Dallas and V and the Hall…
The thing that has always impressed me the most about lacrosse players is the way they treat the fans. Fans, for the guys who truly get it, are an important part of the game; not just something to be tolerated, which is the way things appear in so many professional sports.
And two guys who have that appropriate treatment down to a fine art comprise the 2009 National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame class. Two very different men- in appearance, style, outside career choices, hobbies- and they physically look nothing alike. They don’t even look much like athletes really. And yet they are exactly the right pair to enter the hall together, with no one else.
Dallas Eliuk’s goaltending stats in his 18 seasons in the league- 15 with the Philadelphia Wings and 3 with the Portland Lumberjax- have set the bar very high indeed.
4 Championships, including two game MVP awards. 9 times named All-Pro; 6 times an All-Star. 9 seasons with 400 or more shots faced. 200+ career games played. 76.24 save percentage. 12.24 goals against. And 6356 career saves. Numbers that are mind boggling.
I was far more impressed with the man I met. And the first time that happened I had no idea it was him. In 2003, I travelled to Vancouver Island with my Brampton Excelsiors for the Mann Cup. We were facing a Shamrocks team that included the likes of John Tavares, Blaine Manning, Kaleb Toth, Dwight Maetche and some guy named Jim Veltman. One of the afternoons my travelling companion and I were wandering around downtown and two guys enjoying ice cream at an outdoor café struck up a conversation about the game, thanks to a rather distinctive sweatshirt I was wearing. Nice friendly chat about the game and off we went.
The next time I would meet Dallas, and this time I actually knew who he was, was about a year and a half later. I had the opportunity to write for a new lacrosse publication and availed myself of the chance to schedule an interview with this legendary goaltender. It was game day & the Wings had travelled to Toronto that morning, after a game the night before, and so I was told I could have 15 minutes. The conversation, in the hotel lobby and interrupted by any number of other players, lasted an hour and a half. We discussed, over much laughter, everything from his art to the toughest shooter he had ever faced to the rather controversial artwork on his mask.
After the game that night, I took the opportunity to congratulate him on his defeat of my Rock in rather spectacular fashion. And his friend informed us both that we had actually met before. We had a good laugh when we realized that we were both really just lacrosse fans.
The guy joining Dallas in the hall this year was once described by a teammate as looking more like the waterboy than a player. Well! For a not-so-very-impressive physical specimen, Jim Veltman has left a pretty impressive legacy as well. All-Pro 12 times. 14 playoff appearances; 10 times to the championship game. In the early 90’s he won 3 rings with the Buffalo Bandits; from the end of the 90’s- 10 seasons with the Ontario Raiders/Toronto Rock that resulted in five more rings. The first recipient of the league’s sportsmanship award. The first and so far only, non-scoring champ winner of the league MVP. And a staggering 2417 loose balls. But again, the numbers only tell a small part of the total picture.
Jim has been described by teammates as a true captain; a leader on and off the floor. This was a guy who always knew his “job” and did it to the best of his ability.
The fans were part of his lacrosse family. After every game, win or loose, he was around the floor to wave and thank the fans for being there. The trot around that will be the picture I carry in my mind’s eye will be the last one. After he had played his final game, he came around, as usual, with his teammates. Lacrosse, for him, is a team game, first and foremost. His teammates almost had to force him around by himself to accept the respect and admiration of his fans. And much as he didn’t want to be the center of attention, he knew he owed his fans that last trip around the floor. And the emotion was palpable.
The other picture that will forever remain is Jim at center floor of the ACC, his arm around his friend and mentor, as they watched the 2003 championship banner lift into the rafters. Les Bartley was the man who taught him his “job” on his team. And it is absolutely appropriate that they sit together in the hall.
I have a picture of Dallas and Jim together only once. They are chatting on the bench after the 2004 All-Star game in Calgary; signing autographs for anyone who actually realized who they were. Nothing flashy about these two. Just two guys who forever changed the game they played with such determination and joy. Exactly the kind of men I would want my kids to grow up to be.