Tyrone Garner facts for kids

Tyrone Garner was born on July 27, 1978. He is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played as a goaltender, which is the player who tries to stop the puck from going into the net.

Tyrone played three games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Calgary Flames. This happened during the 1998–99 season. Most of his career, from 1999 to 2007, was spent playing in smaller leagues. The New York Islanders picked him in the fourth round of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. He was the 83rd player chosen overall that year.

Tyrone Garner's Hockey Journey

Tyrone Garner had an interesting hockey career. He started in junior leagues and even played in the top NHL. Later, he faced a big challenge that made him change how he played the game.

Early Career in Junior Hockey

Before playing professionally, Tyrone Garner played in junior hockey. He was a goaltender for the Oshawa Generals in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). This is a league for young, talented players.

During the 1998–99 season, the Calgary Flames needed a goaltender quickly. They called Tyrone up from his junior team to play in the NHL. He played three games for them. After these games, he went back to the Oshawa Generals. In 1999, he was named to the OHL's second All-Star Team, which means he was one of the best goalies in the league that year.

Playing Professional Hockey

Most of Tyrone's career in North America was spent in the ECHL. This is a professional ice hockey league below the NHL. In 2002, while playing for the Greenville Grrrowl, he shared the award for the ECHL's playoff Most Valuable Player. This means he was one of the best players during the playoffs.

Overcoming an Injury

In 2005–06, while playing in Norway, Tyrone had a very serious groin injury. The muscles in his groin ripped away from the bone. Doctors told him he could not play as a goaltender for at least a year.

But Tyrone loved hockey and wanted to keep playing! So, he decided to try something new. He started playing as a forward instead of a goaltender. A forward is a player who tries to score goals. He played with the Jacksonville Barracudas in the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL). In 47 games, he scored 12 goals and helped with 10 others, getting 22 points. He stayed with the Barracudas for another season, scoring 12 goals and 27 points in 41 games.

Tyrone also played as a forward for the Brantford Blast in Major League Hockey during the 2008–09 season. He scored 11 points in 13 games. It's very unusual for a goaltender to switch to playing forward, showing how determined he was.

Playing in Europe and Australia

Besides playing in North America, Tyrone also played hockey in other parts of the world. He played in Europe, including Norway, and even in Australia. This gave him a chance to experience different hockey cultures.