Luc Olivier | Men’s hockey
Maclaine Chadwick | Fulcrum Staff
Photo by Justin Labelle
“Meet a Gee-Gee” takes a look at the people under the jerseys. Whether they’re varsity athletes or otherwise, we ask the players questions you want answers to. We get the dirt, straight from the horse’s mouth.
MEET LUC OLIVIER Blain, a third-year communications student at the University of Ottawa and captain of the men’s hockey team. In an email interview with the Fulcrum, Blain talks about the busy week of a varsity athlete and some of the misconceptions about the sport of hockey. One stereotype does remain true, however—Blain is missing a front tooth.
The Fulcrum: Can you describe a week in the life of a Gee-Gees hockey player?
Luc Blain: A week for me is basically all about practice, working out, and school. We practice every single day so I have to make sure I find time to study and go to the gym, while getting a good sleep to make sure I’m fresh and ready to go for the weekend.
How long have you been playing hockey?
I’ve been playing hockey for 17 years; I started at six years old.
Do you or the team have any kind of good luck ritual?
I personally am a superstitious person—I have a lot of little rituals before the games that I’ve always been doing for years. As a team, we always do the same exact stretch and play the same ball game before every game.
Who was your idol growing up?
Wayne Gretzky.
What is the best part of being a Gee-Gee?
Being able to represent your school with pride and play the sport you love the most while working on your degree.
My teammates would vote me most likely to___________
Take a nap.
What is something that most people don’t know about you?
I’m missing one of my front teeth.
If you could play any other sport at the U of O, what would it be and why?
I played soccer for 10 years, I even started playing soccer before hockey, so I guess I would have to say soccer.
What do you think is the biggest misconception about hockey?
That it’s a violent and dangerous sport—it’s not. It’s a high-tempo, fast-paced game that everyone can love. There’s no other sport like hockey.
What are your plans for after graduation?
I want to keep playing hockey, wherever it can bring me.
