In the game of ice hockey, physique plays an important role. Every single player in the rink is bound to get a fist in the face, a hockey stick to the knee or even a puck taken to the head (thank goodness for athletic gear). Physical exterior must be taken into consideration.

Now take a moment to imagine the ideal body image of someone who plays hockey professionally. What image comes into play? Remember the old saying: “Don’t judge a book by its cover?” Well, now’s the right time to put that one to use.

Dr. Alan Hreljac, Sacramento State assistant professor of biomechanics, is no stranger to the physically demanding game of hockey. He played two years professionally for the California Eagles, a minor league formerly based in San Diego.

Hreljac isn’t a big, bulky man who walks around with a chip on his shoulder. He’s actually quite the contrary.

He is a very sincere guy with a laid-back attitude. His genuine smile makes the thought of him as a hockey player a jaw-dropping surprise for many students.

Exercise science senior Jason Estrada simply said, “I can’t imagine him trying to check someone across the ice…it’s pretty cool.”

Sac State alumnus Kyle Patterson regarded Hreljac as a nice guy that is “very easy to talk to and very relaxed.”

“I guess I stereotyped what a hockey player might be and he did not fit the mold,” said Patterson. “I imagined hockey players being a little more uptight.”

A native Canadian, Hreljac became interested in hockey when he first began to skate at three. Commenting on his thrill for the sport, he said, “It’s something that I grew up with. It’s a very exciting game, a very fast sport…something that everybody did in Canada.”

Professor Hreljac was a member of the University of Waterloo hockey team for four years while he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics. He was then drafted to play for the California Eagles and began studying at San Diego State University to obtain a Master of Science degree.

Although the California Eagles was a minor league team that only lasted two years, Hreljac said he still misses being a part of them.”For anybody who plays a team sport and probably almost any sport, the thing you miss is the camaraderie between people,” said Hreljac.

As for fighting on the ice, one of the most entertaining aspects of the NHL, he admits that when games got heated, he wasn’t far from the action.

“I was a goal tender (goalie), so goal tenders get protected by the big defense men,” said Hreljac. “So when somebody hits a goal tender, the defense men come and give them an excuse to start a fight.”

He said that fighting during games was never an intention of his but admits, “I was the cause of a lot of fights.”

For those interested in learning more about the professor who once did battle in the field of hockey, you can e-mail Hreljac at [email protected].

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