ELMONT, NY — On the surface, the Shoresy Classic is already a feel-good experience that celebrates the game of hockey on a different level.
The touring five-city event features members of the cast of the beloved Hulu show, Shoresy, created by Letterkenny star Jared Keeso, which follows the fictional Sudbury Bulldogs of the Northern Ontario Senior Hockey Organization in their quest to never lose again. Those Bulldogs are coming to UBS Arena on Dec. 10 to take on a team comprised of prominent New York Islanders alumni, with proceeds of the event going to local charities.
That in itself is admirable enough. But for a pair of the show’s actors, Terry Ryan and Jonathan Diaby, it is the continuation of a second chance to make good in a sport that challenged passion and in lives that perhaps did not encounter the cleanest of line changes.
Ryan was the No. 8 overall pick in the 1995 NHL Draft by the Montreal Canadiens, but injuries ultimately derailed his career, which lasted just eight games over three different seasons. Unsure of where to go next, he staved off bankruptcy by working on TV show sets before he appeared on Letterkenny as a hockey player from Newfoundland. He now has a recurring role on Shoresy as Hitch — the martini-loving, fast-talking tough guy who patrols the blue line and is a faithful defender of his teammates.
“The hard part was leaving the team, the camaraderie,” Ryan told amNewYork. “We have that back again. Seven or eight years ago, I was nearly bankrupt. I had a daughter, and I had to collect flyers and shop at the dollar store… so to get rescued by a situation like this… it meant being back on a team. It meant employment, something simple like that. I hugged my daughter. We bought a little house for $100,000, but I needed it. She needed it. It changed our lives.”
Now, the 48-year-old Ryan has written two books, continues to work on TV sets of shows produced in Newfoundland, and has even run for Mayor of Mount Pearl twice. His love of hockey has reached new levels of appreciation thanks to his work with Shoresy.
“We’re celebrating the hockey culture with everybody. It’s not just going to see a game,” he said. “What happens at Shoresy games? You meet fans, you talk to them: ‘Who’s your favorite player? What’s your favorite hockey book, hockey movie?’ It always turns into that, whereas in the NHL, I’m not putting it down; I loved all of it. But you generally come out after the game, and there’s a bunch of Habs fans there. You sign some autographs, ‘How ya doing?’ You take a selfie and then you move on. You’re not generally talking about the game as a whole or film. We get to talk about our hockey journey that’s still going on. Now we’re going on it with the fans.
“Back then, I felt isolated. I’m a hockey player; you’re lonely. This is a team game, but you can get traded at any point. Does anybody really understand? Well, now they all understand. We’re on this wave of inspiration and emotion with the fans.”
That feeling of isolation certainly is not exclusive to Ryan.
Diaby, a third-round pick by the Nashville Predators in 2013 who is Black, fell out of love with the game when he experienced the cut-throat business side of the game and the ceaseless racism that continues to plague it.
In a Feb. 2019 game while playing in a Quebec-based semi-professional independent league with the Marquis de Jonquiere, he left in the middle of a game after a fan leaned over the side of the penalty box where he was sitting, imitated an ape, and showed him a picture of a baboon on his cell phone. Nine months later, after encountering similar taunts, he leapt out of the penalty box and attempted to fight a fan, which led to a 10-game suspension. He retired from hockey less than a year later.
“It was a snowball effect,” Diaby told amNewYork. “Getting into professional hockey, I had a love for the game, but then they got into the business aspect of things. I didn’t really like that. Also, this is a predominantly white sport… I was searching for myself, searching for what to do. I had a bunch of friends who went to prison. My influences were going down the wrong path.”
Diaby launched a hip-hop career, going by JoDolo, where he has released two albums and over 30 singles and EPs. His music caught the attention of Keeso, who featured it on Letterkenny before casting him in the part of Dolo, the French-speaking defensive partner of Hitch, who is essentially a fictionalized version of himself.
“When I left hockey, I thought that was it,” Diaby said. “I thought it was gonna be the last time I ever f—ing put skates on. Little did I know it was one of the best decisions I made in my life. I was making music, having fun with friends, but this gave me financial freedom. My family is good too. My mother, whatever she needed, she’s secured for a long time. Just the chance to express myself and not do dumb s—t.”
Through it all, there is something healing about playing Dolo on screen, and it’s a role that he takes significant responsibility for portraying.
“I’m a Black man from Quebec who speaks French,” Diaby said. “That happens in hockey, but whether it’s hockey or whatever it is: Kids at school, kids who want to be in the military, kids who want to be whatever, I’m able to speak for different people. They can turn on the TV and see somebody like them.
“I remember going to the States, and when I was playing in Milwaukee, I’d get to the park with my dog, and I remember having a conversation with a kid, and he’s like, ‘You’re from Canada and you speak French, but you’re Black.’ Like it didn’t click for these kids. There are people who can speak different languages and still be Black. I’m in a pretty privileged position.”
The Shoresy Classic tour helps amplify that position. The closure that comes with playing hockey in NHL arenas against former pros is a bonus.
“Getting to play in these rinks is crazy,” Ryan said. “I know we’re coming and we’re the show, but we’re very much in awe of these other teams. These are people that I grew up watching on TV that are legends, idols. I know their stats. I have their hockey cards. It’s a great perk of the job.”
Tickets and VIP packages for the Shoresy Classic at UBS Arena are available at shorseyclassic.com.
