Jane Emerick
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A young hockey player has taken the first step towards his dream of playing in the NHL and following in the path of other greats by competing in the 17th annual Brick Super Novice Invitational Tournament.
Josh Thrower, 10, was handpicked for the Vancouver Vipers team that traveled to Edmonton two weeks ago to play in the prestigious event.
"It is the best 10-year-old tournament in North America, if not the world," said Vipers' coach Chris Brule. "It shows these young players what they are up against and what they are going to be up against in the future."
Brule is the father of Gilbert Brule, the Vancouver hockey player drafted to the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2005 and the Vancouver Giants leading scorer last season, playing a big part in taking the team to the Memorial Cup last year. Gilbert played at the Brick tournament when he was 10, and other NHLers including Mike Comrie, Jay Bouwmeester and rookie sensation Dion Phaneuf, also used the tournament as a career launching pad.
Josh, the assistant captain the Vipers that finished 1-4, said the opportunity to play in the tournament and follow in the footsteps of his heroes was something he didn't take lightly.
"I picked it up a lot," said the Brackendale Elementary grade 5 student. "I worked harder, I skater faster and I didn't back down."
Josh also plays on the Squamish's Atom Rep team, the Eagles, and plays spring hockey in Vancouver on a team also called the Vipers. His spring league team, coached by his father Murray Thrower, also sent six other players to the squad who were selected to represent Vancouver. Thrower said he was proud of his son and the other successful players he coaches.
"They are all dedicated players who work very hard," he said. "I am humble when I talk about my kid but he has a lot to be proud of."Thrower travelled to Edmonton to watch the team play and was impressed by the level of skill.
"It was something special to be apart of," he said. "It was an awesome first class tournament. Definitely some of the kids playing will end up in the NHL."
In the end, the Vipers didn't make it to the finals, but for Josh, who scored three goals for his team, the cheering crowds and the singing of Oh Canada were moments that stood out for him. He also liked the shirt swapping that took place at the closing of the games.
"At the end Braden Point, the captain of the winning team [Alberta's Team Brick] came and found me to swap shirts," he said. "He thought I was the best player on our team."
