Player number: TBD
Position: Right Wing
Shoot: Left
Height: 6’ 3”
Weight: 185 lbs.
Hometown: Hanover, NH
Current career: MBA Student at the University of Toronto
Background: I grew up in New Hampshire playing youth hockey and high school hockey in Hanover, then played club hockey at the University of New Hampshire. After college I served as a US Peace Corps volunteer in Kazakhstan where I met my partner, Andrei, in 2002. We lived in Moscow after that for several years and I learned that, because of discriminatory US immigration laws, I would not be able to sponsor Andrei to live in the US as my partner. I knew that Canada had an immigration program for skilled workers and recognized gay relationships for immigration so we applied to immigrate to Canada in 2005 and were granted permanent residence in 2007.
Since 2004, I have actively advocating changing US immigration laws to recognize gay relationships, including meeting with my congressional representative and writing letters to the editor in several newspapers. Unfortunately, nothing has changed.
In Toronto, I play in the Toronto Gay Hockey Association and also play in a regular men's league.
Best hockey experience: Playing in three national youth hockey tournaments and not winning any of them.
Favorite NHL team: Boston Bruins
Favorite NHL player: Cam Neely
Pets: Two cats, Betty and Azar
Favorite place you’ve visited: Kazakhstan
Favorite beverage: Beer
Favorite sport outside of hockey: Golf
If I could eat anything it would be . . . pepperoni pizza.
If I could be anywhere right now it would be . . . at the rink.
When I step on the ice, I feel . . . thrilled.
If a gay hockey player sat in front of me, I would . . . most likely not know that he was gay.
