Ķēniņš recalls dangerous misunderstanding with US police

Latvian hockey player Ronalds Ķēniņš has told the outlet Delfi, in its "D sektors" series, about his time in North America, including a dangerous misunderstanding with US police. The headline of the interview quotes him as saying he almost got shot. The NHL is North America's top professional hockey league.

Superstars in the dressing room

In the Vancouver team's dressing room, Ķēniņš saw how the world's best hockey players live and work. The brothers Henrik and Daniel Sedin were the first into the gym and the last to leave, even after games in which they had scored several points. The Latvian was surprised not only by the superstars' work ethic and their attitude to the millions they had earned, but also by how they dealt with US police.

Life in Utica

Not all of Ķēniņš's North American experience was tied to the glamour of the NHL. Before establishing himself with Vancouver, he spent some time with its farm club, the Utica Comets, based on the outskirts of New York State. Life there was very different from what he knew in Latvia or Switzerland, where he had played earlier.

Knowing he would have to travel for away games during the season, Ķēniņš wanted to look after safety and searched for a suitable, safe place for his partner to live. While gathering information, however, he made a mistake that could have ended very badly. He still hears the shout in his ears: "Hands up, don't come any closer!"