INSIDE HOCKEY

Benjamin Rubin, a left wing rookie with the Quebec Ramparts, is the first observant Jew playing as a professional outside Israel. Thanks to team owner, GM and coach, the Hall of Fame goalie Patrick Roy, he is allowed to skip games played on the Shabbat and major Jewish holidays.

Much attention has been made to Rubin's religious observance, but the real reason why he's playing for the defending Memorial Cup champions is because he's got serious skill.

"I'm a power forward, I've got a lot of speed," Rubin said when asked to describe his style. "I like to take it in hard and try to beat the D-men. I play hard in the corners and create scoring chances. Before this year, I was a right wing. But this year, I moved to left wing because it's easier to break the puck out of the zone."

Rubin is cognizant of the fact that his religious observance -- and the consequent media attention -- can be a distraction to the team, and so he is trying to keep as low a profile as possible.

"I don't think Patrick wants too much attention to be paid to me," he said. "I told the media person not to let any more interviews. It was too much, the story was known, and I was worried that the team wouldn't appreciate it."

The Remparts have also been extremely supportive, making it as easy as possible for him to pursue his dream.

"The team handles it really well," he said. "They do their best to try to help me, and when I miss games (after Shabbat, I need to be there at a certain time), they make the effort so that I get a kosher meal and make sure that everything is going all right for me."

Rubin's dream is to play in the NHL, but the path to get there will be extremely challenging. Just as in the QMJHL, teams in the AHL play frequently on Friday nights, and it will be difficult for him to find teams willing to accept his limiting schedule. If he continues to develop and manages to outplay his competition, six nights per week of Benjamin Rubin might just be enough to convince an NHL club to take a flyer on him. But he'll need to suit up for an NHL team that doesn't play frequently on Friday nights or Saturday afternoons (this season, the Canadiens and Bruins fit that bill, each playing only six games on Shabbat).

Rubin is coming to New York City on December 23rd and 24th to participate in a two day clinic with world class stick handling instructor Sean Skinner. Skinner is currently working for the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation. He also coaches the Israeli Jr. National Team, and has worked with the Buffalo Sabres, Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues, and the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL. Skinner is also an observant Jew.

"He's a great role model, and I've waited for something like this to happen for a long time," said David Stern, head of the NY IceCats. "Parents say things like 'It's not a Jewish sport,' and so on. But if there's enough reinforcement and support, you can do anything in this country. It's a great confirmation of the values of religious freedom that someone like Benji can do what he's doing. He will have a lot of personal challenges, but he's the first to get as far as he's gotten."

On Saturday night, December 23rd, at 8:30pm Benjamin and Sean will hit the ice at Chelsea Piers for a skill demonstration. We invite all Hockey playing youngsters to join us on the ice and share the experience (full equipment required). On Sunday, December 24, from 12:00 to 3:00pm, Benjamin and Sean will conduct a Hockey clinic at Chelsea Piers. Everybody (age 10 and up) is invited to join the IceCats (cost: $50).