SCOTT
GOMEZ

Name: Scott Gomez
Date of Birth: 12/23/79
Place of Birth:  Anchorage, Alaska.
Height: 5/11
Weight: 180
Position: Center
Shoots:  Left
1998-99 Team: Tri-City Americans
Acquired: 1998 NHL Entry Draft (1st round, 27 overall).

Stats:

Year       Team     League     GP  G  A  Pts.  PIM
1996-97 Surrey    BCJHL      56  48 76 124   94
1997-98 Tri-City    WHL        45  12 37  49    57
                USA      WJC-A       7    1   0    1      2
1998-99  Tri-City    WHL       58  30 78 108   55
                 USA     WJC-A       6    3   7   10     4
Other:  The Devils have high expectations in regards to Scott. Scott by-passed AHL hockey and headed straight to the NHL.   Scott is the first NHL player of hispanic descent. His mother is Columbian and his father is Mexican. You would probably would think that because of his descent, Scott would speak fluent Spanish.  He does not.  However he does understand it fluently.  Scott has two sisters, one 3 years older and one who is 6 years younger, and no brothers.   His sisters both learned Spanish from their parents but, Scott did not because his father prefered him to be on the ice practicing.   His family could not really afford the equipment needed for Scott's hockey, so they would buy used equipment and get less things for the girls.  His sisters take a unselfish stance on that fact however, saying that they really didn't mind it and it was for the good of the whole family. 

Scott told his father a few times that he did not want to play hockey anymore.  He said it was too expensive and it took up too much of his time to just be a teenager.  His father would not hear of it and told him to give it all he could anyways.  Mostly his father would guilt trip him into another year.  Lucky for all of us.