Robin Big Snake
Encyclopedia
Career
Big Snake started his hockey career in juniors with the Vancouver GiantsVancouver Giants
The Vancouver Giants are a major junior ice hockey team playing in the Western Hockey League . Inaugurated in 2001–02, the Giants have won one President's Cup in 2006 and one Memorial Cup in 2007 in their ten-season history...
in 2001. He played 19 games with the Giants before being traded to the Moose Jaw Warriors
Moose Jaw Warriors
The Moose Jaw Warriors are a major junior ice hockey team of the Western Hockey League which are based out of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. The team plays its home games at Mosaic Place. The franchise moved to Moose Jaw from Winnipeg after the 1983–84 season, where they had previously been named the...
during the 2002-03 season. At the start of the 2003-04 season, Big Snake was traded from Moose Jaw to the Portland Winter Hawks
Portland Winter Hawks
The Portland Winterhawks are a major junior ice hockey team based in Portland, Oregon, playing in the Western Hockey League, a member league in the Canadian Hockey League. They play their home games at the Memorial Coliseum, though typically a few games each season are also played in the...
for Portland's 10th, 11th, and 12th round choices in the 2003 WHL Bantam Draft. Big Snake skated the 2003-04 season with WHL's Portland Winter Hawks
Portland Winter Hawks
The Portland Winterhawks are a major junior ice hockey team based in Portland, Oregon, playing in the Western Hockey League, a member league in the Canadian Hockey League. They play their home games at the Memorial Coliseum, though typically a few games each season are also played in the...
, and reported back to the Winter Hawks after a brief appearance in the training camp of the Hartford Wolfpack of the AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
. While in Hartford's training camp, Big Snake opened the eyes of fans and scouts with a fight against veteran enforcer Trevor Gillies
Trevor Gillies
Trevor Gillies is a Canadian ice hockey player who is currently playing for the New York Islanders organization of the National Hockey League . Gillies is primarily used as an enforcer.-Playing career:...
. Upon being returned to Portland, Big Snake was released from the team after two games on October 12, 2004. Head Coach Mike Williamson would not discuss why he was released, but did say that it was a matter that could not be resolved and that it involved something "that went back a while". Williamson also did say that, when focused as a member of the team, Big Snake could be an asset to any team. Several days later, Big Snake signed with the OHL's Owen Sound Attack
Owen Sound Attack
The Owen Sound Attack are a junior ice hockey in the Ontario Hockey League since the year 2000. The Attack are based in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada.-History:...
.
Big Snake made a brief appearance in Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
training camp at the start of the 2005-06 season and eventually joined the Rockford Icehogs
Rockford IceHogs
This article is about the former UHL franchise. For the current American Hockey League franchise, see Rockford IceHogs.The Rockford IceHogs were a professional ice hockey team in Rockford, Illinois USA. They were a member of the United Hockey League from 1999 to 2007. The IceHogs played their home...
. Aside from two brief recalls to the Milwaukee Admirals
Milwaukee Admirals
The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA at the Bradley Center.-History:...
, Big Snake showed his ability to score as well as fight, posting career highs in goals (27), assists (19), points (46), and penalty minutes (423). He remained with the Icehogs during the 2006-07 UHL season, putting up 42 pts in 67 games and accumulating 330 penalty minutes. Big Snake left the Icehogs as the franchise's all-time penalty minutes leader.
In 2007-08, Big Snake started the season with the Texas Brahmas of the Central Hockey League
Central Hockey League
The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....
. He scored eight points in twenty-five games before being traded to the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees
Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees
The Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees are a professional ice hockey team based in Hidalgo, Texas, and play their home games at State Farm Arena. They are a member of the Central Hockey League, and two time Central Hockey League franchise of the year...
for the rights to forward David Masse on January 8, 2008. At the time of the trade, Masse had been suspended by the Killer Bees. Big Snake finished the season by scoring fifteen points as a member of the Killer Bees, giving him twenty-three points in fifty games played.
Big Snake signed with the Elmira Jackals
Elmira Jackals
The Elmira Jackals are an ice hockey team that play in the ECHL. Their home games are played in First Arena in Elmira, New York and they refer to themselves as "the beasts of the east"...
of the ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
in August 2008 but the team did not announce the signing until January 2, 2009.
Big Snake was signed by the Muskegon Lumberjacks for the 2009-10 IHL season. He scored one goal and four points in eighteen games. During his time with the Lumberjacks, he was suspended for twelve games for leaving the penalty box to fight Fort Wayne Komets forward Brad MacMillan. MacMillan received a fifteen game suspension, the longest in the Komets' 58 year history, and Big Snake received 12 games, also the longest in Muskegon Lumberjacks history, and an undisclosed fine. Big Snake was eligible to return from his suspension on December 3, 2009, almost a full month after he started his suspension. In "early January", Big Snake announced he was leaving the team.