Growing up in Southern Ontario, becoming a professional hockey player is any young hockey playing kids’ dream.  It was no different for Darryl Bootland. Now entering his thirteenth professional season, and returning for a second consecutive year with the Colorado Eagles of the ECHL, Bootland embraces his veteran role both on the ice, as well as his influence in hockey outside of the rink.

“You come into pro hockey as a young kid getting all the money, with a big head.  It takes time to grow up,” explains Bootland who was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in 2000. “As a professional hockey player, I see how much you really do mean to these kids.”

Bootland embraces the role of being an ambassador in the community, and does not take for granted the unique opportunity that comes with being a professional athlete, especially in a market like Colorado. He credits a large part of his commitment to the community to his days attending Toronto Maple Leaf games as a wide-eyed 12-year kid.

“I was 12 years old at Maple Leaf Gardens and Andrew Cassels of the Montreal Canadiens skated by me and he winked at me, and I still remember that to this day. It was that much of an experience for me and I’ll never forget it. I always told myself, if I had the chance, and I’m out there on the ice, why not.  I enjoy it; I love being apart of it.”

Bootland, who has a young family himself, takes great pride in giving back to local fans, specifically those who can’t afford to attend games. He see’s the impact it can have and will cherish these memories, even after his playing career has concluded.

“You don’t realize what you can do just talking to a kid for five minutes. That could make a kid’s month,” says Bootland with a big grin. “A lot of people can’t afford to go to games, so I’ll sneak tickets to families and kids that can’t afford it. That’s just an amazing experience, to bring a kid like that into the dressing room; it’s something I’ll never forget. I try to do it as much as I can.  It’s an unbelievable feeling.”

In addition to providing tickets and giving kids a tour of the dressing room to gain a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a pro, Bootland, along with his teammates, are actively involved with community events including visits to local schools, hospitals, and coaching clinics. “There’s always something you can become involved with.”

The 33-year old Bootland has played for 13 different professional teams, including the Detroit Red Wings and their affiliate the Grand Rapids Griffins, the New York Islanders and their affiliate in Bridgeport, as well as the Manitoba Moose, Portland Pirates, two Austrian teams, two Central Hockey League teams, and three ECHL teams. Despite experience across five different professional leagues, Bootland says he’s never witnessed a fan base as passionate as the fans in Colorado.

“I see (the fans) around town.  It’s amazing how bad they want to win here. They had the chance to win a couple championships when the Eagles were in the Central Hockey League, and there are still rumblings about those days. It’s an amazing spot for us.  My family loves it here.  My wife is working full-time; my kids are in school. It’s been a great experience for all of us. We’re eventually going to retire in Colorado some day.”

Bootland says he has fans approach him outside of the rink on a regular basis, including at the grocery store and gas station. “They recognize the beard,” Bootland laughs. “They’re not shy about telling you to win or asking what the heck happened last night. It’s different. I haven’t been this recognized or talked to since I played in Detroit.”

He credits the atmosphere in the community and at the rink to the hard work and effort put in by the Eagles’ front office staff, who were recently awarded with the ECHL Marketing Award of Excellence for their marketing, sponsorship and advertising efforts.  “We’re selling out every night and it’s an amazing atmosphere in the building,” says Bootland. “I have buddies from other teams that come in and say, ‘You guys practice the National Anthem?  You guys practice the pre-game show? I’ve never seen that before at that level.’  They put on a show for a reason, the fans love it, and we love it.  I’ve never wanted to win a championship so bad in my life.”

The Colorado Eagles, who lost 4-3 in a best-of-seven Western Conference first round series to the Ontario Reign had hoped for a greater fate, especially with a tight knit roster who believed it could make a strong Kelly Cup push. “Losing game seven really hurt.  We wanted to win for each other. It was a great experience. Usually you have your little cliques but we didn’t have any. It was a pretty fun season to be apart of.”

Bootland feels a strong sense of loyalty not only to his teammates and fans, but the Eagles organization as a whole. “They’re top notch. They treat the players the right way. They treat you like they should. You want to win for the fans, the coaches, and the organization. The way they handle everything.”

Bootland scored a respectable 17 goals and 27 points in 41 games last season, good for third in goals on his team. He also chipped in 252 penalty minutes as one the team’s primary tough guys.  However, Bootland acknowledges that the time will come when he will hang up the skates. He envisions continuing a career in hockey when his playing days are over.

He is actively involved in the business side of the game, as is currently in his second season serving on the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA) player Executive Committee which provides direction and oversight in dealing with various matters of importance to the Association and its membership.  Bootland admits he was a ‘stubborn young kid’ when he first entered pro hockey, but the past few years have been an important learning curve for him.

“The past few years being a PHPA Player Representative and being elected to the Executive Committee has just been an amazing, eye-opening experience. You get to see what really goes behind the scenes in professional hockey and what the union does for players and what they’re working towards.  It’s an amazing experience that I would recommend to anyone who has the chance.  We communicate a lot more with the staff, vote on awards, which was pretty cool to have some input on that. To see how all that stuff works, it’s a learning experience and something that could help me down the road.”

In addition to his role as an Executive Committee member, Bootland also has experience running youth hockey camps in Colorado and Dallas during the offseason as well as working in a team front office environment with the Kalamazoo Wings in 2011-12, where he gained experience alongside his brother, Nick, who is the Wings’ Director of Hockey Operations and Head Coach. Much like his brother’s transition from being a player to joining a front office, Darryl doesn’t know exactly where he will land, but sees a career in hockey when he hangs up the skates.

“I think it’s going to be something in hockey. I learned a lot working in a team office and I’ve worked closely with my brother as a coach.  I’ve had a couple of offers to go over to Europe as a player-coach, and as a coach.  If you’re fortunate to stick in hockey and be around the players, it would be amazing.”