“I can’t believe what’s happening. My dream was to come to Canada and it’s coming true. That is so cool ! “.
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Young Maksym Shtepa summed up in one sentence what could be read in the eyes of his 16 other teammates from the Ukraine team as they entered Montreal airport for their participation in the Tournament international de hockey pee-wee de Quebec on Wednesday.
“I feel so good. It’s an honor to have the chance to represent my country. I’m proud to be one of the 17 best players in our country,” added his teammate Maksym Kuharenko a few meters away.
Photo agency QMI, Joël Lemay
MOVING
The features scarred by long hours of flying, there was something moving to see these young pee getting off at the exit of the airport and to see their eyes as they were greeted by the flashes of the TV cameras and the crackling of the cameras.
“My eyes watered when I saw her come out with all the photographers around her. It’s such a crazy experience,” said François Robert, one of the few members who took part in Wednesday’s convoy of three vans that aimed to pick them up in Montreal and then drive them to Quebec.
Photo agency QMI, Joël Lemay
The young hockey players arrived at Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau Airport on Wednesday. On site, they received coats in the colors of the Ukrainian flag.
Because I was allowed to accompany this convoy on Wednesday and meet young people for whom the most beautiful adventure of their lives began on Wednesday.
On the way back, I was accompanied by Olivier Hubert-Benoit, who is responsible for all the logistics of the trip to Quebec for the Ukrainians and six members of the team: Yehor Kosenko, Ivan Bilozerov, Mykyta Saskevich, Maksym Kuharenko, Yehor Shraier and Dmytro Korzh.
Canadians and Ovechkin
And in the van, the mood was festive. Well, we can’t tell you exactly what they said to each other – our Ukrainian is pretty bad, although we learned that pryvit means hello – but they had fun. Have fun.
But just a few weeks ago, these young people were scattered all over Europe. Two, Shraier and Kozh, were in the middle of the war in Ukraine, while the other four had fled with their families to Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Germany and Romania. But all that on Wednesday was secondary. On Wednesday they were Team Ukraine Select, a hockey team that came here, and not just for the good story. On Wednesday, they were young teenagers for whom hockey put balm on the drama they live at home.
Photo agency QMI, Joël Lemay
“Sir, can you please tell us about ice hockey in Canada? Yehor Kosenko told me at the beginning of the trip while Shraier was filming with a small camera.
A big question if there ever was one! We ended up talking about the Canadians – everyone gave a big ‘Oh! Exclamation as we passed the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard and they saw the Habs sign.
The last time we saw them call out that loud was… half an hour before when they saw the donut box waiting for them in the car! During the discussion, we also realized that geopolitics and hockey are two different things for these young hockey players when we asked one of them who his favorite player was and he answered… Alex Ovechkin!
“I love him, even if he’s old,” he openly justified himself afterwards.
Photo Stevens LeBlanc
In the evening, the team members finally reached their destination, the Videotron Center in Quebec City.
THE TEAM OF THE HOUR
We also talked about the Remparts, of course, seeing them play the Moncton Wildcats on Saturday afternoon, but we also warned them: the team of the moment in Quebec is them!
“Yes, we have seen our photos in several articles,” one of them proudly started.
It’s hard to say if they really know what to expect and the enthusiasm they’ve generated for two weeks, and not just in Quebec. One thing is for sure, they have ambition!
“We have good players, good goalkeepers and good coaches. We play in AA but I think we could at least play in AA Elites! says the young Shtepa.
Victories or no victories, for the first time in almost a year, war will no longer be a part of these teenagers’ everyday lives.
Ukraine will kick off the Peewee Tournament on February 11 at 11:45am against the Boston Bruins Junior.