Watch Mark Giordano(notes) the next time he stands on the blueline during the national anthem as a starter for the Calgary Flames.
On cue, just as the singer belts out the final notes, Giordano taps his helmet twice with his stick.
The gesture is designed in honour of his older sister Mia, who died in a car crash back in 1998.
"I always think about her before the games," Giordano says. "It's just sort of a little tribute thing."
Giordano revealed the reason for his tribute Saturday on Hockey Night in Canada. Clearly, it still pains him to talk about the sister he lost just as he was entering high school.
Mia was six years his senior. The family was crushed.
"You don't take things for granted," he says. "Until that happens to you, you do. You don't see things the same way after. It brought our family closer together. At the end of the day, you look at things in the big picture. We're only playing a game and it should be fun. That's what I try and take away from it."
Born and raised in Toronto, Giordano played in front of some 100 family members and friends Saturday in a 2-1 shootout victory over the Maple Leafs. Before catching the charter flight to Montreal, Giordano had time to chat, ever so briefly, with the people who matter most. They include dad Paul, a real-estate agent, mom Anna, a hairdresser, and little sister Michelle.
"The relationships you have with your family and stuff, you cherish them more," he says. "You realize that it's not there forever.
"I just try not to take it for granted, I try to work hard every day."
That hard work translated into full-time employment in the National Hockey League. The six-foot, 203-pound Giordano is the poster child for all those undrafted kids with stubborn dreams of making it to the NHL. The road is not well travelled, but Giordano muscled his way into the lineup via a last-minute invitation to Calgary's summer prospect camp (he has already enrolled in business at York University.)
In 2008, the Flames refused to offer him a one-way contract, so he bolted to Russia for a year to fine-tune his game overseas. It was a risk, but he rapidly moved up the depth chart upon his return to Calgary. This fall, he signed a five-year contract extension worth $4.02 million US annually.
Through the first half of this season, Giordano was undoubtedly one of the most valuable, if not the most valuable, members of the Flames.
"He's been unbelievable for us all season," says defensive partner Cory Sarich(notes). "He comes and plays so hard every night. He wants to win. He's doing a great job. He takes care of himself away from the ice. You know, he's what it's all about. He has a great teammate.
"He's fun to watch every night. I know he's had to block a few of my mistakes, so I'm just trying to return the favour whenever I can."
Giordano leads all Calgary defencemen with 18 points. He sits second in the NHL with 121 blocked shots.
That stat can sometimes cut both ways with the block leading to a goal against. High risk, high reward.
"I think he's been a little bit frustrated as of late just with all the pucks going in the net," Sarich says. "He blocked a shot (Saturday) night, and I'm like, 'great block.' It goes right to a guy in the slot, and he turns around and gets a chance. It's going to happen. A lot of times, you block a shot and you can't tell where it's going to go."
Sounds a lot like life. The Giordano family knows that better than most after losing a daughter and a sister.
"My parents have been through a lot," Giordano says. "I know they always think of it, but I hope it can take their mind away from it for those few hours that I'm playing.
"Obviously, it was the toughest time of our lives, but afterwards, we've always remained close. It makes you not take things for granted."
Tap, tap.
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