It was the 2006 high school rugby provincial quarterfinals and the Oak Bay Barbarians were on the back foot, losing by less than a try with minutes left to play.
Future Rugby Canada player Sean White was in the sin bin, meaning they were down a man.
ThatB次元官网网址檚 when Bayne Pettinger dragged three, four, possibly five tacklers to the line for the game-winning try. During the subsequent try conversion, Pettinger could be seen in the backfield on all fours vomiting from exhaustion (the Barbarians won that game but lost in the semifinals).
| Bayne Pettinger with Connor McDavid and his father Brian at the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.(Courtesy of Bayne Pettinger) |
READ ALSO: Matt Pettinger:
In his athletic prime, Pettinger was a 6B次元官网网址�4B次元官网网址� powerhouse on the rugby pitch, hockey rink and basketball court. All the while, he did it with an equally powerful level of charisma and an engaging personality. It was no surprise to his family and friends that he worked his way up through the ranks of Hockey Canada as manager of hockey operations where he worked with the elite of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 menB次元官网网址檚 hockey establishment.
Now at 33, heB次元官网网址檚 not only one of the brightest young player agents around the game of pro hockey, heB次元官网网址檚 doing it while openly gay.
B次元官网网址淗e brought enthusiasm to every team he was on, and every team he was on was successful, and itB次元官网网址檚 no question he was a reason for that,B次元官网网址� said high school coach Rich Fast, Oak Bay High athletic director.
ItB次元官网网址檚 with those same characteristics that Pettinger freed himself from the burden of keeping his personal life secret, breaking the news in The Athletic last week.
Pettinger is so respected and cherished by the people who are at the centre of NHL hockey culture know him, for a split second you can forget that hockey culture, and society in general, has oppressed people based on their sexuality. His coming out story featured support from superstars Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby, from numerous other players, from established agents and of course, former Canucks general manager Brian Burke (whose son Brendan was paving the way as an openly gay hockey manager in the NCAA when he died in a 2010 car crash).
B次元官网网址淗opefully, this opens up doors that you can be successful and be gay and that no one really cares,B次元官网网址� Pettinger told the Oak Bay B次元官网网址 on Monday. B次元官网网址淚 am able to use this platform to involve some superstars in the NHL to show that, it isnB次元官网网址檛 a big deal, while also breaking down a door for young athletes and others.B次元官网网址�
| Bayne Pettinger, 19, playing for Rugby Canada's U20 team circa 2005. Pettinger competed for Canada at the 2006 World U20 Championship in United Arab Emirates. (Courtesy of Bayne Pettinger) |
Since 2019 Pettinger has been based out of Toronto as a player agent with CAA. When COVID shut things down in the spring Pettinger came back to Victoria to stay with his parents, Rick and Laurie. What was supposed to be a two-week stay became 100 days. The time at home allowed Pettinger to finalize his decision that he would no longer dodge the subject among friends.
B次元官网网址淢y family has known for years,B次元官网网址� Pettinger said. B次元官网网址淸The decision] had been coming for a while. It really changed when I came back to Victoria for 100 plus days. At 33, there I was, COVID cut the noise away from my phone, emails, text. It gave me time to think.B次元官网网址�
Then came the final steps. It took some deep conversations with his brothers, his sister, and some close friends in hockey including VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Tyson Barrie (now of the Edmonton Oilers).
B次元官网网址淚n high school, and the early 20s, thereB次元官网网址檚 lots of things going on in your head,B次元官网网址� Pettinger said. B次元官网网址淚 loved hockey, didnB次元官网网址檛 want that to change because of who I sleep with, and it really doesnB次元官网网址檛 matter.B次元官网网址�
In 2005, a graduating Pettinger was named Oak Bay High athlete of the year, a prestigious award (though he still has feelings about sharing it with UVic Vikes star Jeff Cullen). He lived four months in Wales training for the 2006 U20 World Junior Rugby championship in the United Arab Emirates. And he was a strong hockey player, representing the Victoria Racquet Club before winning a Vancouver Island Junior B championship title with the Victoria Cougars.
| Bayne Pettinger aged 2 with mom Laurie in the Oak Bay B次元官网网址. (Courtesy of Bayne Pettinger) |
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B次元官网网址淗e was especially tough to bring down in rugby, he was a train,B次元官网网址� said White, of their time as Barbarians. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 super happy for him to be sharing his journey and getting acknowledged for his strength.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 really proud of him for doing this and hope it can inspire others not to feel they have to hide who they truly are, itB次元官网网址檚 really empowering,B次元官网网址� Fast said.
After graduating Oak Bay High, Pettinger studied business at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. He continued his studies in Calgary while taking on an entry-level job, nights and weekends, with Hockey Canada, thanks to family friend Bob Nicholson (who knew the Pettingers from his time as a coach and ice manager of Oak Bay arena in the early B次元官网网址�80s). He ended up working there for nine years and was manager of hockey operations for Hockey CanadaB次元官网网址檚 menB次元官网网址檚 national teams.
He was there when Canada won gold at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and has been part of multiple World Junior Championship teams.
It culminated when he worked his final tournament as manager of hockey operations at the 2018 World Junior Championship held between Victoria and Vancouver. That tournament was a homecoming. PettingerB次元官网网址檚 brother Matt, an NHL alumni with the Washington Capitals and Vancouver Canucks, hosted Pettinger and 20 staff from Hockey Canada at his Oak Bay house.
B次元官网网址淗ockey Canada always talks about being family, and that was the epitome of family, in my brotherB次元官网网址檚 house,B次元官网网址� Pettinger said.
Matt recalls Bayne holding his cards close to his chest, and said he never really saw Bayne struggle.
B次元官网网址淗is close friends and family have known for a while, and it was more of an awkwardness of him walking into room and not knowing who knew, that he wonB次元官网网址檛 have anymore,B次元官网网址� Matt said. B次元官网网址淎nd thatB次元官网网址檚 the goal. The goal wasnB次元官网网址檛 to be the first gay guy to come out in hockey or sports. ItB次元官网网址檚 that heB次元官网网址檚 doing it in a time that is socially acceptable, and to use is platform to help others.B次元官网网址�
It wasnB次元官网网址檛 until Canada was bounced from the tournament by Finland that Pettinger began to think about a life in hockey outside of Hockey Canada. He went to Tofino and started exchanging messages with the brass in the hockey branch of the renowned CAA agency.
CAA represents an A list of hockeyB次元官网网址檚 biggest stars, many who Pettinger already knew well from taking care of them at the World Junior, World Championship and Olympic tournaments.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e had it fortunate that I havenB次元官网网址檛 faced any adversity,B次元官网网址� Pettinger said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e had some dark days and time to think about it. But I never had a member of my family, a friend, or a coworker, say they donB次元官网网址檛 want to be around me. But that happens out there.
B次元官网网址淚f youB次元官网网址檙e talented and passionate it doesnB次元官网网址檛 matter, whether if itB次元官网网址檚 golf or hockey doesnB次元官网网址檛 matter, sexuality is such a small part of it.B次元官网网址�
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