Benjamin Rubin, 18, who is Shomer Shabbos and is considered a rising star in Canadian hockey, has been kicked off the team he plays for, (the Quebec City Remparts junior team) because he refused to play on Shabbos.
Rubin, whom many consider to be a prime candidate for the NHL draft, was told by team coach and owner Patrick Roy that unless he played on Shabbos, he would not be invited to join the team’s summer training camp. Rubin did not hesitate to respond that he would not change his way of life. Even though he dreams of playing one day in the NHL, he will not play, practice or travel between sundown Friday and sundown Saturday.
He now hopes another team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) will take him on, or perhaps he can catch on with a team at the same level in Ontario or the Maritimes.
(Sources: CJN/INN)
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32 Responses
Is the team coach/ owner the same Patrick Roy that was a goalie for the Colorado Avalanche?
are there a lack of interesting ways to keep occupied in canada that we must look for ways to full fledge join the the pervasive surronding cultures we live in. lets be proud of who we are AM LIVADAD YISHKON
He’s a real Kidush Hashem; an inspiration for young and old!
Ahbetobe;
He WAS proud! thats why he dropped out!
Great way to be mekadesh shem shamayim.
So proud to hear of a young adult whose yiddishkeit comes before the blazing buck and HONOR.
Yes this is the same Patrick ” the baal gavaa ” Roy, who played Goalie in the nhl. It is also the same Roy that was charged with threatening his wife by breaking of the door in thei house and swinging it at her. I wonder what the case would be if it was a muslim player who did not want to play on Ramadan. something tells me he would still be on the team. The truth is, it makes sense to kick him off because a sport never caters to religion. I just know that if it was a muslim they woud go ‘
lifnim meshuras hadin’. Patrick Roy- you were always an overrated goalie- and always a sick man.
Yes, it’s the same Patrick Roy.
I find this story a little bit misleading. Roy signed him for a year knowing that he would not play on Shabbos. He let him play like that for a year. After the year he said that next year it wouldnt be possible for him to do that. But he did let him try it for a year to see if it was a workable situation.
Even if he doesnt get accepted into another team so quickly, he simply can’t and won’t lose money for such Mesiras Nefesh…
I wonder what the case would be if it was a muslim player who did not want to play on Ramadan. something tells me he would still be on the team. The truth is, it makes sense to kick him off because a sport never caters to religion. I just know that if it was a muslim they woud go
Stop it. Please. Ramadan does not occur once a week. He missed 38 games. It would be terrific if they could accomodate him, but it’s quite understandable why they couldn’t. And the fact that Roy threatened his wife has nothing to do with anything. And he was actually a phenomanal goalie. What’s funny is that when he first agreed to give it a shot, to try to make it work everyone was singing his praises. Now when it doesn’t work out he’s suddenly a terrible guy.
Being in sports is not really a proper profession for a frum yid. One is exposed to so much goyishkeit in such a field.
Okay. I’ve gotta jump in. Yenta, what are you talking about? Overrated! Most wins ever by an NHL goalie. Hardly overrated.
Seriously, though. At the time that he was in trouble for his dispute for his wife, I thought that he should be held up as a role model for the non-Jewish world. What happened? He got into a fight with his wife, and he ripped a door off of its hinges. Everyone has a field day about anger management. What! Here you have a guy who has the sense within his anger to take out his anger on a door and not on his wife and the world berates him.
I don’t think that we should expect a person who has never learned the Mesillas Yesharim to bring himself to the level of Hillel. I think he should be praised for clobbering the door. His wife was unharmed!
I agree that this story needs context, (i.e. they agreed to let him try it out for a year to see if they could swing it without him playing on Shabbos).
I wonder if it would have been different in the United States, if our labor laws would have given him more protection.
Bottom line, it is a kiddush HaShem for a Jew to say I will give up my dream for the sake of Shabbos.
I happen to know someone who was a great college prospect who, also, for Shabbos, did not enter the draft.
please lets all not get confused and start comparing this to our grandparents who had too ‘choose’ between shabbos and parnasa for their starving families. it may be his personal nissoyon to put the sticks down and unlace his skates but please lets not all get carried away by a ‘story’ and a ruckus to make yw’s day
the truth is that inevitably he will have to quit sometime, because there is no way that any NHL team will take a shomer shabbos Yid and miss a ton of games and practices, if you look at it on the bright side he still has time to look into other choices for his future. Hakadosh Baruch Hu always looks out for us, we just have to keep our eyes open enough to realize it.
“Rodef Shalom”, stop being “Rodef Shtusim”! First of all, Ramadan was just a little Mashal. I meant that theoretically they would be more sympathetic [and scared] to a muslim. If you cannot imagine that, you are living in your own little dreamland. Secondly, what was Roy thinking to start with and then after? All he had to do was look at the schedule to see how many games would be missed and figure it all out. What changed??? Thirdly, he was terribly overrated, and if you do not understang that maybe stick to watching another sport- like golf, for example.
So where is the “Jewish Michael Jordan” nowadays anyway? You may remember him. He was a star basketball player in high school and couldnt get into a real Division 1a school b/c he wouldnt play on Shabbos. BH he also stuck to his guns and is now playing someplace in EY but the major dreams had to be put on hold for the sake of frumkeit.
I should say that I know him as well as his family. He is a real nice kid who never let the stardom go to his head.
“Rodef Shalom”, stop being “Rodef Shtusim”! First of all, Ramadan was just a little Mashal. I meant that theoretically they would be more sympathetic [and scared] to a muslim. If you cannot imagine that, you are living in your own little dreamland.
Bad mashal. And stop comparing this situation to hypothetical cases. You have no idea what the outcome would have been. The victim mentality you display is disheartening. Not everything which comes out against a Jewish person is anti Jewish.
Secondly, what was Roy thinking to start with and then after? All he had to do was look at the schedule to see how many games would be missed and figure it all out. What changed???
This shouldn’t burn up too many brain cells. He wanted to see how the team would do if he missed all these games. It didn’t work out. That’s all there is to it.
Thirdly, he was terribly overrated, and if you do not understang that maybe stick to watching another sport- like golf, for example.
This made me smile. But whatever floats your boat, sport.
Yosi seems to suggest that it is tolerable to smash a door, since it is better than smashing one’s spouse. I don’t know anything about this case other than what has been related above, but smashing objects can constitute violence and threatening behaviour. A person could impose a reign of terror on his spouse by virtue of such tactics and render his wife’s life horrible. Patrick may not be able to master his anger without our mussar, but that doesn’t make his display of anger any less disgusting.
Canadian Guy,
Your thoughts are heard and processed but not entirely accepted.
I’d bet that you have a pretty calm nature. Most guys who are so quick to judge how disgusting some one else’s anger are calm people who can’t understand that some people have major struggles with their temper. Sure, I might be wrong. You could be a red headed passionate guy who used to feel all of his energy burning inside of him until, through the power of prayer and meditation, you learned to calm this rage. And now, you instantly realize that everything is b’yad Hashem and you are comforted by that thought and you never even feel anger. If so, quit sitting on the internet and get to writing the book on how to do it.
I’m not applauding him for damaging the door as if breaking doors is good, and of course this could be part of a terrible life for the wife, but it could also be his great strength in recognizing a border that way too many people destroy. Comparing the real terror of battered wives to battered doors is part of a feminist attack on anger that I don’t accept. Of course, the ideal of ideals is a calm expression of anger, but let’s not castigate the guy who knows not to hurt his wife. (And despite Yenta’s contention of his being overrated, he was a profession athelete with a presumably well trained body that could have caused much bodily harm.)
When we have a world where so many people skip the door and bash the wife, I was suggesting (and still am) that smashing a door might be a good sign.
Patrick Roy is/isn’t a baal gavah. why does that matter.
Anger management = Still doesn’t interest me.
Caring about the personal lives of “stars” is chokas hagoi
Calling the most winning goalie overated sounds like anger.
I say give him, Roy, credit (lots of it) for trying him! ( and catering to him many times without fanfare.)
As for the player, to me sandy Kovacs who didn’t pitch on Yom Kippur is one of the WORLD CLASS kiddush Hashem. I’m jealous.
And this IS on par of parnoosah, EVERY secular child dreams of making it to the majors. The ultimate in fame and money and unfortunatly more. People sacrifice theirs and their childrens entire childhood to make it to the majors.
By the way, he is a nice refreshingly not baal gaavah, and his career is not over. (Inside info).
limayseh he was mikadesh shem shamayim and he deserves alot of credit its a big nisayon I am proud to be part of this amazing nation am yisroel chai!!!!!
Its obvious that he would have to back out soon anyway, just like Tamir Goodman would have had to drop out of basketball.
As someone with a close personal relationship with several Major League Baseball players, I can tell you that the first ever frum player in major league sports would have to be a starting pitcher who’s schedule can be worked around Shabbos. Today there are 2 semi frum (great) pitchers in the college level (4-5 years away from the majors).
BTW, to have these guys playing in the majors being shoimer shabbos will be as big a kiddush Hashem (if they play their cards right) as it is to give it all up for Shabbos.
This is non-sense.
First of all I know Patrick Roy, I have met him. He ios NOT an anti-semite. He is also not a B’all Gayva. He is just the best goalie that ever played in the NHL. He knows who he is. L’havdil bein eleph havdolos, you think Gedolim don’t know who they are?
Secondly, I also met and got to know Mr. Rubin. He is a young man who got lucky and was given a chance that was going to fail from go. There is no way any team in any league will have a player who will miss 40% of a season.
Having coached hockey , I know it would VERY difficult to have even a mediocre player in my lineup and have him miss every 2nd or 3rd game. It wreaks havoc with the lines and also with the players. QMJHL is a development league for young kids looking to the pros and lines are kept together to train youngsters hockey fundamentals. If they switch linemates every other game their development is not the best. Also every one is being paid to win. There is money involved for the teams to do so, and missing key players is not a way to do it.
Lets not make of this more than it is. This deal was for one year to see how it went. Mr. Roy kept his side of the bargain. Secondly, Mr. Rubin is a good player, I saw him on the ice. However, he is also not their best player. In 29 games he had 3 goals and 1 assist. If he wasn’t Jewish I would bench him.
In summary, lets keep this in perspective. He had a fun chance and I am sure he enjoyed it. Mr. Roy should be applauded for even taking him. There are more important forums where true anti-semitism should be championed.
Rodef shtussim and Yossi Bishtus, kishimchem kein Tehillaschem. You are nazi sympathizers and probably women and animals rights activists. How was the holocaust denying convention in Iran? You had fun? Got enough attention. I feel bad for your wives, If you have. Yossi- Good role models you have. Gkassai. You know zero about the sport obviously. Stick to golf.
yenta, yenta, yenta -WOW, a little harsh don’t you think???
… that’s why I think all vocational yeshivos should offer FOOTBALL as an elective – all NFL games are played on SUNDAY 🙂
Yenta,
Sweetness personified. Baruch Hashem, I’m laughing at you (or your post if you were joking). May the Ribono Shel Olam bentch you with lots of nachas from all of your family!
Wow! I don’t know what else to say. Be gesundt!
Finally
Jewsih boys should own the teams and not play for them!!!!!!!!
Yossi and Rodef- You both need better Role models- I know that hillel Hazakein was not on the Gevaldege Madraiga of picking up doors and swinging them at his wife- that being said , I think he would still serve as the ultimate Role model. Thank you, Yossi, for your Bracha- And your family should also only have nachas and they should be safe and not confronted by door swinging madmen.[ Although it’s a gevaldege madraiga. ]
k.d.n.
true……… but most of the high school and college games are on Shabbos.
yenta, now that you’ve calmed down (talk about anger management), I’ll answer a bit of your rage.
Look again at my post. I quote, “I thought that he should be held up as a role model for the non-Jewish world.”
See the part where I said a role model for the non-Jewish world. I am g’bentched with role models who are k’malachai hasharais. I can’t believe that I need to say this, but I’ve never struck my wife nor broken a door, window, or any major appliance out of anger (though I once wanted to kill a dishwasher that wouldn’t behave, I didn’t even strike it).
I truly don’t have a TV, but I’ve noticed that the NON JEWISH world is fouled with the most horrific forms of violence. My comment, and despite your violent angry outburst I stand by it, is that a person who doesn’t hit his wife despite his great anger, shouldn’t be trashed and turned into the worst guy in the world. The non-Jewish world would be a lot better off if every angry husband would break doors. No, not us. We are blessed with a far greater calling.
Yes, I’m baiting you a bit with the constant referral back to your anger. Sorry. I couldn’t resist. But wow, yenta, you really misread my post and exploded all over the internet. Cut it out.
And maybe if you know so much about the worth of an NHL goalie and whether or not he is overrated and feel so powerfully inclined to state your opinion, maybe (just maybe) you need better role models.
And maybe if you can type things like:
“You are nazi sympathizers and probably women and animals rights activists. How was the holocaust denying convention in Iran? You had fun? Got enough attention. I feel bad for your wives, If you have.”
just maybe you should check out your own paradigms. Really harsh!
I meant the brocha. And thank you for the return. Bracha v’hatzlacha!