Decades after Bruce Boudreau tossed young boy a puck, pair reunite as coaches

By foxsports
Published

Anaheim Ducks goaltending consultant Sudarshan Maharaj hails from one of the least likely hockey markets -- the Caribbean island of Trinidad -- but when Maharaj became a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs as a young boy, the course of Maharaj's life suddenly took a more hockey-centric turn, according to an incredible profile on Maharaj from The Color of Hockey.

Maharaj and his family moved from Trinidad to Toronto in 1970 when he was six years old, and the family became fans of the Maple Leafs, a hobby which helped them assimilate to Canada. 

Current Anaheim head coach Bruce Boudreau was playing for the Leafs when Maharaj went to his first game at the old Maple Leafs Gardens, and as Maharaj watched the pre-game skate from behind the low glass, Boudreau skated by and tossed the young Maharaj a puck. It was a moment which stuck with Maharaj, but neither Maharaj or Boudreau knew at the time that they would reunite decades later as coaches for the Anaheim Ducks.

"I told Bruce that story," Maharaj, now a goaltending consultant for Boudreau's Ducks, told The Color of Hockey. "He was shocked that I remembered. I said ‘Are you crazy? That’s a life-changing moment. It was one of my greatest experiences. My very first hockey game and a Toronto Maple Leafs player dropped a puck for me.’ To this day, if I ever see a young child in the stands I’ll always throw a puck."

Maharaj started playing hockey with the neighborhood kids in Toronto as a boy, and his oldest brother insisted that Maharaj play goalie because Maharaj's brother was a huge fan of former Leafs goaltender Bernie Parent. Maharaj embraced the sport and was good enough to play college hockey before spending some time as a professional player in Sweden. When his playing days came to an end, Maharaj returned home to Canada to become a school teacher and coached young goalies on the side. He eventually caught the eye of some NHL teams, and thus his coaching career began.

The full story of Maharaj's incredible journey from a young boy from Trinidad to a goalie consultant at the highest level of hockey is well worth a read here, and it shows just how much a small gesture from an NHL player can change a child's life. 

(h/t The Color of Hockey)