Three local hockey players will head to China later this month to compete in the first AAA International Shanghai Hockey Tournament.
Brady Harroun, Jackson Moffat and Austin Spiridakis of St. Albert are all players on the Junior Golden Bears hockey team. The group of nine- and 10-year-olds will face off against teams from China, Hong Kong and Japan at the tournament.
It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for these young hockey players and their families.
“It’s probably going to be a great experience,” Spiridakis said.
The Junior Golden Bears will be the only Canadian contingent at the tournament and Moffat is expecting to come up against some strong teams.
“I think they’ll be pretty competitive,” he said.
Tryouts for the Junior Golden Bears were held last November and the team has been practicing together since January. Harroun is confident the team will perform well at the tournament.
“I think we’re going to win there,” he said.
Head coach Lane Moore organized the trip and worked with the University of Albert athletic department to get the Junior Golden Bears program up and running. It is a spring hockey club that puts player development first, the coach said.
All three boys play minor hockey in St. Albert. Last season Harroun played with the Atom A Lancers, and Moffat and Spiridakis were teammates on the Atom AA Lightning squad.
Janet Harroun said that this is son Brady’s first year playing spring hockey with the Junior Golden Bears and, “he’s loving it.”
This will be the first trip to China for all three families and though they aren’t quite sure what to expect, they are all excited by the opportunity.
“It’s just a great experience to see a part of the world that we probably wouldn’t otherwise,” said Moffat’s mother Danielle.
After the Shanghai tournament, the group will head to Beijing where the Junior Golden Bears will play some exhibition games and the entire group will take in the sights and culture.
“We have lots of tours booked going to see the Great Wall and the circus and the silk market,” said Spiridakis’ mom Jessica.
What makes the trip even more special for Danielle Moffat is the chance to have new hockey experiences and new cultural experiences with a team that is so closely knit.
“We have a great group of families and the boys on the team get along really well,” she said.
While the great adventure of travelling to China is a big part of the trip, the Junior Golden Bears haven’t lost sight of the reason they are going abroad.
“Seeing all the cool attractions there – and the hockey,” said Jackson Moffat.
