Jim Marquardt was 16 and in search of some privateness. He had an vital letter to put in writing and his quick consideration span couldn’t compete with the TV in the lounge, so he retreated upstairs to his sister’s bed room.
He shut the door and began scribbling. It was a Saturday evening, and whereas his mind was telling his proper hand what to put in writing on the white authorized pad, his ears had been listening to the St. Louis Blues hockey sport. He liked the workforce and particularly its goaltender, Mike Liut. He tuned into KMOX radio to listen to Corridor of Fame broadcaster Dan Kelly belt out, “What a spectacular save by Liut!”
On this explicit evening, the amount was low as a result of Marquardt needed to be dialed in. In a web page or two, the highschool sophomore needed to seize what to say to his sports activities hero.
He poured his coronary heart into his phrases, and as a poor scholar hoping for the letter to be excellent, he later took it to his English instructor for assist. The instructor questioned why a scholar with flunking grades was instantly motivated however made the corrections nonetheless. It was handwritten, so each mistake meant a rewrite. The ultimate product was 5 pages and took a month to complete.
“I keep in mind every thing I wrote in that letter,” says Marquardt, now 59.
Mike, my title is Jim Marquardt. I play hockey, and I’m attempting to study the most effective I can. I watch you play, however there’s a lot that I don’t know. I want some assist.
Marquardt quizzed Liut on how he defended a two-on-one rush, how he handled strain, how he forgot a nasty aim. However this communication was greater than an aspiring goalie asking technical questions of an expert. The teenager didn’t have a hockey workforce. He was academically ineligible to play in his first three years of highschool. And he had a troubled dwelling life.
Marquardt’s household — father Gene, mom Evelyn, brothers Invoice and Mark, and sister Jackie — had been his world, however there was alcoholism, combating and melancholy. His siblings sheltered him from a variety of the heartbreak. When one thing was taking place he shouldn’t see, they’d say, “Jim, why don’t you go exterior?” However they couldn’t shield him from every thing. Dad was a cab driver who spent a variety of late nights in a pool corridor, and there have been mornings when Marquardt knew he wasn’t getting a journey to high school and made the two-mile stroll.
“My dad and mom needed the most effective for all of us, however their life had been tough,” he says. “I liked them dearly, however there have been issues — wanting again, it was a brutal atmosphere. Hockey was my ‘In case of emergency, break glass!’”
And Liut was the mentor that Marquardt desperately wanted.
The fascination began with the masks — all white, contoured to account for facial options, with cut-out holes for the eyes and air flow.
To Marquardt, Liut was the Iron Man superhero within the Marvel Comedian assortment. When Marquardt performed hockey each Saturday morning within the basement of his childhood buddy Bob’s house, each needed to be the goalie as a result of that’s who wore Liut’s jersey. “I’m Mike! I’m Mike!”
When Marquardt wasn’t enjoying, he was filling up a scrapbook with newspaper clippings about Liut. He recorded video games on TV, and when Liut made a glove save, he’d hit rewind and rewatch it in slow-motion. “How’d he do this?”
Mike Liut’s signature masks was an inspiration to Jim Marquardt. (Picture courtesy of the Blues)
Marquardt watched all of Liut’s postgame interviews, even altering the channel to listen to the identical feedback time and again. As soon as, the goalie was a visitor DJ on a neighborhood radio station and Marquardt known as in to ask a query. Mike, that is Jim from St. Louis. How do you retain so cool?
“My life was a large number and Mike was the calm,” he says. “He was every thing as a human being that I needed to be. I believed, ‘How do I get there?’”
He hoped Liut would reply to the letter, however Marquardt first needed to get it to him.
He purchased a single ticket to a Blues sport, and his dad dropped him off in his cab. His seat was within the rafters, however he walked right down to the bench. He had put the letter in an envelope with “Mike Liut” written on either side, so if it flipped over within the air, his title would nonetheless be going through up. He reached over the glass and launched it from his fingertips.
Marquardt took off working as a result of he was anxious about getting reprimanded by an usher. A number of rows up, he turned and watched then-Blues coach Jacques Demers scoop up the letter and slip it into the pocket of his brown swimsuit.
“Half of me was optimistic, pondering, ‘Jacques would possibly give it to Mike,’” he says. “The opposite half of me was pondering, ‘He’s by no means going to get it.’”
Days turned to weeks, weeks to months, and Marquardt figured any extra pointers from Liut must come from TV. Then someday, as he arrived dwelling from faculty, Jackie got here sprinting out of the home. She had a giant white envelope with “St. Louis Blues” written on it. “Jim, look!” she shrieked.
Marquardt sat shocked. It took him a second to open the letter. When he did, what he pulled out was an autographed image: “Greatest needs, Mike Liut.” Then a two-page handwritten letter on white paper: “Hey Jim, right here’s solutions to your questions. I hope this helps you!”
Liut supplied tips on enjoying the place and private phrases of recommendation: “The one individual you must fulfill is your self.”
The letter Mike Liut wrote to Jim Marquardt. (David Foley / Particular to The Athletic)
At that time in his life Marquardt says he was a misplaced soul. He wasn’t going to jail, however he wasn’t going wherever.
“What Mike did for me, writing again, it was like placing jumper cables on a lifeless battery,” he says. “I used to be the lifeless battery. Mike was the cost.”
His sister, who’s one 12 months older and was headed off to varsity quickly, noticed potential.
“Jim has at all times had a young coronary heart,” Jackie says. “He simply didn’t trust in himself. Mike got here alongside when it was the correct time for Jim to have a mentor.”
Marquardt returned to high school and instructed academics that he had a goal: He simply needed to play hockey earlier than he left that constructing.
With just one extra alternative to make that occur as a senior, Marquardt’s grades instantly soared, and when Mr. Gilbert, his historical past instructor, flipped an “F” to a “D,” he was lastly eligible.
There have been nonetheless two points: He didn’t have gear, and he couldn’t skate.
Marquardt’s dad had an thought for the goalie gear, calling the Blues to see if they’d some on the market. The workforce invited them to The Area and into the locker room, the place Marquardt was mesmerized when he noticed Liut’s jersey hanging in his stall.
There have been two choices for the goalie pads: an outdated, beat-up set belonging to Liut, or a brand-new set that Michel “Bunny” Larocque had left in St. Louis.
Surprisingly, Marquardt didn’t select Liut’s set. “Larocque’s pads had been simply attractive,” he says.
Jim Marquardt’s goalie pads. (David Foley / Particular to The Athletic)
Marquardt was now a highschool backup goalie sporting NHL pads, however whereas he regarded the half, he was hanging onto the boards in follow and teammates had been mocking him.
Marquardt was additionally, nonetheless, hanging onto Liut’s phrases.
“I have to’ve checked out that letter 100 occasions earlier than enjoying within the video games,” he says.
Marquardt logged all of his video games in a journal. “You must work in your focus!” one entry stated. He additionally stored notes about how Liut carried out: “Man, Mike did nice!”
Marquardt progressed to the purpose the place he took over the beginning goalie job, and on the verge of a shutout one evening, the gang began chanting: “Li-ut! Li-ut!”
However identical to that, Marquardt’s aggressive hockey profession was over, virtually as quickly because it began. In his solely 12 months of eligibility, he was the rookie of the 12 months. Within the grainy workforce image, he’s holding a goalie follow “Liut” written in black marker.
Within the 4 a long time since, Marquardt married his spouse, Chris, and the couple had two kids, daughter Kenna and son Brett. He labored within the meals trade for about 25 years after which in HVAC and plumbing for 10.
Going again to his late 20s, he additionally stored part-time jobs at a lot of native church buildings, typically working with youths. It was a approach of paying it ahead. “Perhaps I might help these guys get via it,” he says.
For 9 years, that part-time job was at The Crossing church. He discovered it extra fulfilling than his day job. He was additionally jealous that his spouse, a instructor for 29 years, received “to alter lives daily.” So final 12 months, he took a full-time place on the church.
At The Crossing, campus pastor Angela Beise now sees Marquardt altering lives.
“He desires younger folks to find what he found and keep away from the heartache he’s skilled,” Beise says. “He discovered hope and a option to preserve going.”
They discovered about Marquardt’s compassion on the church, and so they additionally discovered about his tattoo. Biese jokes that when she first noticed it, she thought it was from the film “Silence of the Lambs.”
Marquardt had been fascinated with getting a hockey tattoo for some time, and his spouse instructed him, “After I take into consideration you, I image Liut’s masks.” He lastly received it accomplished at age 54.
Jim Marquardt shows his Mike Liut tattoo. (David Foley / Particular to The Athletic)
It was the tattoo that led to Marquardt assembly Liut. He and Kenna attend one sport per season, and final 12 months’s occurred to be the weekend Liut was inducted into the Blues Corridor of Fame (Jan. 20, 2024).
After a 3-0 win over the Washington Capitals, dad and daughter had been leaving when Kenna bumped into some pals. Whereas she was speaking to them, Marquardt noticed hockey reporter Andy Strickland and confirmed him his tattoo. Inside seconds, Strickland was ushering them to a set.
“My dad was like, ‘We’re going to satisfy Liut!’” Kenna says.
The dialog lasted lower than 10 minutes, which wasn’t almost sufficient time.
So one 12 months later, on Jan. 25, The Athletic introduced them again collectively.
Originally of their two-hour go to, Liut embraced Marquardt and recalled their temporary assembly a 12 months earlier.
“I believed it was going to be a bit meet-and-greet, like, ‘Hey, you had been my favourite participant,’” Liut stated. “However you began telling me the story, and it was like a freaking avalanche.”
“Yeah, I used to be like, ‘How do I say thanks’ in a couple of minutes?” Marquardt stated. “Had I identified I used to be going to have this chance …”
Mike Liut listens to Jim Marquardt’s story. (David Foley / Particular to The Athletic)
Marquardt instructed Liut he was a hero to a younger, impressionable child who felt a powerful want to speak that in his letter so way back. Getting a reply from his favourite participant was “life-changing.”
“I believed, ‘Now I’ve a course in life,’” Marquardt stated.
Liut known as that the profound a part of being an expert athlete.
“However what we will’t totally perceive is that among the folks we meet are struggling,” Liut stated. “We don’t have the capability as 20-something-year-olds to know what precisely we’re wading into. So I’m responding to you, however I’m not responding with the concept that I’m serving to tackle that. I wouldn’t know how you can begin that letter as a result of I’m not certified. What hit me was, ‘What number of youngsters did I not have this impact on as a result of I didn’t observe via?’”
“The flip facet of the coin,” Marquardt stated.
“Yeah, the flip facet,” Liut replied, beginning to tear up.
Marquardt grabbed Liut’s hand to appease him.
“You’re not going to succeed in all people, nevertheless it’s figuring out how far the influence can go,” Liut stated. “I’ve at all times struggled with, ‘Have I put sufficient again?’”
“You’ve put greater than sufficient again,” Marquardt stated. “You’ve touched lives like mine.”
After which Marquardt pulled out the letter that Liut despatched him greater than 4 a long time in the past.
Mike Liut reads the letter he wrote to Jim Marquardt. (David Foley / Particular to The Athletic)
The creator, now 69, acknowledged the handwriting and started studying the phrases he wrote when he was simply 27.
Jim, thanks for the encouragement. All of us have ups and downs in life, it’s simply the way you deal with your self and know issues at all times get higher. The one individual that you must fulfill is your self. Success will floor ultimately.
“See, this was straightforward stuff for me,” Liut stated. “However once more, I’m probably not choosing up on how a lot you’re hurting.”
“How determined I used to be,” Marquardt stated. “I had no confidence again then. The one individual in my sphere of life was me. It was inhabitants one, and it was like, ‘He took time for me?’ So yeah, that was probably the greatest saves you ever made.”
Marquardt instructed Liut about his dad getting the goalie gear from the Blues.
“You made the mistaken alternative, proper?” Liut stated.
“I did,” Marquardt confirmed. “I needed yours as a result of it was you, however the others, I’m speaking brand-spanking-new leather-based. My father, wow, he wrote a verify for $250. He noticed one thing with this sport and realized it was greater than a need. He stated, ‘My son wants this.’”
Liut almost got here out of his chair at that.
“Take into consideration that!” he stated. “Your dad, this was not straightforward for him to do, and he finds a option to get it accomplished.”
Because the dialog continued, Marquardt up to date Liut on his life, together with his new job.
“I’m going to work with as many individuals as humanly potential, so I can cross that baton on such as you handed it on to me,” Marquardt stated.
Liut acknowledged his position, however insisted that Marquardt was answerable for the end result.
“Clearly I lived as much as what you had in your thoughts, however all of that is only a easy act of kindness,” Liut stated. “I’m comfortable, happy and thrilled that I had that influence on you. However I simply did it since you requested me about enjoying goalie. I had individuals who did a lot for my profession that this was simply perfunctory. You took it precisely for what it’s — anyone on the market cared sufficient about me to reply.
“It does present some context in my life, and I really feel actually good about it. However you probably did this. You probably did the work and made your self a greater individual. It’s in all of us to be good folks. It’s simply within the selections that we make.”
Earlier than the 2 went their separate methods, they walked into a close-by locker room the place Marquardt had laid out his Liut assortment, that includes a number of scrapbooks, footage, a stick, a jersey and people attractive Michel “Bunny” Larocque pads.
Jim Marquardt and Mike Liut. (David Foley / Particular to The Athletic)
“What I introduced right here is my time capsule,” Marquardt stated.
And the gadgets had been Liut’s to maintain.
“I wish to provide you with these items,” Marquardt stated. “That is my childhood. That is a part of my coronary heart and soul I wish to provide you with as a result of I simply wish to say, ‘Mike, it was you.’ I wish to say thanks for the letter that you simply took time to put in writing. I really like you for what you’ve accomplished for my life.”
(High illustration: Demetrious Robinson / The Athletic, with photographs from David Foley / Particular to The Athletic, and courtesy of Jim Marquardt)