A promising young junior hockey player in Montreal is being forced to choose between his religious beliefs and his desire to play the game.
Benjamin Rubin, an 18-year-old forward with NHL hopes, was not with his Gatineau Olympiques teammates when they loaded onto the bus Friday for a weekend road trip.
As an Orthodox Jew, Rubin is not allowed to travel or play hockey on the Sabbath, from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. Nor can he answer the phone, work, or drive a vehicle during that period, according to the rules of the religion.
The team has told Rubin to make a choice, stating that while they want to respect his religious beliefs, it's also important to keep the team together.
Come next week, depending on Rubin's decision, he may or may not be a member of the Gatineau Olympiques.
"I'm not really sure yet, but I think I will be," he told CTV Montreal.
The team's management has given him until Sunday to make his choice -- either travel with the team whenever it heads out of town, or hand in his jersey.
"After that, he has to be a member of the club 100 per cent," said coach Charles Henry.
It's not the first time Rubin has had difficulties reconciling his faith with passion for the game. Last year he played for the Quebec Remparts Major Junior hockey team, and was coached by NHL hall-of-famer Patrick Roy.
Roy agreed to work around Rubin's Sabbath requirements, but it was tough to make the arrangement work, and Rubin was traded this year to the Olympiques.
In the past, high profile athletes have faced similar challenges. Sandy Koufax once sat out a World Series game because it fell on Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement.
And former Blue Jay Shawn Green sat out a game during the pennant race with the L.A. Dodgers.
But in order to respect the Sabbath this hockey season, Rubin would have to miss eight games.
"Something is going to have to give. Either his hockey career, or something with regard to the Sabbath," said Reuven Bulka, Rubin's rabbi.
With a report from CTV Montreal's Jed Kahane
