Washiiyeh Jeannotte is making a name for himself in the hockey world thanks to his viral videos showcasing his hockey skills.
The nine year old boy from Algonquins of Barriere Lake in Quebec, has been playing hockey since he was four.
Washiiyeh is unable to play or practice hockey due to the pandemic – so the family decided to build him and his brother Mason Ratt a backyard rink where they could hone their skills.
“Hockey is huge thing with us, we have weekend games, we have weekday practices. So for us to lose that and for the boys to lose it, we wanted to, we said we would make an outdoor rink and we had tried a bit last year but this year we wanted to make it bigger and better,” Washiiyeh’s mother Nicole Ratt told APTN News.
The rink is complete with mini boards and lights so the kids can play almost anytime, which Rat says they do almost every day.
“They’re out there every day after school, in the evenings. It’s our schedule, it’s our routine,” Ratt said.
Washiiyeh’s videos have garnered millions of views on social media – with the NHL even posting on their social media accounts.
Some of his moves have even been picked up by other hockey skill pages like Pavel Barber, better known on Instagram as hey barber.
Washiiyeh says he loves everything about the rink and being on the ice.
“Having a backyard rink is awesome. I love skating, I love doing slaphots and I love doing trick shots. I hope all you other kids keep on skating,” said Washiiyeh.
The family is also working on incorporating Indigenous music into the videos as a way to showcase their heritage.
“We were talking with my sister who is a singer for Black Bear, she sings the vocals for it as well so we were trying to incorporate some of her music in there,” said Ratt.
“We want to be able for wash to be proud of who he is so through these songs that they do sing, it makes him proud for him being first nations and being recognized at this level it was, it was a huge deal for him.”
Washiiyeh has just one reminder for all the other kids out there watching his videos
“These trick shots are fun but guys remember, the most important part about hockey is playing as a team.”
