One would describe M'Baku Olubori in many words—loud, aggressive, braggadocious, intense—he’s never one short on words, always running his mouth to entertain his peers or torment his opponents. This is a story where he was struck speechless.

Growing up in Abuja, Nigeria, there isn’t a ton of interest in ice hockey (and for a young person, even fewer players who looked like you). As he was learning the sport, Baku immediately felt drawn to the Okoli family—Emeka Valentine-Okoli and his nephew, Ren-Ekelemchi Shimizu-Okoli. Both played their junior hockey for the Colorado Raptors before going onto journeymen careers in the SHL (EVO with San Francisco and RESO with Seattle and Edmonton). On the surface, they certainly don’t seem like the sort of players that young people would look up to or idolize. Baku isn’t most people. He noted how hard they worked on the ice, regardless of the talent edge other players might have over them, and, at the end of the day, they were professional athletes that looked like Baku.

Baku never really expected to play in the SHL—he came to hockey later than many of his peers and lacked the opportunities for development, coaching, and international exposure many others in his age group had. Still, when the opportunity to sign with a pro agent in North America (the notorious Johnny Hamilton), he left the floundering Swiss juniors team he’d been playing with to take his chances. Much of the focus at the S64 SMJHL Draft was on Baku getting drafted 4th overall by the Regina Elk, but the most memorable moment for Baku came the next day when Hamilton organized a surprise meeting between RESO, his uncle-agent EVO, and the young Olubori. You could see the swagger drain as he looked up and saw two of his childhood idols rise from their chairs to shake his hand.
The normally confident (some would say arrogant) young man turned immediately reverent, listening intently to the British-Nigerian-Japanese amalgamations tell stories and share advice. If asked, he would deny it, but anyone who saw the moment would be hard pressed to doubt this was one of the greatest moments of M'Baku’s life.

@ProjectSaint