goaltender. Jet Greaves 7:38 into overtime, giving the Bears a 3-2 win and sending them back to the Calder Cup Finals for a chance to defend last year's title in a rematch against the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Game 1 is Friday night at the Giant Center.
Drafted by Los Angeles in 2008, Roe played four seasons for the St. Cloud State University before starting his professional career with the Adirondack Phantoms back in 2011. He moved overseas two years later and embarked on a European tour that would become his 10th season through Austria, Germany, Sweden and then Switzerland. It's been a great hockey career, including representing the United States in the 2018 Olympics.
But last summer, Roe's mother Julie passed away after a battle with cancer. Garrett, a native of Vienna, Va., needed to be closer to home. At age 35, he earned himself an AHL contract with the Bears, a convenient setup just two hours from his family reunion.
Roe wears the Bears' number 65, which represents Julie's birthday of June 5. When the Bears held their annual Hockey Fights Cancer night in November, he received congratulations.
Julie Roe was a teacher, grandmother and mother. Her courageous battle with cancer impacted the Roe family in many ways. Hear from the front as Garrett Roe talks about his mother, her impact on others and how he is honoring her this season in a special way. #HockeyFightsCancer pic.twitter.com/QG9VZ038Q1
– Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) November 13, 2023
Last night, Roe fought to hold his own after the match. his father, Larry, had taken a trip to Hershey, and the two saw each other soon after. There was a large crowd of Roes cheering him on. Julie, too, can be seen.
“It was my mom,” Roe said of the goal — and her emotions. “I feel like you had a hand in this in some way. I saw a cardinal the other day, and I feel like it was him. My mother would have been happy to go through this with us, the whole journey. It's just nice to share those memories.
“It's a part of life that goes beyond hockey sometimes. Obviously hockey is something, but life is more than that.”
The Bears need Roe, a versatile pitcher who can contribute everything to the lineup. The injuries piled up as the postseason progressed. Forward Pierrick Dube returned to score in Game 7 after losing a few teeth and missing three games, but the Bears had to go without a lead Ethan Frank, his nine goals in 12 playoff games tied for second in the AHL. The back end is bound again, with Aaron Ness again Lucas Johansen outside again Vincent Iorio from during Game 7.
That's where exceptional depth paid off for Hershey. Roe, who didn't even make the roster until Game 4 of the divisional semifinal against Lehigh Valley, has turned in a 10-point game (six goals, four assists) in 11 playoff games.
Roe looks at his wife, Brittany, and sees how much motherhood figures into the life of a professional athlete as they raise their two children in the unpredictable world of hockey, land that next contract, and deal with emotional ups and downs. And now that he's won four Calder Cup titles, Roe realizes that the long road is one that Julie helped take him through decades ago.
“She's a mother,” said Roe. “You can't always explain what they do or how they do it. Just a touch from Mom.
“It's a special touch. Sometimes it's inexplicable.”
TheAHL.com features writer Patrick Williams has covered the American Hockey League for nearly two decades at outlets including NHL.com, Sportsnet, TSN, Hockey News, SiriusXM NHL Network Radio and SLAM ! Sports, and most recently was the host of The Hockey News On The 'A' podcast. He was the recipient of the AHL's James H. Ellery Memorial Award for the league's top scorer in 2016.
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