Boli's Blog

By Kevin Bolibruck
Sheffield Steelers defenceman

Right now I am at the Information Commons at the University trying to finish off some papers before we leave for Grenoble later this week and then I can focus fully on hockey

Hi, my name is Kevin Bolibruck, I am 32 and I am in my 12th season as a professional ice hockey player.

I am from Canada originally, but I have spent the last five years playing in Europe, in Finland, Denmark, Germany and this is my second spell in Sheffield.

Although I never played in the National Hockey League, I spent six seasons in the American League, which is the second tier of hockey in North America, and I spent a season playing for Team Canada.

For the next two years I am living in Sheffield with my wife Ty and my two kids Maiya and Nolan, and as well as playing ice hockey for the Sheffield Steelers I am studying for my Masters in Business at Sheffield University.

Having the chance to study was one of the main reasons why I decided to come back for a second stint in South Yorkshire.

Right now I am at the Information Commons at the University trying to finish off some papers before we leave for Grenoble later this week and then I can focus fully on hockey.

I am really enjoying playing hockey and studying, it's really nice to try and lead a double life. It is not the easiest thing that I have done but it is a great challenge.

This weekend was good. On Saturday we played out a hard-fought defeat in Belfast. They are a good team, but on Sunday we put in a great performance against Edinburgh to win 8-0.

LISTEN ONLINE AND LIVE ON BBC RADIO SHEFFIELD

Friday, 15 January, Steelers v Grenoble 1900 GMT (FM)

Saturday, 16 January, Steelers v Salzburg Red Bull 1500 GMT (Online only)

Sunday, 17 January, Steelers v Minsk 1400 GMT (1035AM)

It was one of those games that we haven't had this year. It was long overdue because we have put together performances, but not really put the puck in the net.

It was a big boost to get a win on the back of five in a row that we lost, that's not to say we weren't in any of those games because we were. It was really good to get a game like that under our belts ahead of this weekend in France.

I think that we all feel really bad for Rod Sarich. He has been out for five weeks with a broken thumb, he then broke his finger and he missed out the first round of the cup in Italy and now he has broken his foot.

I know he is desperate to show what he can do in the Continental Cup.

To have the double whammy of a broken foot right before we leave for France is bad, it's a tournament that we all want to play in and do well in against some really high level teams that we are going to be facing.

It is going to be a busy week with practise tomorrow and Wednesday and then we leave for Grenoble

That said, Roddy is pretty tough and I am sure if he can get a boot on his foot he will freeze it and play.

It is going to be a big task for us, but we have some highly-skilled players and so in some respects it will suit us more than any other team in the Elite League.

It is going to be hard for us and we will have to get used to the officiating very quickly, the refs call the game a lot tighter and it is a lot more to the standard of the NHL.

These guys are all getting graded to go to the World Championships so they don't care who you are, if you take a penalty and they see it they will call it, otherwise they will get marked down and won't advance their own careers.

On Tuesday we are back to practise and I am looking forward to getting back in the locker room. It is always a good place to be when you have won and we have some great characters. Jason Hewitt is one player who always keeps it light in there, he is just one of those characters who always has some thing to say and so he keeps us all entertained.

Anyway it's back to the books for me then an evening with the family because it is going to be a busy week with practise on Tuesday and Wednesday and then we leave for Grenoble.

Hopefully I will give you a little insight into team travel later this week. Let me tell you it's not like going on a family holiday.

Boli

You can hear all of the games on BBC Radio Sheffield

Friday, 15 January, Steelers v Grenoble 1900 GMT (FM)

Saturday, 16 January, Steelers v Salzburg Red Bull 1500 GMT (Online)

Sunday, 17 January, Steelers v Minsk 1400 GMT (1035AM)