GAME STATISTICS | LIVE GAME BLOG

MOOSE JAW, Saskatchewan – Canada’s National Para Hockey Team closed out preliminary-round play falling 3-0 to its American rivals at the 2023 World Para Hockey Championship on Wednesday night.

• Dominic Larocque (Quebec City, Que.) turned aside 14 of 16 shots and was named player of the game.
• Offensively, Dominic Cozzolino (Mississauga, Ont.) led all forwards with 20:14 of ice time; while defensively Zach Lavin (Essex, Ont.) registered 25:00 minutes.
• The U.S. outshot Canada 16-9.

Next Game:

Canada vs. Italy or Czechia – Saturday, June 3 (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT)

All games from the 2023 World Para Hockey Championship are available via livestream at HockeyCanada.ca.  

Quotes:

“It was a pretty good game; the Americans know us really well and we know them. It’s always a tight game and we have a new team. It’s a new year for us, new guys on the team, but it’s part of the process to build on that. Win or lose, we’ll build on the game and hopefully we will see them again. Overall, I feel I played well. The Americans had a couple of good chances for sure and I tried to keep the game tight. Unfortunately they beat me twice, but it’s part of the game. I just tried to keep it as tight as possible to give our team a chance to win.”

• Larocque on his play

 

“We’re always just looking for feedback to decide how we can be better tomorrow. Obviously as you go deeper in a tournament, you need to be better the next day. Although we’re a young team, we have enough experience in that room to understand that it will go up another level in semifinals. We’ve never experienced that at home and that will bring a certain level of pressure for sure, but I believe that our investment this year, especially on the mental performance side, will allow us to be able to handle that well and bring out a good performance against whoever we play on Saturday night.”

• Head coach Russ Herrington (Unionville, Ont.) on expectations for the playoff round

 

“We talked [in the dressing room] after the game that when you have the opportunity to put on this jersey, all you ask from yourself and your teammates is that you give everything you have and I think we demonstrated that tonight. Regardless of the outcome, we’re proud of our team and excited about the strides we took as the game went on. I thought our third period was our best period, competed hard and obviously have great goaltending. We started to make simple plays as the game went on and that started to generate more offensive chances. I think we carry that forward into our semifinal game and hopefully put ourselves in a position to compete for a gold.”

• McGregor on the team’s effort despite the loss

 

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

After edging Czechia on Tuesday, Canada’s National Para Hockey Team looks to carry that momentum into its game against the United States in hopes of remaining perfect through the preliminary round at the 2023 World Para Hockey Championship.

Last Game

Canada remained undefeated in the prelims after edging Czechia 2-1 on Tuesday night. Tyler McGregor opened scoring for the second game in a row and Adam Dixon scored the game-winning goal on the power play in the second period. Dominic Larocque made nine saves between the pipes for Canada.

The United States downed Korea 9-0 on Tuesday to stay perfect in the prelims, with Declan Farmer getting it done offensively. Farmer opened the scoring for the Americans with a goal 61 seconds into the game and completed the hat trick later in the game. Travis Dodson, Noah Grove and Christopher Douglas also found their way onto the scoresheet with three points each.

Last Meeting

Canada dropped a heartbreaker back in March, losing 2-1 in the final game a three-game series in Elmira, Ont. Corbyn Smith tied the game in the third period on the power play, but the Americans answered with one second remaining in regulation to sweep Canada. Dominic Larocque kept the Canadians in the game, making 21 saves.

What to Watch

A veteran on Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, Dixon’s two-way play allows him to make an impact on both ends of the ice. With a goal last night, Dixon is now two points away from 250 in his Team Canada career. With three goals and three helpers through two games in Moose Jaw, it’s only a matter of time before the 33-year-old reaches the milestone.

Farmer and Brody Roybal have been a powerful offensive duo for the Americans for the last half of the decade. The pair combined for 30 points at the 2022 Paralympic Games in Beijing and have registered seven points together so far in Moose Jaw. A big part of Canada’s success will come from limiting scoring opportunities by these two offensive dynamos.

A Look Back

Although Canada has the historical edge over the United States, the Americans have been tough competition as of late. Canada has not beaten its southern neighbour in nearly two years, recording a 4-2 win on Oct. 29, 2021, during a two-game series in St. Louis, Mo.

All-time record: Canada leads 59-55-1
Canada goals: 232
United States goals: 229

GAME STATISTICS | LIVE GAME BLOG

MOOSE JAW, Saskatchewan – Canada’s National Para Hockey Team made it back-to-back wins at the 2023 World Para Hockey Championship, edging Czechia 2-1 on Tuesday night at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.

• Tyler McGregor (Forest, Ont.) had a goal and an assist, and was named Player of the Game.
• Adam Dixon (Midland, Ont.) scored the game winner on the power play at 12:44 of the second period.
• Dominic Larocque (Quebec City, Que.) turned aside nine of 10 shots faced.
• Canada outshot Czechia 22-10.

Next Game:

Canada vs. United States – Wednesday, May 31 (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT)

All games from the 2023 World Para Hockey Championship are available via livestream at HockeyCanada.ca.  

Quotes:

“For our team, regardless of the score, it was good for us to be in a close game and hang on to a lead in the third period. Moving forward, we have to create confidence and build momentum from that. Defending a lead, to be honest, is something that we haven’t done a lot late in games. Tonight was a good test to play the right way structurally, make sure we’re getting pucks in at the blue line, getting pucks down low and then in our defensive zone, defending the middle of the ice and we did a good job of that and got the win.

 

“I think we expect more of the same tomorrow [against USA]. The intensity just elevates even more so. They’re a fast team, we know what to expect as we’ve played them numerous times. They have great offensive firepower up front, they move the puck well, so we have to play positionally sound and really commit ourselves defensively.”

• McGregor on being challenged in the victory and preparing for the U.S.

 

“I think we knew going into the game they have the ability to frustrate you. They clog the middle really well, they have a terrific goaltender and you saw how tough their defence is to generate offence against, and they proved that from the drop of the puck to the end. Like Tyler [McGregor] said, we don’t play in many games in the past few years where you’ve had to scratch and claw to hold onto a lead. As a staff, we felt like we managed the third period really well and that was the best part of our game and we can build on that moving forward.”
-           Head coach Russ Herrington (Unionville, Ont.) on finding ways to win

 

“We obviously didn’t have the start or the game we wanted, but we can be proud of our effort and proud of battling through. We watched Czechia’s first game; they move the puck well, they’re fast and they’re a very good hockey team. We can’t be surprised by the effort they put out there tonight.”

• Dixon on Czechia

 

 For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Growing up, Raphaëlle Tousignant was a very athletic kid. Although she faced adversity along her path to where she is today, she has made history as the first woman to play for Canada’s National Para Hockey Team at a major international event.

She got involved with as many sports as she could as a child, but she found her passion at eight years old with ringette.

“It was my sport,” Tousignant says. “I really enjoyed playing it. I was living for it.”

During a ringette game, Tousignant fell on her right hip and a bump began to form, but neither she nor her family thought it would have long-term effects.

“It was very painful,” she explains. “The only time it was not painful was when I was moving, so that made me even more athletic because I didn’t have pain when I was running or playing sports.”

The pain and bump persisted, so Tousignant visited her family doctor. That’s when it became clear that something was not normal. After more testing at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, Tousignant was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a bone cancer found commonly in children.

She began intensive chemotherapy, but when that was unsuccessful at shrinking the tumour, Tousignant was faced with a 12-hour surgery to remove her right leg, hip and part of her pelvis.

A month before her amputation, the then-10-year-old was itching to get back on the ice for what she thought was the last time.

“In my head, I could not do any other sport after my amputation, I wouldn’t be able to go back on the ice,” she explains. “So, I asked if it was possible for me to go back on the ice one last time so I can enjoy it and then move on.”

Surrounded by her teammates and family, Tousignant was able to play ringette one last time before her surgery on Oct. 17, 2012. A year after her amputation, as she adjusted to her new reality, her father began exploring new sports his daughter could participate in, ideally something that could get her back on the ice.

Raphaëlle Tousignant during a World Para Hockey Championship exhibition game in Moose Jaw, Sask.

That’s when she learned about para hockey. Once she was physically ready to try the sport, Tousignant went to the rink with her physiotherapist and her dad to give para hockey a try.

“I just fell in love with it. The feeling to be back on the ice, and it was pretty similar to ringette,” she says. “After that practice, that first time I got off the ice, I told my dad, ‘I’m going to make the women’s national team.’”

The spark of passion for a new on-ice sport helped her to quickly elevate her game. At 14, Tousignant became a member of Canada's national women's para hockey team and travelled to Norway and Czechia to play in international tournaments.

Achieving her first para hockey goal so early into picking up the sport, Tousignant decided to raise the bar and set a higher goal for herself: to represent Canada at the Paralympics. However, since women’s para hockey is not part of the Paralympic program, she would need to play with the men’s team.

“Everyone was like, ‘That’s not achievable, that’s just unrealistic. You’re never going to be able to do that,’” Tousignant explains.

With a new goal in sight, Tousignant got to work. Her game improved, and she made Quebec’s men’s provincial roster when she was 16 years old. Soon afterwards, Hockey Canada came calling to invite Tousignant to Canada’s National Para Hockey Team NextGen development camp.

“All this made me believe that I could actually make it happen,” she says. “I could be a part of the men’s national team.”

Following her first NextGen camp in 2019, Tousignant made history with Christina Picton as the first two women to play for Canada’s National Para Hockey Development Team. Tousignant returned to NextGen camp in April 2022 and received an invite to Canada’s National Para Hockey Team selection camp last September with Alanna Mah.

It was Tousignant’s feistiness, work ethic, communication and vision on the ice that continued to stand out to the coaching staff at each camp.

“She gets 100 per cent of the credit for her growth,” says Team Canada head coach Russ Herrington. “She’s a great example of investing in yourself and what that can do.

“We’ve seen what a great person she is and what a great teammate she is, but what’s really accelerated over the last year is her ability to make an impact when she’s on the ice.”

Christina Picton (left) and Raphaëlle Tousignant.

Although Tousignant was not initially part of Canada’s National Para Hockey Team roster at the beginning of the season, her continued strong performances at camps this spring garnered a lot of attention.

“It wasn’t just the staff that noticed that—there were a lot of veteran players on the team who were also advocating on Raph’s behalf,” Herrington explains. “As a group, we all certainly felt that she had earned her way into representing Canada on the world stage.”

“I was not expecting to be selected to be part of that team who will be going to Moose Jaw. It was just incredible and it’s still unreal,” Tousignant says. “I’m just very happy for the 14-year-old me who truly believed in herself and never gave up on her dream.”

By competing at the 2023 World Para Hockey Championship in Moose Jaw, Sask., Tousignant hopes she will inspire further growth in the women’s game.

“Women deserve to be at the Paralympic Games, deserve to have their own team, deserve to compete at that level, too,” she says. “I hope that other little girls [across] Canada or around the world see me and they will say, ‘Hey, I want to be like her,’ because if they want to be like me, that means they’re going to work super hard and grow our game.”

With this new achievement, Tousignant is closer than ever before to achieving her Paralympic dream.

“I know what I have to do to be there, I just need to do it and keep being myself,” she says. “I think it’s possible.”

Coming off a big win on Monday night, Canada’s National Para Hockey Team is back to work as it faces off against Czechia in its second preliminary-round game at the 2023 World Para Hockey Championship.

Last Game

Canada started the tournament off with a bang, routing Korea 15-1 on Monday night. Dominic Cozzolino registered four goals and four assists while recording his 100th international career point with Team Canada. James Dunn and Tyler McGregor both had five-point nights, with McGregor reaching his 200th international career point with the first goal of the game. Canada outshot Korea 42-6.

Czechia is coming off a 7-1 loss to the United States on Monday morning. Filip Vesely had the lone goal for the Czechs, capitalizing on a turnover in the second period. Martin Kudela made 22 saves as Czechia was outshot 29-10.

Last Meeting

Canada blanked the Czechs 7-0 in the 2022 Para Hockey Cup semifinals last December in Bridgewater, N.S. Liam Hickey and Dominic Cozzolino each had five points, combining for two goals and eight assists, while Tyler McGregor recorded a hat trick and had a helper for a four-point night.

What To Watch

If it isn’t McGregor making history with his 200th point wearing the Maple Leaf, then how about Raphaëlle Tousignant? The 20-year-old trailblazer made history on Monday by becoming the first woman to play for Canada’s National Para Hockey Team at a major international event. In her first game of the tournament, Tousignant made an impact on the ice, recording a shot on net and coming just short of registering her first goal with Canada's National Para Hockey Team.

Michal Geier has been an offensive staple for Czechia ever since his debut at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, recording six points (4-2—6) in Beijing in his fourth Paralympic experience. Czechia is also backed by a pair of veteran netminders, Martin Kudela and Michal Vapekna, with the latter surrendering just five goals at the most recent Paralympics in Beijing.

Look Back

Canada’s record against Czechia is one of perfection, having won all 12 games.

These countries first met at the 2009 world championship on Czech ice, where Canada downed the hosts 3-0 in a game that saw Billy Bridges, Canada’s all-time leading scorer, net a pair of goals.

All-time record: Canada leads 12-0-0
Canada goals: 51
Czechia goals: 2

GAME STATISTICS | LIVE GAME BLOG

MOOSE JAW, Saskatchewan – Twelve different players registered at least a point as Canada’s National Para Hockey Team beat Korea 15-1 on Monday at the 2023 Para World Hockey Championship in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

• Tyler McGregor (Forest, Ont.) opened the scoring 1:23 in the first period to mark his 200^th international point with Team Canada. He becomes the fifth player to reach the milestone joining Brad Bowden, Billy Bridges, Adam Dixon and Greg Westlake. McGregor finished the game with a pair of goals and three assists.
• Dominic Cozzolino (Mississauga, Ont.) recorded his 100^th international point with Team Canada; he finished with four goals and four assists.
• James Dunn (Wallacetown, Ont.) and Adam Dixon (Midland, Ont.) registered five points each; Dunn with three goals, two assists while Dixon added two goals and three helpers.
• Zach Lavin (Essex, Ont.) and Corbyn Smith (Monkton, Ont.) had a goal and three assists each.
• Vincent Boily (Alma, Que.) scored his first international goal with Canada’s National Para Hockey Team.
• Auren Halbert (Calgary, Alta.) rounded out the scoring.
• Rob Armstrong (Erin, Ont.), Anton Jacobs-Webb (Gatineau, Que.) and Jacob LeBlanc (Moncton, N.B.) chipped in with two assists each.
• Raphaëlle Tousignant (Terrebonne, Que.) made history as the first woman to play for Canada’s National Para Hockey Team at a major international event.
• Jean-François Huneault (Saint-Eustache, Que.) made five saves.
• Canada outshot Korea 42-6.

Next Game:

Canada vs. Czechia – Tuesday, May 30 (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT)

All games from the 2023 Para World Hockey Championships are available via livestream at HockeyCanada.ca.  

Quotes:

“Reaching 200 points means I’ve been playing with a lot of really good teammates and playing for a really long time. Reflecting on the past ten years as a young 18-year old kid when I made this team to now being a 29-year old mature adult; there are great people that come into this program, everyone has an impact on you and it’s so special to get to represent Canada and experience that. Being an adult, chasing a puck around is something I fell in love with at three years old and moments like this help you reflect on how fortunate we all are to be part of this. The players I join are the ones I learned from, they were mentors to me and pioneers of this sport and all of them catapulted our sport to a new level.”

• McGregor on his 200-point career milestone.

“I think we had the advantage of coming in rested, the Korea-Czechia game yesterday was pretty tightly played and physical and unfortunately, they also lost a player to injury. Our guys were rested and ready to go with fans and family, plus [having] the Snowbirds here really energized our team. Getting one early really settled the nerves and allowed our guys to focus on playing.”
-           Head coach Russ Herrington (Unionville, Ont.) on getting off to a good start

“Thinking about where I started is special to reflect on and there are so many people along the way I couldn’t do it without, including my teammates, and tonight was another example of that.”

“Anytime you can get off to a start like we did in Game 1, you are feeling pretty good. Moose Jaw has been treating us well and the fans were great tonight, so we’re looking forward to tomorrow. Czechia is a big team, they like to move the puck. We have faced them a few times this year and they always put up a good game against us and hopefully we get off to a good start again.”

• Cozzolino on reaching 100 points and assessing the team’s performance

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Canada’s National Para Hockey Team begins its quest for a fifth world championship on Monday, opening up the preliminary round against Korea at the 2023 World Para Hockey Championship.

Last Game & Last Meeting

Let’s throw it back to last Tuesday when these two teams faced off in a pre-tournament game in Moose Jaw, with the Canadians shutting out the Koreans 9-0. Eight different players scored for Canada, and 10 players recorded a point, led by two goals and an assist for Auren Halbert, and a goal and two helpers for James Dunn. Dominic Larocque and Jean-François Huneault split time in goal, combining for a six-save shutout.

What to Watch

Two players are nearing major milestones with Canada’s National Para Hockey Team. After recording two points in Canada’s exhibition win, captain Tyler McGregor is one point from 200 career points wearing the Maple Leaf (he’ll be the fifth Canadian to reach the mark). Dominic Cozzolino sits six points away from 100 for his career. With their ability to impact the Canadian offence, there’s a high chance both marks will be reached in Moose Jaw. Raphaëlle Tousignant will also make her international debut in this game, making history as the first woman to play for Canada’s National Para Hockey Team at a major international event.

Korea has seven players making their international debut at the 2023 World Para Hockey Championship—the most of any country. The Koreans will also see a boost on their roster with the return of Seung-Hwan Jung, who took a brief break from para hockey for Nordic skiing. At the 2019 world championship, Jung led Korea with three points and 12 shots on goal. Look for his speed and skill throughout the tournament—his nickname is “Messi on Ice.”

A Look Back

Canada has dominated the head-to-head history since the first meeting in 2010, winning all 37 games.

The teams first met in Surrey, B.C., for a three-game series in January 2010, where Canada celebrated a milestone 100 games since becoming a part of Hockey Canada prior to the 2004-05 season. Billy Bridges reached a milestone of his own during the series, scoring a hat trick in the second game to record his 100th international goal.

All-time record: Canada leads 37-0-0
Canada goals: 236
Korea goals: 15

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada has announced the 18 players who will be part Canada’s National Para Hockey Team and, for the first time on home ice, compete for a gold medal at the 2023 World Para Hockey Championship, May 28-June 4 in Moose Jaw, Sask.

The roster – two goaltenders, five defenceman and 11 forwards - was selected by head coach Russ Herrington (Unionville, Ont.) and Marshall Starkman (Thornhill, Ont.), manager of hockey operations, with input from assistant coaches Mike Foligno (Sudbury, Ont.), Mike Fountain (Gravenhurst, Ont.) and Scott Walker (Cambridge, Ont.).

“We are very appreciative of the investment made by all of the athletes who have been part of the evaluation process since September. In the best of ways, they made it difficult on us as a staff to put together this roster,” said Herrington. “With the opportunity to compete for a world championship on home soil for the first time, we are excited about the composition of the roster and are confident this group will represent Canada and make all Canadians proud.”

The journey to the world championship began last September with selection camp in Calgary, where 25 players were named to the national team roster for the 2022-23 season. The competition schedule included the IPH Cup in Ostrava, Czechia, the Para Hockey Cup in Bridgewater, N.S., a three-game series against Korea in Calgary, Alta./Alb. and a three-game series against the United States in Elmira, Ont.   

The roster includes Raphaëlle Tousignant, who will make her international debut with Canada’s National Para Hockey Team and become the first woman to represent Canada in a major international competition.

It also features 15 players who won a silver medal at the IPH Cup (Armstrong, Auclair, Boily, Cozzolino, Crane, Dunn, Halbert, Henry, Huneault, Jacobs-Webb, Kovacevich, Lavin, LeBlanc, McGregor, Smith), and 17 who captured a silver medal at the Para Hockey Cup (Armstrong, Auclair, Boily, Cozzolino, Crane, Dixon, Dunn, Halbert, Henry, Huneault, Jacobs-Webb, Kovacevich, Larocque, Lavin, LeBlanc, McGregor, Smith).  

Canada will be joined by Czechia, Korea and the United States in Group A at the world championship, while Group B features China, Germany, Italy and Norway.

Canada opens its preliminary-round schedule on Monday, May 29 at 7 p.m. MT against Korea. It will face Czechia on May 30 before closing out prelim action against the United States on May 31.

Fans can guarantee their seat by purchasing a full-event ticket package for as low as $99 at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets.

All 20 tournament games will be available via livestream at HockeyCanada.ca.

Canada has captured four gold medals at the World Para Hockey Championship (2000, 2008, 2013, 2017), in addition to three silver (2015, 2019, 2021) and three bronze (1996, 2009, 2012).

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada has announced the roster for Canada’s National Para Hockey Development Team for a three-game series against the United States, April 27–30 at the Aréna Howie-Morenz in Montreal.

Two goaltenders, four defencemen and 10 forwards were selected by national team head coach Russ Herrington (Unionville, Ont./York University, OUA) and Marshall Starkman (Thornhill, Ont.), manager of hockey operations. Assistant coachesMike Foligno (Sudbury, Ont.) and Mike Fountain (Gravenhurst, Ont.), along with development team coaches Scott Walker (Cambridge, Ont.) and Jean Labonté (Hull, Que.) also provided input.

“We are excited to have this group together and get them into game action against the United States,” said Herrington. “This is the first time that our development team has been able to face the Americans in three years, and for many of these players, it’s their first time to represent Canada.”

The roster includes five players who won a silver medal at the Para Hockey Cup last November (Boily, Kovacevich, LeBlanc, Lelievre, Pellizzari), and five players who will make their international debut (Culmone, Daigle, Hurst, Stoppa, Mah).

In preparation for the 2023 World Para Hockey Championship , Canada’s National Para Hockey Development Team will be joined by the Canada’s National Para Hockey Team for a series of practices and intrasquad games before taking on the United States beginning Thursday, April 27 at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT.

The two nations will meet again Friday, April 28 at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT and wrap up the series Sunday, April 30 at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT. Admission to all three games is free.

“This is an incredible opportunity for us as we prepare for the world championship at the end of May in Saskatchewan,” added Herrington. “We will use this week to get everybody together, get on the ice, practice, and evaluate the progress from our selection camp in September.”

Fans looking to secure their seat for the 2023 World Para Hockey Championship can purchase a full-event ticket package for as low as $99 now at HockeyCanada.ca.

For more information on Hockey Canada, the 2023 World Para Hockey Championship and Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

When Rod Crane received word that he made Canada's National Para Hockey Team, he knew his life would change. He just wasn’t sure how.

The Clarksburg, Ont., native knew his hockey career was about to take off, but when he quit his job to focus full-time on training for the national team in 2018-19, he found an abundance of time in his calendar. After mulling over various ideas, his mother, Christine, mentioned the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Barrie & District.

"I had been looking for a volunteer gig to help me pass the time and keep busy, and she was the one who first brought it up," says Crane, who won a silver medal at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. "She thought it would be a good fit, so I looked into it and got matched with a great family."

For more than a century, Big Brothers Big Sisters has been championing the health and well-being of youth, ensuring children are supported by caring adults — helping them physically, mentally, socially, emotionally and academically. This year alone, the organization has impacted over 41,000 youth in over 1,100 communities across Canada.

After going through the application process, Crane was matched with a fifth-grader named Sandro, and the two became fast friends.

"He's such a funny kid," says Crane, a defenceman who began his para hockey career in 2014 with the Elmvale Bears. "Sandro is so smart, very driven, enjoys school, speaks three languages and is just a happy-go-lucky kid. He's not as much into sports, but he's into movies, Lego and things like that; he's a blast to be around."

As part of the program, Crane and Sandro get together a couple of times a month, and their interactions can be as competitive as going bowling or as simple as just grabbing a bite to eat.

“It’s nice to have Rod in my life,” says Sandro. “I look up to him, he’s a great guy. We text back and forth and go do things together. It’s pretty cool to be friends.”

Considering he went into this adventure without any prior knowledge, Crane is happy with the way the relationship has evolved.

"I didn't know what I was getting into. My only idea of Big Brothers [Big] Sisters came from an episode of The Simpsons," says Crane with a chuckle. "Not only is it nice to give back to the community, but I love watching him grow. He has really come out of his shell and become his own individual."

Three years on and despite not being much of a sports fan, Sandro and Crane have become fast friends. Sandro, who is now in Grade 8, has taken a liking to the National Para Hockey Team, following it wherever it goes, including watching the 2022 Paralympics in Beijing.

“Knowing someone on the ice is a cool feeling,” Sandro added. “I’ve gone to watch Rod live a few times and now that I know what it is, I think para hockey is super entertaining. After games, I try and text him and congratulate him, but I make sure I don’t critique him too hard.”

Although it’s just an organizational name, Crane feels the Big Brothers Big Sisters program is comparable to having your own siblings.

"[Sandro] knows I'm here to talk and for him when he needs it,” says Crane. “He's in Grade 8 and just learning how to communicate, so sometimes he takes advantage of that opportunity to open up, but other times it's as simple as just a check-in text message where he asks if I'm good and vice versa. I take a lot of pride in being there for him, and I think it gives his mom some peace of mind as a single parent that he has a strong male influence in his life."

Sandro will soon have another major tournament to keep tabs on as Crane and his Canadian teammates are preparing to host the World Para Hockey Championship beginning May 31 in Moose Jaw, Sask.

"I've made a friend for life," adds Crane. He knows I am here to support him in whatever he's doing, and I know I have a fan at home cheering for me."