If you’ve watched the NHL for years, like I have, then you immediately associate the name Jeremy Roenick with hard work, physical play, and just the right amount of that kiss-my-ass mentality. Throughout his 20-year career, Roenick didn’t take crap from anyone, both on and off the ice. A strong center who emerged on the scene with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1988 and rediscovered his love for hockey with the San Jose Sharks in 2007, Roenick tallied over 500 goals in his career and appeared in nine All-Star games.
And although he hasn’t skated competitively since the 2008-09 season, Roenick is still as fiery as the ever—perhaps doing more for hockey now than he did during his NHL playing days. We caught up with the current NBC Sports analyst to talk about his involvement with Kraft Hockeyville USA, how he’s still feeling the effects of suffering at least 13 major concussions, and why America is most-definitely a hockey superpower.
Interview by Adam Silvers (@silversurfer103)
You played in the NHL for two decades, how did you see the game change from when you first entered the league in 1988 to when you hung up your skates in 2009? What about today?
Oh, shoot. It’s a totally different game nowadays. When I first came into the league, it was big, burly, strong, mean guys that looked like they were more 40’s and 30’s than they look now, where they all look like they’re teenagers. We didn’t take as good care of ourselves back then. It was definitely a game of survival of the fittest, where you’re going to get beat up on a daily basis. We had the hooking, the holding, the clutching, the grabbing, and it wasn’t as fast as it is now. You weren’t able to be as fast, because of the obstruction that was going on back then. But you also had to protect yourself, and you had to protect the way you played. You didn’t have instigator rules, so everybody had to be responsible for their play and accountable for their play.
Do you ever regret telling fans to “kiss my ass?”
No, because the question that was asked of me was a preposterous question. And it was one that if the fans did feel that way, they were being unfair to the players. [NHL] Players have been probably the best athletes to the fans, in any of the major sports. Unfortunately, the question, in the way that it came out, didn’t do the answer justice. As does reporting. They play on words to sell papers and cause controversy. I can do that right back.
What was the best moment of your career?
I have a lot of great moments. Obviously, the Olympics in 2002, winning a silver medal, playing against the Canadians, it was unbelievable. Being in my first All Star game, in Chicago. Playing as long as I did, scoring 500 goals. There are so many different things that I went through that I’m so proud of. But 2002, Olympics, silver medal, is at the top of the list. 
How does it compare to put on the jersey of an NHL team versus a USA jersey?
Well, you’re representing what seems like hundreds of millions of people, instead of just millions of people. You’re wearing your colors on your back. There are only 22 guys who can represent your hockey team every four years for the Olympics, and when you’re part of that, it’s something to be proud of. I was always a very loyal, patriotic, and proud American. You can’t substitute those feelings.
What was the lowest point of your career?
I’ll literally forget things that I did within 10 minutes. I’m on television, and sometimes I’ll try and pull a word out of my head and I just can’t find it.
The lowest part of my career was in the mid-2000s, 2005-2007. Some of it came because of injury, because of major concussions that put me kind of in a spiral, but a lot came because of my attitude and my view of the lockout in 2004. A lot of it was my own doing. You don’t work hard enough, you start holding a grudge, you start getting mad. Maybe some of that is because of concussions, and how your brain gets affected by things and make you think, but 2005-2007 was definitely the cellar point I had to dig myself out of. If it weren't for Doug Wilson in San Jose, I don’t know if I ever would have.
Where does American hockey rank on the global stage?
We’re one of the superpowers of the world now! With the exception of the U.S. Junior team, not playing as well as they should have this year, I think USA hockey is probably right behind Canada, in terms of the second-strongest superpower in hockey. I know the Russians will probably question that. USA hockey has come a long way, and we are now considered a superpower, if not one of the top two or three best teams in the world.
Is it true you suffered 13 concussions over the course of your career? What does your body go through after the repeated trauma?
Thirteen are documented. Big, big, bad, major ones that are documented in the NHL archives. But when you play a game for 20 years, and the amount of hits you have that jolt you, and the beatings that you get, I can imagine my brain’s gone through a lot more trauma than 13 [concussions]. It’s not fun. Each one affects you differently, recovery is different, and still not much is known about the long-term effects. You just go on living. I wouldn’t change a thing, though. I’d go back and play the same way I did before.
Specifically, what are your symptoms today?
It’s just a lot of memory stuff. I’ll literally forget things that I did within 10 minutes. I’m on television, and sometimes I’ll try and pull a word out of my head and I just can’t find it. I can’t process the exact word that I’m trying to think of, and I know the word, but I can’t pull it out of my mouth. In terms of the way I feel every day, I feel great. Just the memory aspect seems to be hampered.
You started Players Against Concussions with former Chicago Bears QB Jim McMahon. Can you tell me a little bit about why you started the organization and what the mission is?
Jimmy and I have been such good friends for so long, since our Chicago days, and he’s had so many problems with concussions. And you have all these lawsuits going on, obviously the lawsuit with the NFL, you have another lawsuit the NHL players were starting to force. We both thought it was very important to start educating concussions at the grassroots. The local youth program, the youth coaches, the parents, the people that run all the Pop Warner and the Pee Wees. The problem with concussions is mostly because they’re not diagnosed properly. Jimmy and I want to make sure that we get a message out there on how to diagnose a concussion, how to treat it, and how to treat your kid or [another] child, who unfortunately sustains a concussion. That’s really the most important part of concussion treatment, it’s how fast you get to it and treat it.
In your view, is the NHL being proactive about concussion awareness and prevention?
I think the NHL’s done a great job. I think they’ve done as much as they possibly can in a fast, fierce sport like hockey, to try and eliminate as many headshots as possible. I think they’ve tried to make the guys accountable and respectful of each other. They’ve tried to do as much as they can with the equipment, but they can only do so much. A lot has to do with the way the players view each other, the way they play each other, and the way that they protect each other.
Talk to me about your involvement with the Kraft Hockeyville USA Program.
I think this is a great program, because we talked about the United States and why they’re a superpower. They’re a superpower because there are more leagues and more communities that are putting in more hockey opportunities for young kids. I think Kraft has really stepped to the forefront, especially in Canada. Since 2006, having Kraft Hockeyville Canada, they’ve given over $1.6 million to communities all across Canada to help improve the rinks, the rink amenities that people have, to improve the skating surface, to improve the equipment, and to put in more youth programs to involve more kids. Now they’re bringing it to the United States, and it’s the first year since 2006 that it’s now Kraft Hockeyville USA.
some of these places are in dire need of more arenas. to allow more kids to get out and have the opportunity to play hockey, That only makes our sport even better.
There are going to be 10 communities across the country that are going to benefit from a pool of about $425,000 that Kraft is going to be giving out. They want to find the country’s most passionate hockey community, and those people can go onto krafthockeyville.com and enter your community into the sweepstakes that’s going to go until March. The winner of the most passionate hockey community is going to win $150,000 in arena upgrades, and also a chance to have an NHL preseason game played right there in their own arena, and broadcast on NBCSN, which I think is pretty exciting. It’s a great, great competition, and one I hope a lot of people get involved in.
What do you think this is going to do for grassroots hockey across America?
I think it’s huge. When you take one of the most important things in sports and throw it into the youth programs, and that’s money and funding to A, pay for coaches, B, pay for ice time, to even build more arenas, that is a huge hurdle for a lot of these communities across the country. Especially when you go into the sun belt. You go into Arizona, you go into Dallas, you go into Florida, Southern California, some of these places are in dire need of more arenas. To allow more kids to get out and have the opportunity to play hockey, that only makes our sport even better.
Before we let you go, I know you’re an analyst for NBC Sports, give me your 2015 Stanley Cup predictions.
As much as I’ve watched, I think it’s going to be Anaheim [Ducks] and the [New York] Rangers. Rangers are on a roll right now, winning 13 of 14. Anaheim, they just continue to clip along. Doesn’t matter whether they’re down two or up three, they continue to win hockey games. It’s a high-powered, strong, offensive team that can play strong defense. Those two teams are probably top.
