Ukrainian teens playing hockey with Calgary Royals U18 AAA after war pushed them to Canada yyc
Mark and Danyil both have lifelong dreams of playing hockey in the NHL, and their families were encouraged to choose Canada when the war pushed them out of Ukraine with the hope that it might bring them closer to their goals.Article content
The tryouts are gruelling, with four rounds of cuts against about 180 teens, a U18 AAA camp with the top 60, a game with the top 40, and then a week-long camp for the best 26 players. From the camp, the coaches select their 20-player team.Head coach Chris Williams said he could tell right away that these were two players who had played high-level hockey, been exposed to good coaching and had played against some strong competition.
Someone from the local hockey community stepped up to buy new skates for Mark and Danyil, and the owner of Adrenalin Source For Sports Calgary donated new pants to Mark. Others from Calgary’s hockey and Ukrainian communities have also helped them with team fundraising and other necessary support.‘A huge part of our team’
Williams said it’s been interesting to work with the boys and overcome the language barrier, as they learn English and he tries to learn some Ukrainian. It’s also been great to see their families become involved with the team and volunteer their time to help out, he said., which runs from Dec. 27 to Jan. 1 at Max Bell Arena and the Seven Chiefs Sportsplex on Tsuut’ina Nation.Williams said it’ll be fun to watch Mark and Danyil experience the massive competition for the first time.
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