University of Minnesota Athletics
More Than A Game: Senior P.J. Atherton
2/6/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
This reality set in for Gopher defenseman P.J. Atherton nearly two years ago when his mother, Barb, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer that sparked a rare neurological condition which led to physical limitations and an inability to communicate.
The diagnosis hit Atherton so hard that he stopped going to class and quit working out. His mother had always been the one person he could turn to when he needed anything but Atherton could not handle seeing her in the type of condition she was in. As a result, he dissociated himself from the rest of the world and became academically ineligible to play hockey.
Prior to the 2004-05 school year, Barb Atherton was able to convey to her son that she wanted him to play hockey and complete his degree at the University of Minnesota. “I wasn’t going to play, but she really wanted me to,” Atherton said. “She had a huge influence on me, and it meant a lot to her. I came to the realization that I really wanted to be here.”
Atherton realized just how important the game of hockey was in his life and how he would be giving up so much of what he had worked for his whole life if he did not rejoin the team. He admits he does not know what he would have done if he had not returned to the Gophers. “I learned just how much I love hockey and how much I would have missed it,” he stated. “I guess I took it for granted a little bit being able to come to the rink every day, but facing not being able to do that was kind of scary.”
Atherton spent the first half of the 2004-05 season working to regain his eligibility and rejoined the team last January. A true testament to his character, Atherton worked himself back into shape and brought a selfless attitude to the team. Assistant coach Mike Guentzel said sitting out the first half of last year was a growing experience for Atherton. “He knew he couldn’t play, but he knew if he wanted to play he had to work every day in practice to get himself in shape and prepare to come back and help us in January if the opportunity arose,” he stated. “The opportunity arose, and he took advantage of it.”
Since his return to the ice, a definite change can be seen in Atherton’s approach to the game. In his first couple of seasons with the Gophers, he was somewhat hesitant to assert himself because he was afraid to make a mistake and thus risk having to sit out the next night. Atherton now realizes he can play through a mistake or a bad game, and as a result he is more confident and plays much more aggressively. He has established himself as a physical presence on the defensive side of the puck and is not afraid to throw his body around. He specializes in killing penalties and shutting down opposing teams’ top lines. He is seeing more ice time than ever before in his career and has become a steady contributor for the Maroon and Gold.
Guentzel commended Atherton for his patience and commitment. “For me, the message for a kid like P.J., as well as the rest of the group is, ‘It might not be your first year, it might not be your second year, but you have to stay ready, you have to stay focused, and you have to wait, and when you’re called on you have to do your job,’” he said. “A credit to P.J., what he’s done at this point in his career is kept working, stayed motivated and said, ‘You know what, when I get my chance I’m going to try to keep my job.’”
As one of the older guys on the team, Atherton’s job has included a leadership role for this year’s Golden Gophers. While he may not be one of the most vocal guys on the team, his maturity and unparalleled work ethic are qualities that Guentzel said filter through to the rest of the guys on the team. “P.J. has that look of a competitor every night,” he stated. “You don’t realize it until you see it and until you put a jersey on and get into game situations that it is physical, it is fast, and it is emotional. I think what the young guys are able to learn from P.J. is how he prepares himself in the locker room and how he carries himself on the bench and in practice and right through the Friday and Saturday night games.”
Atherton’s charisma and leadership capabilities extend far beyond the hockey rink. Through everything he endured off the ice, Atherton learned how to deal with adversity and take responsibility for his life. “I’ve learned so much about facing things right away,” he said. “Having gone through the whole ineligibility thing and having to take that on and battle back, I think it has really taught me a lot of things about myself.”
Guentzel added that it really helped Atherton understand that hockey is only a portion of his life. “It created a balance for him with hockey, academics and his personal life and made him realize that he has to look at other things as important as he looked at hockey,” he said. “You understand that he has certain priorities in life. You just hope some of the other guys realize it isn’t just fun and games and there is more to it than that.”
Atherton said his mother’s battle with the cancer and the complications she has faced has brought the entire family closer together. His parents split up when he was only 12 years old, but they are now reunited as his father, Bruce, has moved back in with his mother and takes care of her on a daily basis. “I don’t know what my sister and I would do if he wasn’t there,” Atherton said. “He’s done a phenomenal job taking care of her, and we couldn’t be happier with the situation.”
While she is still limited in some of the things she can do, Barb Atherton is making progress and improving every day. P.J. said the biggest thing is that her spirits are much better. She is even able to make it to Mariucci Arena to watch her son play the game he loves. “I love having her come watch me play,” P.J. said. “It means everything to me. She’s watched me play my whole life. She took me all over when I was a younger kid, so it means the world to me to have her there and be able to see me play.”
Atherton could not be happier with the decision he made to return to finish his career at Minnesota. In this, his senior season, he is relishing every minute he spends on the ice and with his teammates. He simply wants to take advantage of the tremendous opportunity he has been given. “Every kid in Minnesota dreams of putting the ‘M’ on, and I’m one of the lucky ones who actually got to do it,” Atherton stated. “I’m extremely thankful for the opportunity to be here. I love every minute of it, and I wouldn’t trade anything I’ve done here or any experience I’ve had here for anything in the world.”
While he now understands hockey is not the most important aspect of his life, Atherton admits it gives him a chance to kind of get away for awhile and not have to think about or worry about the other aspects of his life. When on the ice, his sole focus is helping his team reach its full potential. Along with the rest of his teammates, Atherton knows the sky is the limit for the Gophers if they play their brand of hockey and play consistently on a nightly basis.
In talking with Atherton, you begin to realize he is not your typical athlete. Through everything he has endured over the last two years, he has come to understand that life is not all fun and games. Whatever challenges life will bring him in the future, Atherton is prepared to meet them head on. He is without a doubt one of the toughest members of the Golden Gopher hockey team. P.J. Atherton is a guy who comes to work every day, plays hard every night, and no matter what the circumstances, he will never give up.
story by Tory Kukowski, athletic communications student assistant Athletes are often thought of as invincible. Due to their innumerable talents on the field of competition, it is as if there is nothing that can stop them. The truth is, they face the same issues and problems as everyone else.
This reality set in for Gopher defenseman P.J. Atherton nearly two years ago when his mother, Barb, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer that sparked a rare neurological condition which led to physical limitations and an inability to communicate.
The diagnosis hit Atherton so hard that he stopped going to class and quit working out. His mother had always been the one person he could turn to when he needed anything but Atherton could not handle seeing her in the type of condition she was in. As a result, he dissociated himself from the rest of the world and became academically ineligible to play hockey.
Prior to the 2004-05 school year, Barb Atherton was able to convey to her son that she wanted him to play hockey and complete his degree at the University of Minnesota. “I wasn’t going to play, but she really wanted me to,” Atherton said. “She had a huge influence on me, and it meant a lot to her. I came to the realization that I really wanted to be here.”
Atherton realized just how important the game of hockey was in his life and how he would be giving up so much of what he had worked for his whole life if he did not rejoin the team. He admits he does not know what he would have done if he had not returned to the Gophers. “I learned just how much I love hockey and how much I would have missed it,” he stated. “I guess I took it for granted a little bit being able to come to the rink every day, but facing not being able to do that was kind of scary.”
Atherton spent the first half of the 2004-05 season working to regain his eligibility and rejoined the team last January. A true testament to his character, Atherton worked himself back into shape and brought a selfless attitude to the team. Assistant coach Mike Guentzel said sitting out the first half of last year was a growing experience for Atherton. “He knew he couldn’t play, but he knew if he wanted to play he had to work every day in practice to get himself in shape and prepare to come back and help us in January if the opportunity arose,” he stated. “The opportunity arose, and he took advantage of it.”
Since his return to the ice, a definite change can be seen in Atherton’s approach to the game. In his first couple of seasons with the Gophers, he was somewhat hesitant to assert himself because he was afraid to make a mistake and thus risk having to sit out the next night. Atherton now realizes he can play through a mistake or a bad game, and as a result he is more confident and plays much more aggressively. He has established himself as a physical presence on the defensive side of the puck and is not afraid to throw his body around. He specializes in killing penalties and shutting down opposing teams’ top lines. He is seeing more ice time than ever before in his career and has become a steady contributor for the Maroon and Gold.
Guentzel commended Atherton for his patience and commitment. “For me, the message for a kid like P.J., as well as the rest of the group is, ‘It might not be your first year, it might not be your second year, but you have to stay ready, you have to stay focused, and you have to wait, and when you’re called on you have to do your job,’” he said. “A credit to P.J., what he’s done at this point in his career is kept working, stayed motivated and said, ‘You know what, when I get my chance I’m going to try to keep my job.’”
As one of the older guys on the team, Atherton’s job has included a leadership role for this year’s Golden Gophers. While he may not be one of the most vocal guys on the team, his maturity and unparalleled work ethic are qualities that Guentzel said filter through to the rest of the guys on the team. “P.J. has that look of a competitor every night,” he stated. “You don’t realize it until you see it and until you put a jersey on and get into game situations that it is physical, it is fast, and it is emotional. I think what the young guys are able to learn from P.J. is how he prepares himself in the locker room and how he carries himself on the bench and in practice and right through the Friday and Saturday night games.”
Atherton’s charisma and leadership capabilities extend far beyond the hockey rink. Through everything he endured off the ice, Atherton learned how to deal with adversity and take responsibility for his life. “I’ve learned so much about facing things right away,” he said. “Having gone through the whole ineligibility thing and having to take that on and battle back, I think it has really taught me a lot of things about myself.”
Guentzel added that it really helped Atherton understand that hockey is only a portion of his life. “It created a balance for him with hockey, academics and his personal life and made him realize that he has to look at other things as important as he looked at hockey,” he said. “You understand that he has certain priorities in life. You just hope some of the other guys realize it isn’t just fun and games and there is more to it than that.”
Atherton said his mother’s battle with the cancer and the complications she has faced has brought the entire family closer together. His parents split up when he was only 12 years old, but they are now reunited as his father, Bruce, has moved back in with his mother and takes care of her on a daily basis. “I don’t know what my sister and I would do if he wasn’t there,” Atherton said. “He’s done a phenomenal job taking care of her, and we couldn’t be happier with the situation.”
While she is still limited in some of the things she can do, Barb Atherton is making progress and improving every day. P.J. said the biggest thing is that her spirits are much better. She is even able to make it to Mariucci Arena to watch her son play the game he loves. “I love having her come watch me play,” P.J. said. “It means everything to me. She’s watched me play my whole life. She took me all over when I was a younger kid, so it means the world to me to have her there and be able to see me play.”
Atherton could not be happier with the decision he made to return to finish his career at Minnesota. In this, his senior season, he is relishing every minute he spends on the ice and with his teammates. He simply wants to take advantage of the tremendous opportunity he has been given. “Every kid in Minnesota dreams of putting the ‘M’ on, and I’m one of the lucky ones who actually got to do it,” Atherton stated. “I’m extremely thankful for the opportunity to be here. I love every minute of it, and I wouldn’t trade anything I’ve done here or any experience I’ve had here for anything in the world.”
While he now understands hockey is not the most important aspect of his life, Atherton admits it gives him a chance to kind of get away for awhile and not have to think about or worry about the other aspects of his life. When on the ice, his sole focus is helping his team reach its full potential. Along with the rest of his teammates, Atherton knows the sky is the limit for the Gophers if they play their brand of hockey and play consistently on a nightly basis.
In talking with Atherton, you begin to realize he is not your typical athlete. Through everything he has endured over the last two years, he has come to understand that life is not all fun and games. Whatever challenges life will bring him in the future, Atherton is prepared to meet them head on. He is without a doubt one of the toughest members of the Golden Gopher hockey team. P.J. Atherton is a guy who comes to work every day, plays hard every night, and no matter what the circumstances, he will never give up.
story by Tory Kukowski, athletic communications student assistant
