EARLY YEARS: “Saving Slapshots: Gunnar’s Journey to Victory”

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - For the past seven years, Gunnar Boothe has made the hockey rink his home.

As a member of the Roanoke Junior Rail Yard Dawgs, Gunnar had a standout performance as goalie in 2024, when he helped his team capture the Capital Showdown championship in Maryland.

“It felt really good, knowing that we overcame the odds, and not many teams believed in us. But we ended up coming out as the champions of that tournament,” says Gunnar.

“They were the outsiders. We were the only team from Virginia playing in his age bracket, and nobody expected us to do well,” says Gunnar’s dad, Tommy Boothe.

As Boothe explains, the odds were stacked against the team for another reason, as well.

Three years earlier, in 2021, Gunnar was diagnosed with a rare disorder, Marfan Syndrome, which affects connective tissue, along with the heart and joints.

Despite the diagnosis, Gunnar still wanted to play hockey--

With the doctors’ okay, he switched to the position of goaltender.

“Most people with Marfan Syndrome, they’re not able to do any type of high-cardio sports just because of the added stress that it puts on the heart. But we’ve been extremely blessed that his doctors up there have given him the green light thus far to continue to play,” says Boothe.

Gunnar excelled, and Boothe was inspired to capture his son’s journey in a children’s book titled, “Saving Slapshots- Gunnar’s Journey to Victory.”

Among his goals, to bring awareness about Marfan’s Syndrome.

“And just to let kids see that no matter what odds are, that if they believe in themselves they can persevere and they can continue to do things if they set their mind to it,” says Boothe.

Overall, Gunnar’s prognosis is good, but his condition will likely require surgery.

The 11-year-old tires easily.

His family came to the difficult decision that this will be his final season playing travel hockey.

“As you get older, it’s more physical on the body, and we don’t want to take the chance on something happening to him,” says Boothe.

Gunnar still plans to stay involved with hockey in some way.

Learning the life lesson of having to pivot sometimes, making the intermission just part of the game.

“It was hard at times, but now that I look at it, it was one of the best things that have happened to me,” says Gunnar.

To learn more about Marfan Syndrome, click this link.