Two 13-year-old Squamish boys have been invited to be a part of the first North American hockey team to be invited to a prestigious Russian tournament.
Dalton Thrower and Brodyn Nielson, who attend the David Roy Pursuit of Excellence program in Kelowna, were invited to the team by coach Mark Vershinin. The boys came to know Vershinin through Josh Dickman who also goes to the hockey school."It's a fantastic opportunity. It's quite an honour," said Murray Thrower, Dalton's father.
The tournament will be held in St Petersburg, from April 28 to May 4, will involve 12 games in 20 days. The Nikolai Puchkov Memorial Tournament - named after the legendary Russian national player who passed away last August - will feature three of Russia's top hockey teams from the 1993 age group as well as teams from Belarus Finland and Latvia.
"It's going to be good experience playing Russian teams and teams all over the European area," said Dalton.
On the team called the North American Selects, there are four Canadians, six Americans, four Russians and two Finnish players. "We scouted from British Colombia to California to Finland to Russia," said Birger Joehnk, manager of the team who is from New Jersey. "There were good reports first on Dalton then Brodyn."
The team, which hasn't played a single game together, will be playing against some well-oiled Russian teams who have been playing together for several years.
"The great challenge initially will be how quickly the team can adapt," said Joehnk. "By the end they will do very well."The team got invited to the tournament because Vershinin, who is from the Ukraine, played in the Russian Elite league and has connections with the tournament organizers.
A part from playing hockey, the team will also get to explore St. Petersburg, visit historic sites and learn about Russian culture. They will also be staying with other teams from around the world in the complex where the Red Army National Team trains."Hockey aside, it's going to be a great cultural experience," Thrower said.
Thrower said he's hoping that this tournament will improve Dalton's skills and help him to be picked in the bantam draft next year for the Western Hockey League. He also hopes it will eventually lead to an NHL career for Dalton.
"This is a big year coming up. An exposure is good exposure," he said. "It will pay dividends for the bantam draft."
Dalton and Brodyn are training at David Roy's Pursuit of Excellence for an intense two hour practice five or six times a day with an hour of off-ice training. The school also brings in sports psychologists and high level coaches to speak with the boys.
