Hello Ice fans,
As some of you may or may not have known, I have just returned from Harbin, China where I got my first ever opportunity to wear the Team Canada jersey. It was an amazing experience getting to go over to China and have the opportunity to play for my country. We never did reach our goal of winning gold as we fell short in the Gold Medal Game losing to Russia 4-2. Personally I had a good tournament getting to play along Canada's best I finished with 5 goals, 5 assists for 10 points in 6 games. Also I was given the responsibility of wearing an "A" for the team which really surprised me cause I am only a first year playing along with majority of 3rd and 4th year guys. That just added to the experience I had.
As for China itself it is an amazing place, getting to see the culture and how people act is just such an interesting thing. I'm not a big fish eater so I had a hard time trying to find something to eat but I never went hungry. Thankly there was a Pizza Hut and a McDonald's close to the athlete's village. We never got to see the Great Wall of China but we did get to see the world famous Harbin Ice Festival. It is a small village where all the buildings are made of ice and at night time they light up and the view is amazing. The best part of my trip (other than the hockey of course) was getting into a cab and going to the markets. The way people drive there is very different than the way they drive in North America and it was just an experience on its own.
The season is winding down for me this year, as we start playoffs this weekend at home against the UBC Thunderbirds. Playing in the CIS and going to school was something I was not sure if I would like, but everyday the decision I made back in Augest keeps looking better an better. If I would have tried to play pro, I would not have gotten the opportunity to play for my country for the first time and get to go over to China and experience all of that. Also, I would not be getting the education that I am getting at the University of Saskatchewan. Thanks to Ed Chynoweth for making this possible because without what he did there would be a lot of guys who played in the WHL not at school and he made it possible. Again thank you Ice fans for all the support you gave me during my time there. Continue to support those boys this year, there a young team that could really benefit from a rowdy crowd come playoff time. I hope to see you all in the summer at the Alumni Golf Tournament if I get invited back that is. Thank you again GO ICE GO.
Steve Da Silva