Theoren Fleury

Wally was a hockey player whose dreams of a professional career ended when he broke his leg playing baseball in the summer of 1963; the injury helped fuel a drinking problem.

Donna was a quiet, religious woman who battled drug addiction for many years.

Fleury is of Métis heritage and his grandmother Mary was Cree.

Fleury was subject to racism for being of the Metis descent throughout his playing career.

Theoren Wallace "Theo" Fleury (born June 29, 1968) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, author and motivational speaker.

Fleury played for the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL), Tappara of Finland's SM-liiga, and the Belfast Giants of the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League.

Fleury was born on June 29, 1968, in Oxbow, Saskatchewan, the first of Wally and Donna Fleury's three sons.

The Fleurys lived in Williams Lake, British Columbia, for four years, a period that saw Theo's brother Ted born in 1970, before settling in Russell, Manitoba, by 1973, the year his youngest brother Travis was born.

Wally worked as a truck driver and maintenance worker at the arena in Russell.

Fleury and his family shared a passion for music.

One of his fondest memories when he was a child was listening to his grandfather play the fiddle.

Fleury's father was a talented man who could play a variety of instruments, such as the piano and guitar.

This passion for music brought happiness and joy to Theoren and his family as it was a part of their Metis heritage growing up.

Always one of the smallest children in his class and without stable supervision at home, Fleury adopted an aggressive posture and later described himself as a bully.

He turned to hockey as an outlet when he borrowed an old pair of skates and a broken stick to play his first game at the age of five.

From that point on, he played hockey at every opportunity, often accompanying his father to the arena in Russell in the pre-dawn hours.

He was described by his teachers as a determined youth, who would repeat any activity he failed at until he got it right.

Although his mother was a Jehovah's Witness, Fleury was raised as a Roman Catholic.

He attended mass from age 6 to 12, serving as an altar boy until the church's priest died of a heart attack, depriving Fleury of one of his early positive influences.

Always lacking money and stable home life, Fleury received support from the hockey community, in particular the Peltz family in Russell, who ensured that he and his brothers were fed and bought them new clothes when required.

In January 1982, Fleury's dreams of playing in the NHL nearly ended at the age of 13 when, during a game, he suffered a deep cut under his arm that severed his brachial artery.

He missed nearly a year of contact hockey as a result.

He was drafted by the Flames in the 8th round, 166th overall, at the 1987 NHL Entry Draft, and played over 1,000 games in the NHL between 1989 and 2003.

One of the smallest players of his generation, Fleury played a physical style that often led to altercations.

As a junior, he was at the centre of the infamous Punch-up in Piestany, a brawl that resulted in the disqualification of both Canada and the Soviet Union from the 1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

Once considered unlikely to play in the NHL due to his small size, Fleury scored over 1,000 points in his career, placing him 61st in career NHL scoring and won the Stanley Cup in 1989 with the Flames.

During his career Fleury recorded 90+ points four times, and 100+ points twice.

In 1995, he was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, and his annual charity golf tournament has helped raise more than $1 million for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada.

He twice represented Canada at the Winter Olympics, winning a gold medal in 2002.

Throughout his career, he battled drug and alcohol addictions that ultimately forced him out of the NHL in 2003.

He played one season in the British Elite Ice Hockey League in 2005–06, and made two attempts to win the Allan Cup.

After an unsuccessful NHL comeback attempt with the Flames, he retired in 2009.

Outside of hockey, Fleury overcame his addictions, operated a concrete business in Calgary with his family, and filmed a pilot for a reality television show about it.

He marketed his own brand of clothing, which led him to play two professional baseball games for the Calgary Vipers of the Golden Baseball League.

Fleury co-wrote Playing with Fire, a best-selling autobiography released in October 2009, in which he revealed that he had been sexually abused by former coach Graham James.

Fleury filed a criminal complaint against James, who subsequently pleaded guilty to charges of sexual assault.

Fleury has since become an advocate for sexual abuse victims and developed a career as a public speaker.

He was a recipient of the Indspire Award in the sports category in 2013.

Additionally, Theoren hosts the "Theo Fleury 14 Hockey Camp" which helps to teach, inspire and educate young hockey players ages 6 to 16.

Moreover, Fleury travelled to Vancouver in 2013 where he assisted and co-hosted the 19th Annual Aboriginal Achievement Awards.