GUINNER - Vennys Pennies

Friday, July 18th, 2008 | Venny's Pennies: My Two Cents

“ECHL Mourns the loss of former player Guinn”

Today, I write with a very heavy heart……

The first time I had ever heard of or seen Rob Guinn was when we were 17 years old……. It was in the Ontario Hockey League, during a game in Newmarket, Ontario……..

His Newmarket Royals were playing my Sudbury Wolves. Sometime during that game a fight had broke out and it was our 21 year-old enforcer Mike Yeo (now an assistant coach w/ the Pittsburgh Penguins) against some 17 year-old kid by the name of ”Guinn”…..

My Dad and Uncle had made the trip to the game that day and we all agreed after, that it was the best hockey fight hands down that we had ever seen….. Mike Yeo’s eyes had been swollen shut and could not finish the game… Rob came back to the game that day with one swollen eye and two swollen hands ….. Decision Guinn, and a long Junior career for me.

…… I would have to play against him for the next 3 years……

Not again……Elmira, NY…… As I gaze across the ice in warm up… who do I see? ”Guinn.”

As we come in contact the first time, I get the serious look with a head nod…… He had acknowledged he knew me. Thank God I thought….

But that season was one of the last I would have to worry about him………..

Because he would now be worried about me…. we were finally teammates. Fort Wayne, Indiana. I knew I was in good hands when my buddy “Guinner” was patrolling the blue line behind me… I don’t know how many times in a scrum in front of the net I heard “Guinner” say “don’t —- touch him”… (Thanks buddy I’ll never forget that) then we would go back to the bench and laugh about it….. Vintage Guinner.

Rob and I had become roommates that year and shared so many laughs and good times……. how could you not? The big man’s Smile, Laugh and Wit were contagious….That one fight….. 11 years prior would come up every time we shared a cocktail…. He still claims that it was that fight that had him drafted to the National Hockey League…..I disagree - it was his character…. He was a great man….. and pretty good card player too… the guys always seemed to owe him money… and he would just laugh…… I think that’s how he paid for “beb’s” ring.

It was that year that I would hear him talking on the phone….. he must of had unlimited minutes ’cause he was always on it….

Who was this “beb,beb” he was talking to? I later figured out that “beb,beb” was Brooke and that “beb” actually meant ”babe” in Guinner slang…..I would quickly find out that “beb” was the one (because he would tell me every night before we went to bed on the road…) and found it no surprise when I received the phone call that they were engaged to be married….. I was completely honored to have stood along side them both…. that great day in Ames, Iowa.

I haven’t met little Olivia yet but I can assure you that if she has her Dad’s smile she is going to break a lot of boys hearts….. if she has her Dad toughness she’s going to break a lot of boys noses…..I know he would prefer the later of the two… Laughs!!!!!!

He was an opponent, a teammate,a protector, a roommate but most of all he was a friend……….

We’re gonna miss ya brother….

Your buddy Venny.

Sean Venedam has been the captain of the Condors since the 2005-06 season. His blog, “Venny’s Pennies” appears every Friday on BakersfieldCondors.com