Cowboy Dave Ellett

They say all sports heroes secretly want to be rock stars. But I think a lot of hockey players secretly yearn to be a cowboy. And quite a few attempt the lifestyle after hockey.

There is definitely something about former NHLers and horses. Wayne Gretzky bought into a stable of thoroughbreds. Many others (Keith Jones, Curtis Joseph for example) had ownership of at least one thoroughbred championship horse, and many others (Wendel Clark, Brent Sutter, Tom Lysiak to name a few) had farms. Larry Robinson liked to play polo. Clint Malarchuk even became became a horse dentist.

Then there's Dave Ellett, the power play specialist with the Winnipeg Jets and Toronto Maple Leafs in the 80s and 90s. Following his playing days the Ellett family moved to Cave Creek, Arizona where the hockey vet tried his abilities out as a cowboy mounted shooter, a rodeo sport where you ride a horse around obstacles and shoot at balloons.

He may know his way around some rodeo sports, but he is no where near as good as his wife!

Find out the whole story at Dave Ellett's biography at Winnipeg Jets Legends.