Hi, this is Fred Wallace with ” Off the Wire “.
The Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League re-signed former Owen Sound Attack defender Andrej Sekera to a 2 year contract last week.
Sekera played in the 5-6 pairing for the Stars and was a reliable member of the squad that advanced to the 2020 Stanley Cup Final before bowing in 6 games to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Now 34 years of age, Sekera has been gone from Owen Sound for 14 years, but whenever I see his name I’m instantly reminded of a dominant season he turned in for the Attack in 2005-06.
How dominant ?
Attack General Manager Mike Futa once said, Andrej Sekera is playing on a different planet.
How dominant ?
At the end of that season, for the only time in Owen Sound franchise history, the Attack had a Max Kaminsky Trophy winner as the Ontario Hockey League’s top defenceman; Andrej Sekera.
Truthfully, I had to look it up, but I KNEW at some point Sekera was unstoppable.
On October 30th, 2005, Sekera scored 3 goals and was named 1st star in a 6-5 loss at Plymouth to the Whalers.
Just three days later, he had ANOTHER hat trick in a 8-5 win at home against the Barrie Colts.
And then there was the goal November 26th at Saginaw in an 8-2 win.
In the Saginaw end at the right point, Sekera held the puck and fully circled the outside of the Spirit zone and returned to the right point. Nobody touched him.
Then, still in possession of the puck, he did it AGAIN, untouched around the Saginaw end from right point, 360 degrees back to right point.
Finally, Sekera dragged the puck into the middle of the blueline and drilled a shot that beat Ryan Daniels.
I remember hearing Saginaw Coach & General Manager Bob Mancini interviewed about the marker and relating how he couldn’t forget it.
Fourteen professional years and a new contract later, those images of Andrej Sekera are still vivid.
I’m Fred Wallace