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TinniTus soluTions wax reMoval on-siTe Hearing aid repair & Cleaning Seven-time Stanley Cup champion Bryan Trottier has many stories to tell, and Uxbridge will get to hear many of them first-hand. The NHL legend is stopping by to chat with sports journalist Stephen Brunt about his new memoir, "All Roads Home," at Wooden Sticks Golf Club as part of the Book Drunkard Festival. "I have so many stories, probably another couple books' worth," said Trottier, who looks at the people and places that shaped his journey from small-town Saskatchewan boy to NHL champion. "I'm kind of at an age where I don't have to be so guarded," he said of the memoir. "I'm really at a point where I want to influence the next generation in a positive way," he continued. "Sports is a vehicle that inspires people, and my story is unique to me because of where I come from. There are the Irish and Indigenous sides of my family and so many other sides of my life that people don't know." From his days growing up on his family's ranch in Val Marie, Sask. to his storied NHL career with teams including the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins, Trottier has many tales to tell. "I really wanted to show people that you can't do it alone; you need a lot of help to achieve your dreams," he said of his path to the NHL. "A lot of people tried to talk me out of this career because the chances were so slim. I just kept on going and eventually a door opened to midget hockey, then a door opened to junior hockey, then I got drafted and I got to play with great players along the way and it just all worked out." But it wasn't all luck. There was a lot of hard work that went into Trottier's success, and a lot of special people behind the scenes, including his family, fellow players and coaches, and renowned author Lorna Crozier, whom Trottier credits with helping him graduate from high school. "For two years in high school, she kept saying 'we have to get you graduated, you have to have something to fall back on', and she was revising and preparing homework all the time," he said. "She was fantastic, she was just relentless, and those people matter. When people care about you, you need to respect that and find people that want the same thing as much as you do." For Trottier, one of those people was teammate Dave "Tiger" Williams, who helped him battle homesickness when he arrived in the NHL. "It's a bond that's tighter than friendship, it's brotherhood," Trottier said. "We won a championship together and shared a path of trying to achieve in the NHL, the greatest league at the highest level on the planet, and somehow it happened." Trottier, whose roots include Cree/Chippewa and Métis heritage on his father's side, and Irish on his mother's, said he was incredibly flattered when a fan pulled him aside at a speaking engagement to laud him as "the most decorated Indigenous athlete in the history of the world." "I think it's just spectacular that Indigenous communities across Canada have been so welcoming and attentive; it was noteworthy for me that this man took the time to come by and give me that wonderful compliment," he said. "My mom and dad taught me to be proud of where you come from, be proud of your heritage and your relatives and it's been nice to see that embraced by fans." Trottier hopes readers take away the joy he felt being able to play hockey all those years, as well as the realization that no one does it alone. "All these people contributed to the growth I had in life and in sports and education, all these things twist and mould us into the people we are," Trottier said. "I want people to know what they see on the ice is one thing, but maybe the guy off the ice has a few more pieces to the puzzle." Catch Trottier in conversation with Stephen Brunt Oct. 25 at Wooden Sticks Golf Club at 7 p.m. For more information or to book tickets visit www.bookdrunkard.com. 'YOU CAN'T DO IT ALONE': NHL LEGEND BRINGS HIS STORY TO UXBRIDGE MOYA DILLON mdillon@durhamregion.com WHAT'S ON BRYAN TROTTIER TO DISCUSS NEW MEMOIR AT BOOK DRUNKARD FESTIVAL NHL legend Bryan Trottier will be stopping in Uxbridge for the Book Drunkard Festival to chat with Stephen Brunt about his new memoir, "All Roads Home." Penguin Random House photo Penguin Random House photo