OTTAWA — For 23 years, Chris Phillips has been known for his role in the community, his place in fan hearts, and even for a ‘Big Rig’ beer on fridge shelves.
Phillips shared emotional moments with more than 200 personal guests and was joined on the ice by his family — wife Erin, his partner in so many community and business endeavours, and children Ben, Zoe and Niomi. Alongside them were Phillips’ mother, Carol and his sister, Jennifer.It was a recurring theme.
Phillips’ father, Garth, was legally blind from diabetes. His mother suffered from multiple sclerosis and contracted a virus so severe it left her confined to a wheelchair.Afterwards, Phillips said he was wearing a new dress shirt, and on the cuff, he discovered, were the initials GP. It was as though the spirit of Garth Phillips himself put the initials there to be part of the event. And Chris had no idea until he put the shirt on for the occasion.
Looking on during the ceremony was another former housemate — the lone player on the Buffalo Sabres bench, Curtis Lazar. Mark Borowiecki, a defensive-minded defenceman on the current Senators, says he had a blue-collar blueprint in the selfless play of Anton Volchenkov and Phillips. A Kanata native, Borowiecki watched them first as a fan, then later became a Phillips teammate.
"As time moved on, I found my way as a shutdown defenceman, as I wasn’t a very good goal scorer." Phillips deadpanned. Known for his steady play in the regular season, Phillips had the ability to elevate for the post-season.
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