11 years is a long time no matter how you look at it. For Julian Borwinn the last 11 years were spent in the roller hockey arena. What does this mean for his outlook? at 27 years old an athletes ability to improve is certainly slowed. Their window of opportunity becomes less apparent. Borwinn wants to prove this wrong. His early years were spent on the ice, every waking minute. When Borwinn decided it was time to leave the wheels behind and trade those in for blades, he seemed to have picked up a new gear. A spark in his step... a twinkle in his eyes.
Over the weekend Borwinn has been on the ice. The familiarity was not lost on him. Pucks, pylons and rope were scattered along the ice surface. But no hockey stick in his hands. His tool of choice - a broom? What is this...Threatlevel Midnight? Borwinn swept the ice as he worked his way back into ice hockey readiness. His ice sessions, hours at a time, ended with accuracy passes and shooting drills (the hockey stick made an appearance for these). his main area of focus?...well....everything.
One would think Borwinn would hit the showers following these long practice sessions. However, Julian would immediately hit the weight room for some time on the bike.
His eyes set on the draft. Borwinn is hoping he does enough to at least be on the radar this time around.
We caught up with him after last nights training session and asked about his outlook going forward - "I am well aware of the tough road ahead. Being away from the ice for all these years....well...to say the least, I missed it. This is more than just a sport or a career to me, this is my livelihood. Everything that I've done over the last decade+ led me to this decision. I grow anxious with every hour. I've even been dreaming hockey. I haven't dreamed so vividly since I was a child. I feel like I have a new purpose, a new goal to work towards. I am remaining realistic. This draft is likely a long-shot but I will keep working at it. Every day. This is where I am meant to be."
Yes we also asked bum about the broom; "Haha I knew this one was coming. No, it's not a drill inspired by Michael Scarn. This is a legitimate way to learn perceptiveness and hand eye co-ordination. Everything we do in life is perfected by muscle memory. When I'm out there for hours with a broom stick in hand then someone hands me a hockey stick. The ease of holding just a hockey stick is incredible. Your body almost feels forced to keep the stick along the ice. Ive also been working on my wrist strength. You ever sweep a broom along the ice? It's a workout. I can feel myself getting stronger."
Ontario, Canada
Age: 27
Height: 73 in.
Weight: 182 lbs.
Handedness: Left
Shot Preference: Wrist
The Now
An ice hockey late bloomer, Julian Borwinn has re-entered the ice hockey scene after a successful 11 year Roller Hockey career in Southern Ontario. Borwinn achieved everything he hoped and dreamed of at the roller hockey level and is returning to the ice. GM's should be beyond excited about Borwinn's return to ice.
Player Comments
"Plain and simple, I am excited to be getting back on the ice. Its kind of crazy how I even got to this point. When I was young, my dream was to be an ice hockey player. Life throws curve balls your way, and in my case - injury. If someone told me when I was 15 that I would still be attempting to get into pro ice hockey; I would have told them they were out to lunch. My years in roller hockey were truly incredible. The players, fans, management...everyone was special to me. I will miss the sport that I came to love, but I am here, I am returning to the ice. Everything I have achieved in my life has led me here and I am going to savior every moment. I want to inspire more people, young and old, to never give up on their dreams. I want to thank everyone who helped me get here. When my time comes to join a team and put on their jersey, I will get emotional and my inner child will jump for joy. I simply cannot wait to start this new adventure. To the future!"
Coaches Comments
"We cannot state this with any higher regard. Julian has been an incredible athlete in this league for over a decade. He is a true ambassador for this sport. The fandom in this league alone has at the least doubled over the last 11 seasons and we strongly believe Julian to be a contributing factor. He was the face of our club, the most exciting player to watch. Best of luck, yet we know he will not require any."
- Steve Collins - Head Coach - Steel City Rollers
Julian Borwinn was born in June of 1991 to a normal suburban household. At the age of 9 Julian was gifted a hockey stick from his uncle. He scored his first goal that season in his first game of pee-wee ice hockey and was the talk of the town. His parents recall the endless days and nights Julian would be outside firing pucks and practicing dekes. Winter was his favorite season, the local out door ice rinks would open to the public. Julian would be out there every waking minute working on every facet of his game. Even at a young age the passion was off the charts. At the young age of only 12, Borwinn was a sought after left winger as he was scouted by the local Bantam league scouts. By age 14 he was captain of his high school club leading them to the first of two consecutive city championships. Borwinn led his high school team in goals and points while displaying unmatched sportsmanship. His coaches always has extremely high remarks and predicted Borwinn to be a leader no matter where he was to go in life.
The Injury
Two months following his 16th birthday, Julian was involved in a boating accident which caused one of his lungs to collapse. The next seven months were tough to say the least. Two surgeries and extensive rehab kept Julian off the ice. Borwinn would beg his parents to bring him to their ice hockey arena so he could be a bystander. Just watching the game he loved being played by others was enough to brighten his spirits. Unfortunately, as a result of the injury and time away from the game - scouts overlooked Borwinn and he was left on the outside looking in. Fortunately a local Roller Skating team had just joined the provincial professional league; Julian was a no brainer tryout invitee. It took just 3 periods to convince team management that he was a needle in a haystack type of talent. Julian was signed to an entry level deal which led to an amazing 11 year career, involving 4 provincial championships, 8 all star appearances and 3 national championship titles. The achievements are off the charts. But his true love, ice hockey, always echoed in his thoughts. Someday, somehow, Julian would find his way back on the ice.
Scouting Report
Borwinn was scouted as an elite playmaker. A playmaker with the capability of finding the smallest gap to his target. Julian has always been able to hold his own when his time came to score. His skating ability is exceedingly impressive and has the ability to turn on a dime, especially in the corners. His all around nature also provides Borwinn with a strong defensive game and can be relied upon even if he is the last man back. Fitness has always been important to Borwinn's development tactics. His on and off season workout plans include carefully prepared meal portions and daily workouts of his upper and lower body. When the time comes for him to take or receive a check, Borwinn can certainly hold his own. Discipline was never an issue for Borwinn. His teammates would agree he would be in the running for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy each and every season if he were an NHL skater.
Roller Skating Statistics
Prediction
Julian will require some fine tuning but projects to be a force that will fit in to any teams top 6. Trying to gauge his outlook is a tall task. He has the potential to be an elite skater but will need to convert his roller hockey skills to ice hockey know how. This is not expected to be an issue for the 27 year old. Keep an eye on this talented left winger.
The dedication Borwinn brings to the arena each and every day will prove crucial in his development.
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Jubo got a reaction from Tagger in Borwinn Hits the Ice [1/2]
Jubo reacted to Banackock in Julian Borwinn - Player Card
