22/06/11 Ice Hockey..

Ex-NFL champion Reggie Leach teaches Charley how to play ice hockey, before he’s smacked down.

Another day, another adventure. Ontario has been amazing.…

Reggie's Original NHL Stick

The day after we recovered from our diving challenge, we headed to T.M Davies Arena, Lively to attempt a session of ice hockey. It was tipping it down again so it was nice to be inside, albeit it on an ice rink.

We met with Reggie Leach, a First Nation ex-NHL star, who has also won a NHL Stanley Cup for a world record of 19 goals; not too difficult to keep up with then! It was so great to meet with Reggie because of the adversity he faced in the past to become such a prime contender in the sport, and because he was a lovely guy. He now devotes most of his time to teaching First Nation children how to play ice hockey and promoting the sport itself. Ice Hockey is the number one sport in the First Nation community and is really important in giving the kids a sense of purpose, and a feeling of community!

Needless to say Reggie was a great guy, and the kids were fantastic to hang out with. We all loved the fact that Reggie’s son has been in the play offs in the Stanley twice, and his daughter has played lacrosse professionally too. What a wonderful family, headed up by an amazing mother as well, who is the driving force behind them all.

Okay, back to Hockey; we also learnt some hot tips about Ice Hockey and training from Reggie which helped us to really understand the sport, as novices.

Charley's Hockey Team

When you actually play the sport you see how incredibly fit the players have to be; you see these guys only play in an actual game for a few minutes at a time so they really have to leave their mark. Everything is so fast, and rushes past in a blur, until you really understand the game tactics and rules.

And how did we do? Well let’s just remember that ice skating on its own is hard, and combined with a full force game of hockey the whole experience packed quite a punch. I have to say though, that it got easier as the session went on, and by the end the kids weren’t beating me up quite as badly! Maybe I’m a natural. The nine kids that came with Reggie helped us build two teams, and I’ll leave you to imagine who won.

No, it was quite amazing really. The sport is of course incredibly popular all over Canada and hockey camps spring up in all provinces and territories, including those only reserved for First Nation Children. They promote healthy living, sport, and, as I’ve said earlier really gives them a purpose, something to strive for. The camps are all about nurturing these kids, the hockey players of the future, and protecting the legacy of the national sport.

There is a massive export of hockey players around the world, I’ve even heard mention of teams in England, although I haven’t had a chance to go see them before. I think I’ll definitely make the time now!

Anyway, until next time…

See you on the road…

Charley xx