How overcoming hardship helped this Kahnawà:ke hockey coach inspire young players

This story is a collaboration between Concordia University's journalism department, Kahnawake Survival School and CBC Montreal.

Growing up, Wahsontiio Stacey loved playing hockey.

Skating since the age of three, he could often be found at the rink or playing street hockey.

Stacey grew up in Kahnawà:ke, south of Montreal, and is in his first year as coach of the Kahnawake Mohawks U-18 team.

But getting to this point wasn't easy.

Stacey became very serious about hockey in Grade 10 and, between the ages of 15 and 23, played in three leagues: the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, the Hockey East Association and Federal Prospects Hockey League.

He was a student athlete in the NCAA Division 1 at the University of Vermont for four years until he was injured and his career as a player ended.

Stacey, now 36, says during his four years playing in Saskatchewan, he had some good coaches who encouraged and trained him well.

However, he says he also had a negative experience with a coach while playing in the NCAA. He says he felt targeted during practice, which made life hard for him. 

"Indigenous athletes, we were just never provided the opportunities and platforms to thrive like the outside do," Stacey said.

This combined with his injury, he says, led him down a destructive path of addiction for 14 years.

Finally, he went back to Kahnawà:ke and started working on getting better.

He got into ironwork and started coaching minor hockey last year, which he says sets a good example for his young son and the youth of Kahnawà:ke.

"That's why I want to coach; that's why I do it now, to help you guys, to kind of guide you … so you don't make the same mistakes," he said.

Stacey wants to teach the importance of being a good teammate, a good leader and being respectful of each other.

"Believe in yourselves in all aspects of life," he said. "Work, be a good brother, be a good son, be a good boyfriend or be a good father," he said.

'He actually cares'

Stacey is currently my coach, and he inspires me to be a better athlete and player on and off the ice.

Riley Two-Axe, who also plays for the Kahnawake Mohawks, shares similar thoughts.

"Our coach is great because he actually cares about the team and players. He doesn't care about only winning, but trying to teach us," he said.

Stacey worked with a lot of coaches during his hockey career and says the good ones "get you to believe in yourself and they expand your mind and give you a kind of insight into things that you might not know about yourself yet."

He says that a good coach will also pick out your potential and skills.

As a coach, Stacey stands out to me the same way he says his best coaches stood out to him.

In our practices, he focuses on game situations and fundamentals, but most importantly, he makes us feel welcome and seen.

I have two years left in the minor hockey association and would consider myself lucky if I get to continue to have Stacey as my coach.

He has valuable knowledge of the game and unique experiences that he grew from, which he can pass down to us. Every practice is a learning opportunity and through all of this, he makes the game fun.