Photo Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/14771153@N04/40126011054

The NHL legend managed to balance his love for different sports and he was quite successful at combining hockey and horse racing, even though they seem like two very distant worlds.

The former NHL center and coach has always been a sporting enthusiast, and he's managed to blend his love of hockey with his passion for horse racing in a way that few can match.

Early Beginnings: A Hockey Star in the Making

Goring's love affair with hockey began early on, growing up in St. Boniface, Manitoba.

He honed his skills on the ice, eventually becoming a star player for the Regina Pats in the Western Hockey League.

Over the course of his 16-season NHL career, he played for teams like the Los Angeles Kings and New York Islanders, earning a reputation for his exceptional skating ability and leadership skills.

The Love of the Game Extends to the Racetrack

Despite his love for hockey, Goring also had a passion for horse racing. He had grown up around horses, and he even worked as a hot walker at the local racetrack during his teenage years.

However, his passion for the Sport of Kings was born when he was taken to a horse race at 13 years old, where he got hooked by the incredible atmosphere and the beauty of these creatures. His dad would give him money to place bets, and he loved the overall thrill of the sport.

As he became more involved in hockey, Goring's interest in horse racing never waned. In fact, he started to combine the two passions by owning and racing horses while still playing in the NHL. So, it’s not impossible to see him showing up on one of the road to the 2023 Kentucky Derby prep races.

One of Goring's most successful horses was a thoroughbred named Fastness. The horse won multiple stakes races and earned over $1 million in prize money.

Goring was so dedicated to the horse that he even missed a playoff game while attending the horse race at Santa Anita Park.

He got so involved with horse racing that it has started to become his number one priority, maybe even over hockey. Throughout his life, he estimates that he owned around 20 horses, and his favorite was Ack Ack’s Back, named after the Hall of Fame thoroughbred Ack Ack.

Even though the horse wasn’t that successful in the professional scene, appearing in more than 100 races and winning only 16, it got a special place in Goring’s heart.

The Perfect Combination: Hockey and Horse Racing

Most people would think that hockey and horse racing are very different sports, Goring thought differently. He said on many occasions that these sports share many similarities and require strategy, discipline, and most of all, competitive spirit.

After building a name for himself in the world of hockey and becoming the head coach of the Boston Bruins in 1986, and he also coached New York Islanders in 1994-96, he also managed to make an impact on horse racing.

He participated in a number of charity events such as the Jockey and Jeans fundraiser for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, which shows his love and support for the sport.

However, as he got involved in horse racing more, and started to breed horses, he encountered many challenges and expenses. In the end, Goring settled to be only a passionate fan of horse racing, and it turns out that his horse racing career wasn’t as successful as his hockey career.

With that said, we can still appreciate his involvement in the Sport of Kings and he has definitely proven that these two sports have a lot in common.