For Jim Bruce, goaltending was more than just stopping pucks—it was a craft shaped by inspiration, dedication, and a little guidance from one of the game’s greatest: Tony Esposito. On a recent episode of the Goalie Resiliency Podcast Bruce, a successful North Bay businessman and owner of the Powassan Voodoos, reflects on his career with humility and deep appreciation for the Esposito family, especially Tony, whose influence helped shape his goaltending philosophy.
Growing up, Bruce idolized Tony Esposito, the Hall of Fame goaltender who revolutionized the position with his butterfly style. In 1967, as fate would have it, Bruce had the opportunity to attend a hockey school in Sault Ste. Marie, run by the Esposito family.
“My parents thought it was a good way to keep me busy during the summer,” Bruce laughs. But that trip turned into something much more. Esposito became a mentor, quietly guiding Bruce not just through the physical aspects of the game, but more importantly, the mental side.
“He was actually a very quiet individual," Bruce said during an episode of the Goalie Resiliency Podcast.
"Over the course of the hockey school, he’d ask me if I was tired. I’d say no, and eventually, I asked him why he kept asking that. He said, ‘I don’t mean physical, I mean mental.’” Esposito's advice to Bruce was simple but profound: concentration is everything. “He told me to never let my eyes leave the puck, even when it goes into the stands. It’s about getting a feel for your surroundings. That’s something that stuck with me forever.”
Bruce carried Esposito’s wisdom through his own goaltending journey. From his days playing for the Scollard Hall Bears from 1968 to 1973, where high school hockey packed Memorial Gardens in North Bay, to his philosophy in running businesses, Esposito’s influence loomed large. Bruce says, “In both goaltending and business, work ethic is paramount. If you practice hard, you play hard. That’s the same in business - if you don’t put in the work, you won’t succeed.”
A North Bay resident and entrepreneur, Bruce owns several businesses, including Average Joe's, La Huerta Imports, and co-owns racehorses.
See related: Jim Bruce wants to bring Average Joe's back to the glory days
However, his passion for hockey has never wavered. After relocating to North Bay with plans to retire, Bruce's love for the game led him to own a Junior A hockey team.
See related: How an investment in avocados led Jim Bruce to owning an NOJHL championship team
The short version of how the Powassan Voodoos were born goes like this; during a chat over coffee with the owners of Burger World on Hammond Street, Bruce says, “I got talked into buying a Jr. A hockey team.”
Under Bruce’s ownership, the Voodoos have now strung together ten successful seasons, with the apex of that success taking place in 2017 when the team won the NOJHL championship.
Bruce is especially proud of the goaltending talent that’s come through the Voodoos’ system, particularly Nate McDonald, now an OHL North Bay Battalion assistant coach and goaltending coach.
“I remember seeing Nate at a camp in Barrie. He played Triple-A in Toronto and impressed us right away. We offered him a position and it wasn’t long before he became part of the 2017 championship team. He’s a great individual, a very good goaltender, and an overall great young man.”
Despite his business success, Bruce remains deeply connected to the goaltending roots he built under the watchful eye of Tony Esposito. One of the few keepsakes from his playing days is his old JOFA goalie mask. “It gets pulled out every now and again and brings back memories,” Bruce smiles. “It’s probably from the late ‘70s or early ‘80s.”
For Bruce, the mental toughness required in goaltending has always mirrored the challenges of running a business, focusing on the principals of anticipating the challenges, staying sharp and never losing sight of your goals, as well as having the ability to adapt under pressure.
To catch the entire episode of Goalie Resiliency see below:
