聽 聽 聽Forward and former Manor resident, Kruise Reddick, 24, will soon be playing Canada's national game in Spain, as he was chosen to join Team Canada's roster at the Winter Universiade in Granada, Spain, Feb. 3-14.
聽聽聽聽 Eleven countries will compete, with Team Canada-the 2013 champion- opening the biennial tournament on Feb. 3, playing 麻豆视频 Korea. Canada and 麻豆视频 Korea join Russia and Sweden in Pool B, while Pool C consists of Kazakhstan, Japan, and the United States. Pool A's teams are from Spain, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and China.
聽 聽聽聽The top two finishers from each pool and the two best third-place teams will advance to the quarterfinals. The gold medal round begins Feb. 11, with the men's hockey final scheduled for the final day of competition, Feb. 14.
聽聽聽聽 Reddick-who plays for the University of Alberta's Golden Bears- says, 鈥淲earing the maple leaf is a huge honour. We all knew the tournament (in Spain) was happening this year, and I knew the Canada West League alone had a long list of 60 players. It's kind of hard not to think about he possibility of being chosen to play for Team Canada, but in the meantime, I still had to focus on my team and my game.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t's an honour, and there are six of us from the Golden Bears who are going,鈥� adds Reddick. 鈥淚'm really looking forward to playing against the Russians. It's my first year playing internationally, and that whole Canada-Russia rivalry is something special and something I'll remember my whole life.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e (Team Canada) have one practice in Calgary before we take off, and hopefully, we'll have a smooth transition once we get to Spain, with jet lag and all that. We'll also get a chance to have a few practices there before we play,鈥� he adds. 鈥淲e'll just go from there and do our best.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 Reddick is currently the captain of the University of Alberta's Golden Bears. During his 3 1/2 years playing in Edmonton, he was named team captain and last year, led the team to win Canada's University Cup, a feat that the Edmonton Sun called, 鈥淣ot merely instrumental, but pivotal in Alberta's championship win.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 Dubbed 鈥淭he Comeback Captain鈥�, Reddick's determined recovery from a severe foot injury during the 2013-14 Canada West (university hockey) season made this achievement even more impressive. The injury was deemed to be so serious that Reddick was presumed to be out for the rest of the season, including the playoffs. With only seven weeks to get a clean bill of health, he worked seriously at his recovery and returned to lead the Golden Bears to win the University Cup, which garnered him a spot on the University Cup All-Star team.
聽聽聽聽 鈥淟ast year, winning the national championship was the cherry on top,鈥� says Reddick. 鈥淵ou're nervous, but at the same time, so motivated to win, especially when we lost the year before that. That's a tough pill to swallow.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t's been amazing to play for the Golden Bears,鈥� says Reddick. 鈥淥bviously, I wanted to come to a winning program. To come to school here in Edmonton, to win a national championship, along with getting an education and a chance to play professionally, it's great.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 came at a good time,鈥� he adds. 鈥淚'd graduated from the WHL and I wanted to get an education and further my hockey career. I knew in my heart I had something to contribute.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 The fourth-year BARST (Bachelor of Arts in Recreation, Sport and Tourism) student says his immediate goal after university is 鈥渢o play professionally.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 鈥淲hen I was 18, I attended a Chicago Black Hawks-Tampa Bay Lightning camp,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 also played for five years, starting when I was 16, for the Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Washington.鈥�
聽 聽 聽At the end of his five-year tenure with the WHL (Western Hockey League) team, he was known as 鈥淎 standout player and a standout citizen,鈥� according to the local press.
聽聽聽聽 Growing up on a farm near Manor, Reddick says although there wasn't a local hockey team, 鈥淚 skated countless hours in town. I played all of my minor hockey in Carlyle, and when I was 15, I went to Yorkton to play.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 can't begin to thank my parents (Doug and Linda Reddick) enough, my brother, my sister, and my grandparents. I really can't thank them enough. They've done everything for me.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 鈥淛ust playing on Team Canada and wearing the Maple Leaf on the ice is a once in a lifetime opportunity,鈥� says Reddick. 鈥淚'm hoping I can wear my regular number 11, but it doesn't really matter. Wearing the maple leaf is enough.鈥�
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