聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 After five years at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Manor native Kruise Reddick is leaving the university with a Bachelor of Arts in Recreation and Leisure, as well as a successful tenure as captain of the school's hockey team, the University of Alberta Golden Bears. Reddick has signed an eight-month contract with HC (Hockey Club) Vista Hasten in Norrkoping, Sweden. The team is part of the all-Swedish league, Allsvenskan, which is the second-highest hockey division in the country. 鈥淚t's great hockey,鈥� says Reddick. 鈥淎nd I'm really looking forward to playing there. They're even giving me my jersey number- #11.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淰ita Hasten means 'White Horse,'鈥� says Reddick. 鈥淭he team is based in the city of Norrkoping, which is about two hours from Stockholm. It's on the eastern side of the country, near the water. I don't know if it's sunk in yet, but I'm looking forward to throwing myself into the culture there and experiencing something new.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Reddick's resume is filled with university, junior, and pro hockey experience and accolades. 鈥淲hen I was 18, I attended a Chicago Black Hawks-Tampa Bay Lightning camp,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hen I was 16, I started playing for the WHL's Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Washington for five years. I wanted to get an education and further my hockey career, so I enrolled at the U of A and began my career with their team, the Golden Bears.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Reddick captained the Tri-City team and the Golden Bears during those 10 years-leading both teams to numerous victories and garnering praise for both his personal and professional leadership. He was also named Team Canada's captain at the 2015 Winter Universiade in Spain, where he led the Canadian squad to a bronze medal.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 After graduating this spring and after leading the Golden Bears to their final national championship in Halifax, Reddick played professionally with the Eastern Hockey League's Idaho Steelheads, based in Boise, before returning to Saskatchewan to see friends and family prior to his departure for Sweden.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The 26-year-old forward says the road to playing as a pro in Sweden began with the Golden Bears.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淥ur (general manager) at the U of A had a connection through a friend of his with Vita Hasten,鈥� he says. 鈥淟ast winter, myself and one of our defencemen-a friend of mine named Jordan Rowley, who's also going to be playing for Vita Hasten-were flown over there and it just snowballed from there.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Swedes not only looked at Reddick's considerable talent on the ice-they were also impressed by his leadership skills.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he GM told me Sweden expects big things from me,鈥� says Reddick. 鈥淭hey're looking to me to be kind of a leader. I don't speak any Swedish-yet,鈥� he smiles. 鈥淪o that part of it's kind of intimidating, but it's all part of the experience.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淥f course, I plan to learn some Swedish and I've already researched the hockey part of it. The Europeans play on Olympic-size ice, so that's noticeably different. I've played on that size of ice surface before, and it can only benefit my game.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Another aspect of Reddick's skill set that appealed to the Swedes was the fact that he has played both junior and college hockey in North America.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he European teams generally play with more finesse,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hey don't play as physical a game as North American teams do. I can play a physical game, so I bring that too. But I'm also a smaller guy, so I work on my speed and skills.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚'm a forward, but I'll play wherever the coach needs me.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Reddick says that he and his friend and fellow Golden Bear, Rowley will share an apartment in Sweden. 鈥淲e've seen some pictures of it and we're great friends, so it's a good situation for both us as newcomers to the team and to the country.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he team has already bought me skates and they look after all of our equipment,鈥� he adds. 鈥淔or example,聽 I'm taking my own shinpads and I might wear their brand, but as a hockey player, I'm a creature of habit, so I'll be taking some of my own equipment.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Reddick says the prospect of playing professionally in Sweden is exciting rather than聽 overwhelming.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t's not overwhelming because I've been preparing for it for so long. I knew I was going to play professionally.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淢y path as a player started in Manor, where I learned to skate. I played in Carlyle and then Yorkton. When I got a little bigger, I played for Tri-City and I learned how to be a pro there. That led me to the U of A and that turned me into the player I am today.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hat, and my family,鈥� he adds. 鈥淲ithout them, I wouldn't have done any of this. They're really my number one.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚've learned something from every team I've played on. And I'm looking forward to playing in Sweden.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Follow Kruise Reddick on Twitter @KReddick11
