Waterloo’s Auger retires from pro hockey
One-time Los Angeles Kings draft pick leaves game to pursue a career as a firefighter
WATERLOO — Justin Auger reached the top during his professional hockey career.
Now, the Waterloo native is hoping to climb the ladder in his second profession by fulfilling his lifelong dream of becoming a firefighter.
“Since I was 10 years old I’ve always wanted to be a firefighter,” he said. “My hockey career was amazing. I don’t have any regrets or any bad memories. But I’m looking forward to a new chapter and pursing this new goal.”
Auger was a fourth-round pick by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2013 National Hockey League draft and played two games for the club in the 2017-18 season.
The 26-year-old was coming off his best professional campaign to date with 26 goals and 20 assists in a shortened season last year for the ECHL’s Florida Everblades but opted to walk away.
“I decided to shut it down this year,” he said. “It was a tough decision not to play. It just got to the point where it felt like I accomplished what I could in the game.”
Auger came up with the Waterloo Wolves and played three seasons with the Guelph Storm where he helped the Royal City bunch capture an Ontario Hockey League championship in his final season of junior in 2014.
The next year, he hoisted the Calder Cup with the Manchester Monarchs as champs of the American Hockey League.
“It was pretty unbelievable,” he said of the back-to-back titles. “It was almost like it was easy. I wish I could go back and relive the moment and let it sink in a bit more. You don’t truly realize how hard that is until later.”
Auger’s pro career stretched six seasons with the Monarchs, Ontario Reign, Rockford IceHogs, Belleville Senators and Everblades.
A two-game stint with the NHL’s Kings was wedged in the middle.
“Even though it was just two games it’s nice to be able to say I accomplished that goal,” he said. “It’s something that gives me some satisfaction in my career.”
Last season, the six-foot-six, 230-pound winger started taking online courses to become a firefighter while playing in Florida. He now has all of the necessary certifications and licenses and is staying in shape and working in related fields — most recently in hospital patient transfer — to beef up his resume.
Auger grew up watching his now retired dad, Marc, battle blazes for 30 years, mostly out of Kitchener Fire Station 2 on Lancaster Street.
“You see your dad as a hero already and then he’s in that profession where firefighters are such role models in the community,” Auger said.
“It’s just something I’ve admired and can see myself doing one day.”
The parallels are also enticing. Like hockey players, firefighters work as a team, spend time in the community, live and eat together and work in a fastpaced environment.
“It’s another tight-knit family and that’s something that attracts me to it,” said Auger, who lives in Waterloo with his fiancée, Jenna.
But he also understands he has to pay his dues before landing a job.
“I’m going from one super competitive profession to another,” he said. “I would be happy to be anywhere but the ultimate dream would be to put on the badge in Kitchener and have those hometown ties.”