A welcome from the Classic
Welcome to Hobart.
Welcome to Hockey.
Hobart, welcome to ice hockey. Or perhaps we should say, ice hockey, welcome to Hobart.
The Canada-USA Ice Hockey Classic is a celebration of what we believe is the greatest sport on earth. It's about bringing together players who have spent their lives chasing frozen ponds, early morning training sessions, long bus rides and one more season in pursuit of a game they simply love.
We've assembled two teams wearing the colours of Canada and the United States, the greatest rivalry in international hockey. These jerseys represent journeys just as much as they represent countries.
On the ice this weekend is a remarkable collection of people from every corner of the hockey world.
Some have played in the NHL. Others have represented their countries at World Championships or World Juniors. Many built careers in Europe or through top university programs in North America. Several are champions of Australia's AIHL and New Zealand's NZIHL.
Some grew up in cities where every second kid owned a hockey stick before they could ride a bike. Others came from small towns where the local rink became a second home. A handful learned the game in Australia, where simply finding a sheet of ice can be a challenge.
If you're playing in Australia, you're probably training three times a week, putting in hours at the gym, balancing a full-time job, and travelling every weekend in front of crowds of a couple thousand and on TV audiences on ESPN. You do it because you love it.
Every path has been different, yet every player reached some professional league around the world at one time in their life. Yet, every one of those paths has led to this moment.
Now, each of these humans are volunteering their time to be here to share the sport they love with you, and to help raise money for Stop Concussions.
Hockey has a way of creating remarkable people. Each team has a few human beings that are easy to gravitate towards.
On Canada, there's Simon Després. A self-proclaimed “hockey explorer,” Simon represented Canada at the World Junior Championship before becoming a first-round NHL Draft pick, only to play with the likes of Sidney Crosby. He's spent more than a decade playing around the world, has played for Canada at a World Championship, and has seen more of the hockey world than most dream of.
How about goalie Bailey Stephens? His hockey journey is made more significant after overcoming cancer. Keep your eyes on Mac Caruana. He has become one of the Australian Ice Hockey League's defining players. No player has more points than Caruana since the league rebooted. The Canadian-Australian dual citizen's hockey pathway was forged Down Under, and he represents the Green & Gold on the international stage.
Across the rink, David Booth knows exactly what it means to wear the Stars and Stripes. His career included more than a decade in the NHL, appearances for the United States at both the World Junior Championship and World Championship, and professional hockey in Russia before making Australia his latest stop. He's set all kinds of early scoring records in the AIHL, too.
Then there's Tyrone Bronte. Raised in Melbourne, he chased his dream from one hemisphere to the other, balancing work, training and countless hours on the road before representing Australia internationally and becoming just the second Australian to play in the ECHL.
Across both rosters, there are 29 players who once played professional hockey, including two former NHL players. The teams also feature four players with national team experience at some level, 13 who played pro in Europe, eight AIHL champions and four players who currently compete in the NZIHL.
The speed, skill and physicality are what first capture your attention. The friendships, sacrifices and resilience are what keep people coming back. Hockey has always been about more than the scoreboard. It is a community built on passion, hard work and an unwavering love of the game.
We hope you enjoy tonight's showcase, cheer loudly, meet a few of the players afterwards and leave Hobart with a greater appreciation for the people who make this sport so special.
Welcome to Hockey.
