Ryan Pulock Calls Hometown Sign an 'Honor'

Sometimes the sign that you've made it in the NHL is exactly that - a sign.
Ryan Pulock has one now at the entrance to his hometown of Grandview, Manitoba. It reads "Home of the NHL's Ryan Pulock" complete with an action shot of the defenseman in his Islanders jersey.
"It's kind of a small-town thing to do and I think the people back there are pretty proud that I come from there," Pulock said. "They've supported me all along, so it's definitely a nice honor to see that."

Barry Trotz, a native of neighboring Dauphin, MB, didn't drive by the billboard in his summer return to Manitoba, but the small-town sign was big news, winding up in Dauphin's local paper.
"I texted him that day and said 'hey you're a big deal there for sure,'" Trotz said with a laugh. "When he signed all my friends in Dauphin and Grandview area they all asked me if he was going to buy the golf course and put his name on it."

For both Pulock and Trotz, trips to Winnipeg are about as close as they get to their hometowns during the season, and for both player and coach, it's still a special experience. Trotz, who grew up watching the original incarnation of the Jets and coached at the University of Manitoba, said he had around 200 guests for a game when he came to town with Washington.
There will surely be plenty of Pulock - and potentially a few Goring - jerseys in the stands at Canada Life Centre, a sign of support for the Manitoba Isles.
"It's definitely nice," Pulock. "A lot of family and friends always come down and this year, especially my family, they never got to see me play live last year with the pandemic, so they're pretty excited to be here tonight."