This is posted on the Vipers website:Pimmer – mr. jokester and dr. hustle
by viper staff Added 2010-05-27
If you didn’t have the opportunity to see Braden Pimm play hockey, if you saw him only off the ice, you might be surprised by his intense passion for his chosen sport.
Away from the rink, or even relaxing in the team room, Braden Pimm is a younger version (he would say “much younger version”) of Bill Murray. His studied insouciance and devilish grin, together with his tendency to be “Brazen” Pimm, ready to do anything for a bit of fun, certainly have endeared him to his team mates.
Ask any Viper whom they will most miss on the bus trips and the informal team gatherings and “Pimmer” will immediately be named. Of course, the entertainment gene is treasured not just for its ability to relieve boredom; guys like Braden contribute a great deal to team morale. And his ability to selectively “goof around” is not forced behaviour; it is absolutely spontaneous.
Take for example, the May 11 celebration at City Hall. While the team stood on the stage with Mayor Lippert, Braden was up in a tree behind the stage. And last fall when the 2009 RBC rings were handed out, the players all enthusiastically shook the team owner’s hand, but Braden hugged Dr. Wray and proffered a friendly kiss.
On the ice, Dr. Hustle takes over. The wiry 6-footer not only skates well; he works hard in all areas of the ice. That’s one of the reasons he’s killed penalties all three years with the Vipers. His anticipation and ability to read the play have helped him score 7 short handed goals in his Viper career, including that important opening goal against Spruce Grove in the deciding game of this year’s Doyle Cup.
The secret to killing penalties, says Braden, “is having a really good partner. My first year, I paired with Bish (Hunter Bishop). It was all offence with him – block a shot, get the puck out, and he’d go get it! The last two years, Mike (Collins) and I have had good chemistry. I guess when it comes down to it, PK is mostly hard work, though.”
At 175 pounds, Braden’s not considered “big” by hockey standards, but he plays big, especially when playing defence deep in his zone and in laying forecheck hits on opposing defencemen. Despite this physical side to his game, he has been amazingly durable. He has missed only one game in three years of regular season and playoff hockey.
He started playing the game in his hometown of Fort St. John, but went to Notre Dame College in Wilcox, Saskatchewan to hone his game while in high school. There, he played with Kyle Bigos, among others.
He says his decision to come to Vernon was “the best decision [he] ever made. A really well-run franchise, great players and coaches, and a super place to live. Can’t go wrong there, Klepper!” He has especially fond words for owner Duncan Wray: “Nobody has more passion for the game and for winning, and nobody comes closer to a heart attack in the close games. He’s been really good to us, and I’m glad we could snag two RBC Cups for him.”
Braden attributes much of the success in the past two seasons to an especially tight-knit group of players. “Yeah, we called ourselves a band of brothers last year because that’s what we were and it just carried over to this year. We had so many guys back, and the new guys just fit in. I think we believed in each other. Going into the final game against Dauphin, we had a quiet confidence.”
He will carry that championship feeling with him to Northeastern University this fall. Actually, he’s going early. He will leave on July 7 for Boston, so that he can take a summer school class and prepare for his new role as a full-time student athlete.
He leaves with this piece of philosophy: “I like to have fun, but the most fun is winning and I’ll do just about anything for that feeling.”
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