Not every day do you hear about an A-list celebrity and actor best known for portraying the deadly hitman John Wick and Neo from the movie Matrix signing a one-day contract with an OHL team.
But Keanu Reeves isn’t like most.
On Thursday, the Windsor Spitfires announced they had signed Keanu Reeves to a one-day contract in conjunction with an auction of signed items by the actor. All the proceeds are going to the Canadian Mental Health Association.
Keanu was born in Beirut, Lebanon but grew up in Toronto, Ontario. Keanu’s mother, Patricia Taylor worked in the film industry as a costume and production designer. This is where he developed his love and passion for the industry he became so famous in.
Growing up in a city obsessed with hockey, Keanu eagerly strapped on his skates and threw himself into competitive play as a goalie. He was no slouch either. Some have said that Keanu could have made a career for himself on ice. He had raw talent and was incredibly athletic between the pipes.
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When he was a teenager, Keanu secured a free agent tryout with the Windsor Spitfires but didn’t participate. Depending on which articles you read, some say he couldn’t try out due to an injury, while others will say he declined and was dedicated to pursuing an acting career.
I think he made the right decision.
Jason Kay, a former teammate of Keanu’s, mentioned in an article he wrote for The Hockey News in 2014 that Reeves was never serious about pursuing a hockey career.
“I loved hockey, but I never wanted it to become too serious,” he told Kay in an interview several years later. “I never said, ‘I’m going to play for the Leafs.’ I just had this mental picture of a dressing room, guys with steam coming off their backs. It wasn’t me.”
Ironically, Keanu’s first feature film role came in 1986’s Youngblood, a hockey drama. The movie starred Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze. Reeves practiced for his on-ice scenes with former Toronto Marlboros forwards Peter Zezel and Steve “Stumpy” Thomas.
The auction for Keanu’s signed items is ongoing and the link to the official auction page can be found here.
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