Jazz: Olaf Kolzig. Olie the Goalie. Godzilla. What can I say about Olie that hasn't already been said? Holmes Trophy winner, Jack Butterfield Trophy winner, Calder Cup winner and MVP, NHL All-Star, Vezina Trophy winner, honored as the NHL's Foundation Player for his charity work, Washingtonian of the Year - a description of his accolades would fill this page.
Olie was born in 1970, the son of German parents who worked in the hotel business. Olie has lived in Africa and all over Canada, including the 'Land of the Midnight Sun". He started his hockey career as a defenseman, but an unexpected snow storm caused him to strap on the pads as a fill-in, and he's never looked back.
Although drafted 19th overall as a 19 yr old in '89, Olie had to wait for his NHL chance. He logged ice time in Hampton Roads, where he was the first ECHL goalie ever to score a goal. When he was finally called up from Portland, having also played for the now defunct Baltimore Skipjacks, he was quicky eclipsed by Jim Carey. However, when the Bruins were offered their choice of goaltenders in the Jumbo trade that sent Allison to Boston and brought Oates to DC, Carey was chosen over Kolzig. The following season, Bill Ranford, DC's #1 netminder, took a shot to the groin in the 1st period of the 1st game. Olie came in, and he's owned the Caps' net ever since.
Everyone who watches Caps Hockey has heard that Olie and Byron Dafoe are best friends. What fans might not know is that they were both drafted by the Caps in the same year, and really disliked each other from their AHL days. In a rather unusual turn of events, they became friends while vying for the starting job in net.
Olie has been known to throw some tantrums and break some sticks in frustration when he is struggling. But with age has come a new level of maturity. Ron Wilson has this to say about his star netminder: "Olie Kolzig is a team player with character, drive, and determination. He is well-respected by all his teammates...In a day and age where professional athletes are criticized for lacking integrity, Olie displaces that argument by going out of his way to better the lives of children... I feel privileged to coach a player like Olie Kolzig."
One can get a glimpse of what this season's team struggles must be like in the mind of our big netminder from Olie himself. "When you're losing, it's tougher to get into a groove. You're battling yourself - you can't make a mistake in a hockey game because right now it's going to cost our team the game. When you're losing, you seem to find ways to lose instead of trying to find a way to win. You think too much, and as a goalie when you start to think, you're done."
If it depended soley on integrity, heart, and force of will, I believe Olie could singlehandedly turn this season around for the Caps. The lack of talent, timing, and togetherness on the D makes his job a tough one. But with a new 5-year contract virtually guaranteeing his becoming a career Capital, perhaps his ability to persevere will help the team make it past this rough season, and move on to better times.
He loves kids, he loves hockey, he loves DC. He pushes himself harder than anyone else would try to push him, and is harder on himself than anyone else could be. He lives by values that allow him to look at himself in the mirror every day, and not have to look away. Our own Godzilla - a monster with a heart of gold. |
