University of Minnesota Athletics
The Patience of Peter: Senior Peter Kennedy
1/13/2006 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
Using his freshman year to get acclimated with Golden Gopher hockey, Kennedy saw limited action in 10 games. His sophomore year he scored five points and saw action in 34 games in his most productive season thus far. After only six games last season he suffered a hip injury, keeping him out the rest of the year. This season, Kennedy hopes to get back in stride, as his health has improved. It’s safe to say that Kennedy’s career at the U of M has not gone the way he dreamed it would but fortunately there is still time left for him to have the season he always dreamed of.
“It has been tough. I haven’t played in a game in over a year, and it’s been hard just to stay mentally focused in practice,” Kennedy explained. “When you practice that long, it gets kind of frustrating to not see any game time, but at the same time I’m hoping to get in the lineup here in the next couple weeks. I just try to stay positive and work hard in practice and show the coaches that I’m ready to play.”
It’s all about attitude. Kennedy could have thrown in the towel and slipped away never to put on the skates again, but he’s not a quitter. He loves hockey, and though that same hip injury still nags at him, nothing can overcome his desire to keep playing. He has come to the realization that he may never be fully 100 percent healthy, but he feels that he can still be an effective hockey player for the Golden Gophers.
“It’s tough to say; I don’t know if I’ll ever be ‘100 percent’ again. I might always have some pain there, but I’ve learned to deal with it and play with it,” Kennedy stated. “I still think that I can compete at a very high level; I just am hoping to get that chance.”
With Kennedy missing so much time, he hasn’t spent a lot of time on ice with all the new underclassmen. He hasn’t let that affect his relationships with his teammates. He’s tried to make up for it by hanging out with the younger guys away from the ice. Since he cannot lead on the ice, he tries to help them out any way he can away from the rink. “The younger guys have made such a big impact. It’s real easy to get along with them; they are all great guys,” Kennedy stated. “It was hard last year not being in the locker room a lot of the year helping Alex Goligoski and the other freshman defensemen, but they played great.”
The thing with Kennedy is that even though he hasn’t been making the plays Golden Gopher fans will remember, he has still made an impact on the team. He gets along with everyone and is important part to the family-like atmosphere of the Gopher locker room. In fact his roommate and close friend Golden Gopher forward Andy Sertich claims that Kennedy’s attitude is what makes him such a pleasure to be around.
“He’s a laid-back guy, so you don’t really have to keep his spirits up too much,” Sertich commented. “He has had his troubles with injuries and I’ve never had any injuries like that, so it’s hard to feel what he’s feeling. He’s always had the right attitude, and always seems to be upbeat, so I don’t worry about him.”
Even the coaches have been impressed with his attitude. Rather than mope around or be lazy with all the time off due to injury, Kennedy used the extra time to build up his physique. He worked in the weight room for countless hours, and has put on a good deal of muscle, which he feels will help him tremendously when his return to the ice arrives. “When I came here I was underdeveloped. So I felt like the time away was sort of like a blessing in disguise at some times because I could go in to the weight room and work on my upper body,” Kennedy said. “I could do that for eight or nine months straight as opposed to just doing the basic workout that the team does once a week. It was a good thing; I needed it. Hopefully I can show what the results on the ice.”
Kennedy is still waiting to see if all his hard work paid off. Through eight games this season he is yet to see any game time, but as any hockey fan knows that could change at any moment. Nobody knows when an injury could occur, bumping Kennedy up in the line charts, or at some point the coaches could opt to go with him due to his experience or his size. Either way it leaves Kennedy a bit in the dark as to what his role on the team is. “I think my role is yet to be determined. It could be a steady, stay-at-home defensemen or it could be a guy that’s not in the lineup every night,” Kennedy stated. “Obviously I’d like to be playing, but at the same time I just have to stay positive in the locker room and try to help other guys out.”
Even with the confusion as to what role he will play on this year’s team, Kennedy is still enjoying his time here. He has no regrets about deciding to come to the U of M from Brookfield, Nova Scotia, and admits that after this season ends there will be a lot to miss about Golden Gopher hockey.
“I’m going to miss the fans; there are such great crowds here,” Kennedy said. “I’m also going to miss helping kids, giving autographs, teaching them little things in hockey camps over the summer. That part of being a Gopher is really rewarding.”
The great hockey culture of Minnesota that produces those fans that he will miss is one of the reasons the Canadian-born Kennedy decided to come to Minnesota. He was initially spotted by St. Cloud coach Bob Motzko, when he was a Gophers’ assistant, and from there Gophers assistant coach Mike Guentzel recruited Kennedy. When he signed, he was the first Canadian to play for the U of M since 1985-86.
“When they had me for a visit, I just really loved what I saw,” he said. “There were great guys on the team; there were no discrepancies between the classes. Seniors got along with freshman and so on. Everyone here gets along; there are no cliques on the team. As soon as you come in you are family.”
It did take Kennedy a little time to get used to Minnesota when he got here, but it wasn’t the different country that he needed to get used to. It was the Twin Cities metropolis that threw Kennedy for a loop. He was used to a more rural setting, in which he could hunt and fish at will. It’s that preference of his that helped him develop an affinity for Northern Minnesota, which he traveled to with teammates over his summers here.
“There were small differences that I had to get used to, but I find Northern Minnesota to be a lot like home,” Kennedy explained. “I’ve spent a lot of time up there fishing and relaxing because it does remind me a lot of home. Minneapolis is big compared to most of the cities in Nova Scotia. It was overwhelming for a bit, but I’ve liked the experience here.”
Whether he’ll stay in Minnesota or not is still up in the air. As his last days as a Golden Gopher come to a close, Kennedy is trying to figure out what’s next in his life. He’s toyed with the idea of getting his master’s degree in economics, but he’d like to play more hockey if possible. He realizes that although it seems far off, he’ll need to narrow his options fairly soon.
“It does seem far off, but I have thought about it,” Kennedy said. “I may stay here and get my master’s in economics. I’ve also explored some options in Europe. It depends on how this season goes hockey-wise. If I have a good year, I could try to keep playing, otherwise I could try to be a lawyer, or even move back home. I honestly don’t know quite yet.”
Before he tackles what’s next, Kennedy is going to keep his focus on cracking the lineup for the Maroon and Gold. His hard work and dedication cannot be questioned and he’s kept the right attitude while being faced with limited playing time. Many athletes who get injured seriously never come back to reach their full potential. Kennedy is doing all he can to not be one of those athletes. Regardless of how much he gets to play and how this season goes, Kennedy will be sorely missed for the things that he does bring to the team. “He’s never angry. You really couldn’t meet a nicer guy in the world,” Sertich said about his teammate/roommate.
Peter Kennedy is a great guy to have around, and he’s shown an incredible amount of patience with his situation. As the 2005-06 hockey season rolls along Kennedy is anxious to see if that patience pays off.
sory by Dominic Ladd, athletic communications graduate assistant It’s been said that patience is a virtue, and if there is anyone on this year’s Golden Gopher squad that has learned that, it is senior defenseman Peter Kennedy.
Using his freshman year to get acclimated with Golden Gopher hockey, Kennedy saw limited action in 10 games. His sophomore year he scored five points and saw action in 34 games in his most productive season thus far. After only six games last season he suffered a hip injury, keeping him out the rest of the year. This season, Kennedy hopes to get back in stride, as his health has improved. It’s safe to say that Kennedy’s career at the U of M has not gone the way he dreamed it would but fortunately there is still time left for him to have the season he always dreamed of.
“It has been tough. I haven’t played in a game in over a year, and it’s been hard just to stay mentally focused in practice,” Kennedy explained. “When you practice that long, it gets kind of frustrating to not see any game time, but at the same time I’m hoping to get in the lineup here in the next couple weeks. I just try to stay positive and work hard in practice and show the coaches that I’m ready to play.”
It’s all about attitude. Kennedy could have thrown in the towel and slipped away never to put on the skates again, but he’s not a quitter. He loves hockey, and though that same hip injury still nags at him, nothing can overcome his desire to keep playing. He has come to the realization that he may never be fully 100 percent healthy, but he feels that he can still be an effective hockey player for the Golden Gophers.
“It’s tough to say; I don’t know if I’ll ever be ‘100 percent’ again. I might always have some pain there, but I’ve learned to deal with it and play with it,” Kennedy stated. “I still think that I can compete at a very high level; I just am hoping to get that chance.”
With Kennedy missing so much time, he hasn’t spent a lot of time on ice with all the new underclassmen. He hasn’t let that affect his relationships with his teammates. He’s tried to make up for it by hanging out with the younger guys away from the ice. Since he cannot lead on the ice, he tries to help them out any way he can away from the rink. “The younger guys have made such a big impact. It’s real easy to get along with them; they are all great guys,” Kennedy stated. “It was hard last year not being in the locker room a lot of the year helping Alex Goligoski and the other freshman defensemen, but they played great.”
The thing with Kennedy is that even though he hasn’t been making the plays Golden Gopher fans will remember, he has still made an impact on the team. He gets along with everyone and is important part to the family-like atmosphere of the Gopher locker room. In fact his roommate and close friend Golden Gopher forward Andy Sertich claims that Kennedy’s attitude is what makes him such a pleasure to be around.
“He’s a laid-back guy, so you don’t really have to keep his spirits up too much,” Sertich commented. “He has had his troubles with injuries and I’ve never had any injuries like that, so it’s hard to feel what he’s feeling. He’s always had the right attitude, and always seems to be upbeat, so I don’t worry about him.”
Even the coaches have been impressed with his attitude. Rather than mope around or be lazy with all the time off due to injury, Kennedy used the extra time to build up his physique. He worked in the weight room for countless hours, and has put on a good deal of muscle, which he feels will help him tremendously when his return to the ice arrives. “When I came here I was underdeveloped. So I felt like the time away was sort of like a blessing in disguise at some times because I could go in to the weight room and work on my upper body,” Kennedy said. “I could do that for eight or nine months straight as opposed to just doing the basic workout that the team does once a week. It was a good thing; I needed it. Hopefully I can show what the results on the ice.”
Kennedy is still waiting to see if all his hard work paid off. Through eight games this season he is yet to see any game time, but as any hockey fan knows that could change at any moment. Nobody knows when an injury could occur, bumping Kennedy up in the line charts, or at some point the coaches could opt to go with him due to his experience or his size. Either way it leaves Kennedy a bit in the dark as to what his role on the team is. “I think my role is yet to be determined. It could be a steady, stay-at-home defensemen or it could be a guy that’s not in the lineup every night,” Kennedy stated. “Obviously I’d like to be playing, but at the same time I just have to stay positive in the locker room and try to help other guys out.”
Even with the confusion as to what role he will play on this year’s team, Kennedy is still enjoying his time here. He has no regrets about deciding to come to the U of M from Brookfield, Nova Scotia, and admits that after this season ends there will be a lot to miss about Golden Gopher hockey.
“I’m going to miss the fans; there are such great crowds here,” Kennedy said. “I’m also going to miss helping kids, giving autographs, teaching them little things in hockey camps over the summer. That part of being a Gopher is really rewarding.”
The great hockey culture of Minnesota that produces those fans that he will miss is one of the reasons the Canadian-born Kennedy decided to come to Minnesota. He was initially spotted by St. Cloud coach Bob Motzko, when he was a Gophers’ assistant, and from there Gophers assistant coach Mike Guentzel recruited Kennedy. When he signed, he was the first Canadian to play for the U of M since 1985-86.
“When they had me for a visit, I just really loved what I saw,” he said. “There were great guys on the team; there were no discrepancies between the classes. Seniors got along with freshman and so on. Everyone here gets along; there are no cliques on the team. As soon as you come in you are family.”
It did take Kennedy a little time to get used to Minnesota when he got here, but it wasn’t the different country that he needed to get used to. It was the Twin Cities metropolis that threw Kennedy for a loop. He was used to a more rural setting, in which he could hunt and fish at will. It’s that preference of his that helped him develop an affinity for Northern Minnesota, which he traveled to with teammates over his summers here.
“There were small differences that I had to get used to, but I find Northern Minnesota to be a lot like home,” Kennedy explained. “I’ve spent a lot of time up there fishing and relaxing because it does remind me a lot of home. Minneapolis is big compared to most of the cities in Nova Scotia. It was overwhelming for a bit, but I’ve liked the experience here.”
Whether he’ll stay in Minnesota or not is still up in the air. As his last days as a Golden Gopher come to a close, Kennedy is trying to figure out what’s next in his life. He’s toyed with the idea of getting his master’s degree in economics, but he’d like to play more hockey if possible. He realizes that although it seems far off, he’ll need to narrow his options fairly soon.
“It does seem far off, but I have thought about it,” Kennedy said. “I may stay here and get my master’s in economics. I’ve also explored some options in Europe. It depends on how this season goes hockey-wise. If I have a good year, I could try to keep playing, otherwise I could try to be a lawyer, or even move back home. I honestly don’t know quite yet.”
Before he tackles what’s next, Kennedy is going to keep his focus on cracking the lineup for the Maroon and Gold. His hard work and dedication cannot be questioned and he’s kept the right attitude while being faced with limited playing time. Many athletes who get injured seriously never come back to reach their full potential. Kennedy is doing all he can to not be one of those athletes. Regardless of how much he gets to play and how this season goes, Kennedy will be sorely missed for the things that he does bring to the team. “He’s never angry. You really couldn’t meet a nicer guy in the world,” Sertich said about his teammate/roommate.
Peter Kennedy is a great guy to have around, and he’s shown an incredible amount of patience with his situation. As the 2005-06 hockey season rolls along Kennedy is anxious to see if that patience pays off.
sory by Dominic Ladd, athletic communications graduate assistant
