KITCHENER -- A former Guelph Storm player has traded in his hockey jersey for a new uniform, joining Guelph police in their newest round of recruits.
Brandon Buck, who played for the Storm from 2006 to 2009, was sworn in with the Guelph Police Service last Thursday along with five other new constables.
“I'm really excited to be back in the city," Buck said. "It's a beautiful city, somewhere I've always loved to come back."
After leaving the Storm, Buck's hockey career took him to Florida and Houston with the ECHL and American Hockey League. He also spent nine years playing in Europe, including on teams in Norway, Croatia, Switzerland and Germany.
As the COVID-19 pandemic hit and sports shut down all around the world, Buck said he decided it was time to hang up the skates and look toward a future in policing. He applied for the Guelph Police Service in the spring of 2020.
"I kind of started prepping really hard for the interview process and all that stuff probably about three years ago," he said.
Buck's wife is from Guelph and he said he spent a lot of time in the city even after his OHL career ended.
"We have two kids, so spending time down here so my kids can see their grandparents," Buck said. "I didn't apply to very many places and Guelph was high on my list. It was place that, I knew if I was able to get a job, I'd be very comfortable in the city and I'm really happy it worked out that way."
Buck said he enjoyed spending time in the community during his time with the Storm, and he's looking forward to engaging with Guelph residents in his new role with police.
"Dealing with people, that's what I've always loved to do," he said. "I'm somebody that can never sit still for more than five minutes, so the thought of leaving hockey and sitting behind a desk and not being able to interact with people on a daily basis, that didn't interest me. So, I've been interested in policing for a long time as I kind of went on in my career."
Buck said his time on the ice and in the locker room will help him as he moves into this new role.
"The easiest aspect for me is just meshing in that team atmosphere," he said. "Policing, it is your platoon all the time and it's the same people. It's just like being in a locker room, really."
Buck also highlighted the importance of staying on top of both his physical and mental health now that he's joined the police service.
"You're making sure your mind's right and, if your body is feeling right, then it's all going to click together," he said.
Buck and his family moved back to the city last week. He said he's looking forward to getting back out into the area and revisiting places he got to know when he played for the Storm.
"It's been a while since I played for the team, so my face isn't as familiar as maybe it was 10 years ago," he said. "But, I've already run into some people around town, getting a haircut and things like that. For example, I was getting a haircut last week and it's the same people running Franco's (Barber Shop), where I used to go when I was 19 years old. So, just catching up with people and letting them know I'm back, it's pretty special."
