University of Minnesota Athletics
The Guy: Junior Forward Gino Guyer
11/30/2004 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
For the 2004-05 Golden Gophers "the Guy" is junior forward Gino Guyer, somewhat because of his last name, but also because of his persona. The Guy isn't a star, it's just that his demeanor is special, not something you see in every player. The Guy puts his skates on one skate at a time just like the rest of the team, but while doing it, he's still "the Guy".
The thing is, Gino Guyer has the conventional roles of the returning leading scorer and upperclassmen; but his role extends beyond the ice to his demeanor. Besides being an excellent forward, he is a good teammate, a polished student, and most importantly to him and his family, a good person.
These traits were not developed entirely to the credit of Guyer, his upbringing by parents who stressed good morals and a close-knit family also helped to create "the Guy." Tessy, Guyer's mother, beams with pride when discussing the mature adult her son has become. "Gino, has always been respectful of our wishes," she said. "He carries himself in such a way that makes us so proud of him."
Tessy will not take all the credit for molding her self-proclaimed "momma's boy" into "the Guy." She states that her and her husband have, "always respected his independence, and allowed him to make his own decisions."
In fact she makes the point that Guyer was, "an easy, good kid to raise. We had no problems with him."
She is so accurate in her description of her son and the way he carries himself, because that is the personality trait that sets him apart from the next guy. He is very confident but not arrogant, very driven but grounded, and very focused but laid back. All of these combined start to paint a better picture of whom "the Guy" really is.
Guyer doesn't take his role for this season lightly; in fact during the start to the 2004-05 season, he may have gotten overwhelmed in trying to step up. He states, "I put too much pressure on myself personally to start the year. I came out and wasn't playing as well as I would have liked to. I've had chances and they weren't going in for me, and I seemed to be pressing a little more because of that."
Some athletes will take a slow start and let it free fall in to a lost season, but not "the Guy." Guyer plays it cool, with confidence, stating that he has gone back to the basics of what got him to this level. "Now I've got that out of the way and I'm trying to have fun with it. That's part of the reason I play hockey, to have fun, and when you're having fun, you usually play better," the junior forward stated.
Guyer's confidence seems to help him in so many ways; he even attributes his confident mindset to his success in winning faceoffs. "I just tell myself I'm going to win this, every time I approach a faceoff I'm thinking I'm going to beat this guy. I think a mindset like that gives you an edge in a facet of the game that can be so critical."
If Guyer has a weakness, he won't let you know it. That's not "the Guy's" style, that wouldn't portray the confidence he has. "I pride myself on not having any glaring weaknesses," Guyer stated. "I consider myself a pretty good all-around player; I don't consider myself great in any one area. I try to play a good, solid all-around game, and contribute in any way I can."
That's part of being "the Guy" not allowing others to know your weaknesses, while not glorifying his strengths.
Another staple to "the Guy's" character is his relentless focus, the ability to block out the parts of life that distract one from the main goals at hand. There are a plethora of college hockey players who are drafted by the NHL. There are a good-sized handful of them that abandon collegiate hockey to pursue the career they dreamed of their whole lives. The Dallas Stars in the fifth round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft selected Guyer, and although honored, he is in no rush to jump out of college.
"Currently college hockey is my focus. Right not I'm just enjoying being a Gopher. It's been a dream of mine since I started playing hockey to be a Gopher, and I definitely want to play four years here and get my degree, because that's something great to fall back on. Realistically, a lot of people don't make it to the NHL, and you have to have something, you have to have a backup plan. If my main goal doesn't work, it's always nice to have that degree from the University of Minnesota," declared the finance major.
Getting drafted and the idea of making millions of dollars has changed the perspective of hundreds if not thousands of college hockey players, even past great Golden Gophers, but it hasn't changed "the Guy."
Guyer's mom agrees with her son's decision to stay engulfed in the college life, because she loves seeing her son so happy and successful. How could she not support such a mature and rationalized decision from her bright son? She added that, "I think that Gino just enjoys the age he is at and the life he is living, he's focused on Gopher hockey and his education. We'll always be supportive of that."
One reason Guyer is enjoying his junior year so much is that the team is off to such a hot start. Winning eight of its first 11 games does not surprise Guyer because being at the U of M the last two seasons he feels as if he's seen it all.
"In my college career, we've slumped as a team, we've won a championship. I've struggled personally. I've gone through hot streaks. I've had all sorts of emotions run through me since I've been here, and I think that makes you a mentally stronger player," Guyer said. "Learning to deal with the slumps and not playing up to par every single night not only makes you a better player, but also a better person. So starting the way we have this year, is great, but I'm old enough to know that things can change, and we just have to keep working hard," explained Guyer in a way that only "the Guy" could explain.
Another positive component of Guyer's game is that he spends very little time in the penalty box. Part of the reason is that Guyer is not a "dirty" player, the other part, well, "the Guy" just doesn't allow himself to get caught making dumb mistakes that would put a game at risk.
"I do get away with a little bit once in a while, but for the most part I stay away from the scuffles, but I'm not afraid to jump in if I have to. That's my style. I'm not afraid to deliver a big body check, but I tend to keep it within the rules, because I don't want to put our team down a player. Unless it's in a situation, like to save a goal, I don't want to put the team in a penalty kill situation," commented Guyer on his lack of penalty time.
All of these great traits contribute to Guyer's persona of "the Guy," but that hasn't always been the case. Coming from tiny Coleraine, Minn. in the Iron Range, Guyer grew up as "Mean Gene" to his mom, and has fashioned other nicknames throughout his career such as the "G-Train" or Golden Gopher goalie Kellen Briggs favorite "Goozy", which he refuses to give up.
"The Guy" was not created overnight. Guyer had to develop into "the Guy;" a nickname, let alone a persona like that is not just given to any talented athlete, they have to earn it. Even though "the Guy" is what Guyer has become, he has not lost sight of where he came from or who was with him along the way.
Making the transition from rural northern Minnesota to the Twin Cities was made a lot easier for Guyer because he came down with one of his high school teammates, junior forward Andy Sertich. That familiarity on and off the ice has made things easier for the two of them. Tessy Guyer has even called Sertich, "one of the family" and a "great buddy of Gino's."
"Coming here with him, not really knowing anybody else too well made it a lot easier adjustment. When we play together it's much easier having played together for four years in high school. So having Gino around has helped me in many ways," Sertich described the transition the two forwards made together in their move to college.
The family man, the self-declared "momma's boy", the leader, the scorer, the upperclassman with confidence, the good buddy, the man who's been through it all; all of these descriptions make up whom Gino Guyer is. He is "the Guy." So next time when you are sitting in Mariucci Arena, or watching the Golden Gophers on television and number seven shoots a game-winning goal, gets an incredible assist, or wins that crucial faceoff and somebody asks, "who did that?" Remember, that wasn't just Gino Guyer; that was "the Guy."
story by Dominic Ladd, athletic communications student assistant "The Guy" walks down a hallway and people notice him, in fact "the Guy" has a swagger. "The Guy" has his priorities straight and knows what's expected of him. "The Guy" knows how the puck will bounce off the Mariucci Arena boards, and takes the right angle to get it. "The Guy" has tasted victory and fought through the struggles. "The Guy" is wily, experienced and mature. "The Guy" is the guy.
For the 2004-05 Golden Gophers "the Guy" is junior forward Gino Guyer, somewhat because of his last name, but also because of his persona. The Guy isn't a star, it's just that his demeanor is special, not something you see in every player. The Guy puts his skates on one skate at a time just like the rest of the team, but while doing it, he's still "the Guy".
The thing is, Gino Guyer has the conventional roles of the returning leading scorer and upperclassmen; but his role extends beyond the ice to his demeanor. Besides being an excellent forward, he is a good teammate, a polished student, and most importantly to him and his family, a good person.
These traits were not developed entirely to the credit of Guyer, his upbringing by parents who stressed good morals and a close-knit family also helped to create "the Guy." Tessy, Guyer's mother, beams with pride when discussing the mature adult her son has become. "Gino, has always been respectful of our wishes," she said. "He carries himself in such a way that makes us so proud of him."
Tessy will not take all the credit for molding her self-proclaimed "momma's boy" into "the Guy." She states that her and her husband have, "always respected his independence, and allowed him to make his own decisions."
In fact she makes the point that Guyer was, "an easy, good kid to raise. We had no problems with him."
She is so accurate in her description of her son and the way he carries himself, because that is the personality trait that sets him apart from the next guy. He is very confident but not arrogant, very driven but grounded, and very focused but laid back. All of these combined start to paint a better picture of whom "the Guy" really is.
Guyer doesn't take his role for this season lightly; in fact during the start to the 2004-05 season, he may have gotten overwhelmed in trying to step up. He states, "I put too much pressure on myself personally to start the year. I came out and wasn't playing as well as I would have liked to. I've had chances and they weren't going in for me, and I seemed to be pressing a little more because of that."
Some athletes will take a slow start and let it free fall in to a lost season, but not "the Guy." Guyer plays it cool, with confidence, stating that he has gone back to the basics of what got him to this level. "Now I've got that out of the way and I'm trying to have fun with it. That's part of the reason I play hockey, to have fun, and when you're having fun, you usually play better," the junior forward stated.
Guyer's confidence seems to help him in so many ways; he even attributes his confident mindset to his success in winning faceoffs. "I just tell myself I'm going to win this, every time I approach a faceoff I'm thinking I'm going to beat this guy. I think a mindset like that gives you an edge in a facet of the game that can be so critical."
If Guyer has a weakness, he won't let you know it. That's not "the Guy's" style, that wouldn't portray the confidence he has. "I pride myself on not having any glaring weaknesses," Guyer stated. "I consider myself a pretty good all-around player; I don't consider myself great in any one area. I try to play a good, solid all-around game, and contribute in any way I can."
That's part of being "the Guy" not allowing others to know your weaknesses, while not glorifying his strengths.
Another staple to "the Guy's" character is his relentless focus, the ability to block out the parts of life that distract one from the main goals at hand. There are a plethora of college hockey players who are drafted by the NHL. There are a good-sized handful of them that abandon collegiate hockey to pursue the career they dreamed of their whole lives. The Dallas Stars in the fifth round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft selected Guyer, and although honored, he is in no rush to jump out of college.
"Currently college hockey is my focus. Right not I'm just enjoying being a Gopher. It's been a dream of mine since I started playing hockey to be a Gopher, and I definitely want to play four years here and get my degree, because that's something great to fall back on. Realistically, a lot of people don't make it to the NHL, and you have to have something, you have to have a backup plan. If my main goal doesn't work, it's always nice to have that degree from the University of Minnesota," declared the finance major.
Getting drafted and the idea of making millions of dollars has changed the perspective of hundreds if not thousands of college hockey players, even past great Golden Gophers, but it hasn't changed "the Guy."
Guyer's mom agrees with her son's decision to stay engulfed in the college life, because she loves seeing her son so happy and successful. How could she not support such a mature and rationalized decision from her bright son? She added that, "I think that Gino just enjoys the age he is at and the life he is living, he's focused on Gopher hockey and his education. We'll always be supportive of that."
One reason Guyer is enjoying his junior year so much is that the team is off to such a hot start. Winning eight of its first 11 games does not surprise Guyer because being at the U of M the last two seasons he feels as if he's seen it all.
"In my college career, we've slumped as a team, we've won a championship. I've struggled personally. I've gone through hot streaks. I've had all sorts of emotions run through me since I've been here, and I think that makes you a mentally stronger player," Guyer said. "Learning to deal with the slumps and not playing up to par every single night not only makes you a better player, but also a better person. So starting the way we have this year, is great, but I'm old enough to know that things can change, and we just have to keep working hard," explained Guyer in a way that only "the Guy" could explain.
Another positive component of Guyer's game is that he spends very little time in the penalty box. Part of the reason is that Guyer is not a "dirty" player, the other part, well, "the Guy" just doesn't allow himself to get caught making dumb mistakes that would put a game at risk.
"I do get away with a little bit once in a while, but for the most part I stay away from the scuffles, but I'm not afraid to jump in if I have to. That's my style. I'm not afraid to deliver a big body check, but I tend to keep it within the rules, because I don't want to put our team down a player. Unless it's in a situation, like to save a goal, I don't want to put the team in a penalty kill situation," commented Guyer on his lack of penalty time.
All of these great traits contribute to Guyer's persona of "the Guy," but that hasn't always been the case. Coming from tiny Coleraine, Minn. in the Iron Range, Guyer grew up as "Mean Gene" to his mom, and has fashioned other nicknames throughout his career such as the "G-Train" or Golden Gopher goalie Kellen Briggs favorite "Goozy", which he refuses to give up.
"The Guy" was not created overnight. Guyer had to develop into "the Guy;" a nickname, let alone a persona like that is not just given to any talented athlete, they have to earn it. Even though "the Guy" is what Guyer has become, he has not lost sight of where he came from or who was with him along the way.
Making the transition from rural northern Minnesota to the Twin Cities was made a lot easier for Guyer because he came down with one of his high school teammates, junior forward Andy Sertich. That familiarity on and off the ice has made things easier for the two of them. Tessy Guyer has even called Sertich, "one of the family" and a "great buddy of Gino's."
"Coming here with him, not really knowing anybody else too well made it a lot easier adjustment. When we play together it's much easier having played together for four years in high school. So having Gino around has helped me in many ways," Sertich described the transition the two forwards made together in their move to college.
The family man, the self-declared "momma's boy", the leader, the scorer, the upperclassman with confidence, the good buddy, the man who's been through it all; all of these descriptions make up whom Gino Guyer is. He is "the Guy." So next time when you are sitting in Mariucci Arena, or watching the Golden Gophers on television and number seven shoots a game-winning goal, gets an incredible assist, or wins that crucial faceoff and somebody asks, "who did that?" Remember, that wasn't just Gino Guyer; that was "the Guy."
story by Dominic Ladd, athletic communications student assistant
