Interest in the Ukrainian team's presence at the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament has waned, while last year there was a flurry of excitement in the region and, to a lesser extent, the entire province. , but the goal behind the arrival of young hockey The number of players remains the same.
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A year ago today (February 11), Team Ukraine Select made its pee-wee tournament debut in a packed arena where the fans in attendance were dressed in white in support of Ukraine, still reeling from the invasion of Russia has to suffer.
Photo Didier Debusschere
During the national anthems, Little Ukrainians and Little Boston Bruins gathered around the center circle in a show of friendship and peace. A 3-1 win crowned the game.
“In 2023 there was an excitement that we did not experience this year,” said team manager and main person responsible for their arrival in Quebec, Sean Bérubé. Recently we received news of the war in Ukraine and people wanted to support the young people. It was special.”
Head coach of the Ukrainian team, Yevgeny Pysarenko, also notes the clear difference, but also draws positive aspects from it. “It is harder for Sean to find sponsors because we are less present in the media, but young people don't have to live with the pressure of last year,” he concluded. You can concentrate more on hockey.
“There was a lot of attention and everyone was talking about Ukraine and the hunt for Pysarenko, but there was also a lot of pressure on the players. It remains a dream for young people to come to Canada and forget the war and feel safe for a few weeks.”
The goal hasn't changed
A year later, the situation in Ukraine is much calmer again, but something has not changed. “The enthusiasm is less, but the goal of giving young people a break in times of war is the same,” concluded Bérubé. Exuberant or not, our motivation to provide young people with a great experience doesn't change. We want them to be able to forget the two-week moment of attack warnings, bombings and war.”
Ball hockey on the streets of Moscow
On Friday evening, the Ukrainians played a game of ball hockey on Moscow Street in the presence of Bonhomme Carnaval. The host family hid the signs and renamed the street “Druzhba,” which means “peace and friendship” in Ukrainian and Russian. Everyone had a great evening. Bérubé and his right-hand man, Olivier Hubert-Benoît, take care of the Druzhba mission. A trip to the sugar shack also brightened her stay since her arrival on February 2nd. If the schedule is less busy than last year, Team Ukraine Select will be hosted at the American Consulate on Monday at 3:00 p.m.
Photo Didier Debusschere
In this first game, which was played in front of empty stands, especially due to the strong competition from the Super Bowl taking place at the same time, the Ukrainians, who had been promoted to the AA elite category this year, lost to Swiss Eastern with a score of 9 to 0 Selects.
Bérubé's fears were confirmed. “Last year we were a bit more confident in the AA. This year, all but five players trained with their teams in Ukraine. Last year, the vast majority of players were able to train in neighboring countries before coming to Quebec.”