Most Canadians who've lived here most of their lives have a hockey story or two to share. For Brendan Witt, it's the story of his career that will live forever among the other great names in the Humboldt and District Sports Hall of Fame.
"I feel like it was a great honour to be recognized by the community," said Witt. "It was very humbling and I'm deeply honoured."
Witt grew up playing hockey in the Humboldt Minor Hockey Association. Like a lot of middle-class families, Witt says they didn't have much money for hockey, so his parents spent time working at the concession stand.
During his time with the Humboldt Pee Wees, his coach, Glen Miller, took him under his wing. Under his tutelage, Witt learned how to protect the puck and how to understand the game. Since their team wasn't officially part of a league, they traveled all over the province to participate in games.
Witt said it was during these years that he got the exposure he needed to get recruited at 15 as a "AAA" midget with the Saskatoon Blazers. Already on the fast track, Witt was moved to Seattle at 16 to play for the Western Hockey League's (WHL) Thunderbirds, where he remained for two full seasons. Then the dream came: he was selected as 11th overall by the Washington Capitals in the 1993 NHL entry draft.
"Some of my proudest moments were winning the gold medal for Team Canada at the (1994) World Juniors Championships in Czech Republic," said Witt. "It was sudden death and whoever had the best record got the gold medal. We were the first team to go undefeated in the '93-'94 tournament."
Witt ended up staying with the Capitals for 11 seasons before being traded to the Nashville Predators for the 2005-2006 season. Following his stint with the Predators, he ended up signing a three-year contract with the New York Islanders and was named an alternate captain. Before the final year of his contract, he signed another contract with them to stay for another two years.
With all his moving around back then, Witt said he really only has one regret: that he allowed himself to get bullied by some of the higher-ups at one point in his career.
"When the GM, coach, and president corner you, what else are you going to do? They didn't want me to contact my agent They went, 'sign this.' It was a contract. It was just dirty business, but I probably wasn't the only kid that happened to back then," said Witt. "I wish I would've handled it better."
Aside from that, Witt said he doesn't regret much. He had a long career and he enjoyed the experience of playing in the Stanley Cup finals, even though they lost. He's just glad he got out when he did.
"The game started to change with the rules. Now, I'd probably get kicked out," he said. "Guys embellish too much now but during the playoff, it goes back to gladiator years."
Witt can say this because he was often the one being the antagonist. At the end of his career, Witt came out the other side with a grand total of 1,424 penalties and an overall of 121 points he score or helped assist. It wasn't just about the roughhousing for him though; it was also about throwing off the other team's game.
"When we had the best group of players, we had (Mario) Lemieux, (Wayne) Gretzky, (Steve) Yzerman, Wendel Clark, (Mats) Sundin-- I could keep going on with the list of high octane offensive players. It was my job to make it a living hell for them and get under their skin," said Witt. "Figuring out how to rub guys the wrong way was enjoyable-- the mind games. It was always good to hear other guys playing against us saying how they hated playing against me. I took it as a compliment, because it meant I was doing my job right."
Now, Witt said he's happy that he was able to retire and spend more time with his family. After being on the road constantly thanks to an 82-game season and then playoffs, he's finally able to spend more time at home.
"I made a lot of sacrifices. My wife was great raising my two daughters, but it's nice to be home now. We're spending a lot of time together and it's not so go, go, go. There's a more relaxed atmosphere," said Witt. "I'm fortunate to make a really good living and I don't have too many injuries, so my body doesn't hurt."
Witt's toughness shouldn't surprise anyone after one particular 2009 incident that took place in Philadelphia right before a game against the Flyers. Witt was hit by a truck making an illegal turn while crossing the street. Rather than go to the hospital, he dusted himself off and headed straight to the game to play. He said he was definitely feeling sore the next day.
After retiring in 2010, Witt now currently lives on a 100-acre ranch in the mountains of Montana with his wife and two daughters. He's become involved with the SEAL Future Fund as a side project, which helps active and veteran Navy SEALS with educational scholarships, job placements, and networking.
