A picture and a puck
A picture hanging on Branden Sison’s wall is a constant reminder of the challenges he has overcome on the way to reaching his dreams
Hanging on the wall of the Sison family home in Edmonton are a picture and a puck; symbols of a dream the family only started sharing a few years ago, when eldest son Branden tried para hockey for the first time.
“It was basically love at first sight because the feeling of skating … [para] hockey skating, allowed me to have more control,” the 21-year-old says.
Sison was born without a fibula in his right leg (fibular hemimelia), resulting in an amputation below the knee. He grew up using a prosthetic and never let it slow him down when playing sports with friends; at least, not intentionally.
“I remember when I was playing, there would be times where my prosthetic leg would malfunction because the foot would be on a pivot access and sometimes the screw would get loose,” Sison says, laughing at the memory. “My foot would be doing 360s while I would be running so that would be a little bit of an embarrassing situation.”
John Sison was working a night shift as a paramedic the first time his son tried para hockey, but said it quickly became the talk of the house. The family even traveled to Leduc, Alta., to watch the 2016 national championship.
“That’s when he first saw national competition and the intensity that was involved,” John recalls. “When he saw that, it became his goal. He has a very narrow vision of trying to achieve what he sets out to achieve.”
Later that same year, at just 16 years old, Sison was invited to Canada’s National Para Hockey Team selection camp. Though he didn’t make the cut, staff saw plenty of potential and asked Sison to keep working with them, which lead to a development camp in Montreal and a series against the United States.
This time, John was in the stands, with his camera at the ready.
“[Branden] more or less managed to get the puck mid-ice and get a breakaway and I was just looking through that lens and I was just hoping that he was able to get that goal,” an emotional John remembers with a smile.
Gesturing to his own face, he adds, “I’m just recalling his face and how it lit up.
“Just for him to experience that moment and know that he managed to achieve what he wanted and for me, that’s all I needed.”
Sison though, says he needs more. Now in his second season with Team Canada, the defenceman is focused on the upcoming IPC World Para Hockey Championship and 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. His goal, and that of the team, he says, is to not only medal at both events, but win them.
“We are putting it all out there for each other and the team because we know that we have a really good chance to win worlds and the Paralympics coming up, so we just want to work really hard for each other because we like to keep each other accountable,” Sison says.
With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing travel restrictions and making camps difficult, most team activities went virtual. They had meetings at least twice a week but needed to train on their own. Despite the challenges, Sison says this is the best he has ever felt physically, and the team is closer than ever.
“We’ve honestly become the most well-knit family that I’ve ever been a part of as a hockey team and it’s kind of crazy because we honestly haven’t seen each other for four, five, six months,” he says.
When thinking about the next few months for his son, John is anxious to see what unfolds. But he is also quick to reflect on everything Branden has already achieved, pointing to the photo as evidence.
“For me, that was the goal that I wanted him to achieve,” John says. “I’m pretty sure he’s going to be successful.”
Though he isn’t focused on personal success, Sison says in the short term, a continued place on the national team is his motivation. But when thinking long term, the young blueliner is more reflective.
“I hope to inspire the next generation of para hockey players, I think that’s what I aim to do the most,” he says. “Regardless of who I am or the identity of my background, I think just playing my heart out, putting in effort and just showing my love for the game is what is going to attract people to it most.”
Canada earns silver medal at 2024 International Para Hockey Cup
Canada’s National Para Hockey Team falls 5-3 to the United States in the gold medal game
OSTRAVA, Czechia – Canada’s National Para Hockey Team earned a silver medal for the third consecutive year at the 2024 International Para Hockey Cup, falling 5-3 to the United States in the gold medal game on Sunday at Ostravar Arena. Auren Halbert (Calgary, AB), Dominic Cozzolino (Mississauga, ON) and James Dunn (Wallacetown, ON) scored for Canada in Sunday’s rematch of the 2024 World Para Ice Hockey Championship gold medal game. The United States responded quickly after each Canadian goal, getting a pair of power play markers from Declan Farmer (Clearwater, FL), helping the U.S. finish the tournament with a perfect 5-0 record, including a pair of wins over Canada. “We have an understanding of what our identity is as a team and how we need to play night in and night out. I think today and yesterday we lived up to that and it gave us a chance to win,” said head coach Russ Herrington (Unionville, ON/York University, OUA). “It’s difficult to win at this level and games often come down to little moments, and tonight the United States executed better in those moments than we did.” Canada finished the preliminary round with a 2-1 record, defeating Italy in its first game of the tournament, dropping its second game to the United States before wrapping up the preliminary round with a victory over Czechia. Canada earned its spot in the gold medal game with a 1-0 overtime win over Czechia in the semifinals on Saturday. Adam Kingsmill (Smithers, BC) was strong in net for the Canadians with 22 saves, while Dunn’sperformance, including a third-periodgoal, earned him Canada’s player of the game honours. “We saw tremendous growth this week, especially from our younger players. A lot of guys got to play heavier minutes than they are used to. Guys like Vincent Boily (Alma, QC) and Shawn Burnett (McMasterville, QC) showed the amount of hard work they put in this summer,” added Herrington . “You’re always worried after winning a big tournament like Para Worlds that there may be some complacency, but a lot of our players came back in better shape than they’ve ever been in. I thought this was a very positive two-weeks together.” Canada’s National Para Hockey Team will now focus on the 2024 Para Hockey Cup, Dec. 8-14 in Charlottetown, PE. Full-event ticket packages are on sale now .
For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook , X, Instagram and TikTok.
National Para Hockey Team roster named for 2024 International Para Hockey Cup
Defending world champions open 2024-25 season in Czechia
ELMIRA, Ontario – Hockey Canada has unveiled the 18 players who will wear the Maple Leaf with Canada’s National Para Hockey Team at the International Para Hockey (IPH) Cup, Oct. 7-13 in Ostrava, Czechia.
Three goaltenders, five defencemen and 10 forwards were selected by head coach Russ Herrington (Unionville, ON/York University, OUA) and Adam Janssen (Richmond Hill, ON), manager of hockey operations. Assistant coaches Mike Fountain (Gravenhurst, ON) , Boris Rybalka (Vernon, BC) and Greg Westlake (Oakville, ON) also provided input.
“We are excited to begin our 2024-25 season overseas,” said Herrington. “We want to carry the momentum from our Para Worlds success and continue to develop and grow as a group. We had a competitive evaluation camp and are excited to face three strong teams in Czechia.”
The roster features 14 players who won a gold medal at the 2024 World Para Hockey Championship in Calgary (Armstrong, Boily, Burnett, Cozzolino, Dixon, Dunn, Halbert, Henry, Jacobs-Webb, Kingsmill, Kovacevich, Lelièvre, McGregor, Watson) . Canada’s National Para Hockey Team selected its roster from the 32 players who participated in evaluation camp, Sept. 27–Oct. 3 at the Woolwich Memorial Centre in Elmira, Ontario.
Canada opens its schedule at the IPH Cup against Italy at 9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT on Oct. 7. It will also face the United States (Oct. 8) in a rematch of the Para Worlds gold medal game, and the host Czechs (Oct. 10) in preliminary-round play. The semifinals are set for Oct. 12, with the medal games on Oct. 13.
Hockey Canada also announced the support staff that will travel to Ostrava:
- Video coach Steve Arsenault (Spruce Grove, AB)
- Equipment managers Grant Boswall (Cornwall, PE) and Matina Landstad (West Vancouver, BC/Toronto, PWHL)
- Physiotherapist Michael Lenart (Keswick, ON)
- Team physician Dr. Danielle Kelton (Guelph, ON)
- Hockey operations director Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON)
- Hockey operations coordinator Miah Armitage (Creston, BC)
For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.
Roster named for National Para Hockey Team evaluation camp
32 players to attend six-day camp in Elmira, Ontario
CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the 32 players who will attend Canada’s National Para Hockey Team training camp, Sept. 27–Oct. 2 at the Woolwich Memorial Centre in Elmira, Ontario. Five goaltenders, 11 defence and 16 forwards—including 16 members of the team that won a gold medal at the 2024 World Para Hockey Championship in Calgary—were selected by head coach Russ Herrington (Unionville, ON) and assistant coaches Mike Fountain (Gravenhurst, ON), Boris Rybalka (Vernon, BC) and Greg Westlake (Oakville, ON).
“This camp is an important step in our journey as we begin to defend our world championship gold medal,” Herrington said. “We have an experienced group returning, as well as a group of promising young athletes that are looking to make an impression with our staff. This week allows everyone to begin to work together to become Team Canada.”
The evaluation camp includes practices, off-ice training and a trio of intrasquad games from Sept. 28-30, and will serve as an opportunity to evaluate and prepare for future international competitions. Following evaluation camp, Canada’s National Para Hockey Team will compete in the International Para Hockey Cup, Oct. 7-13 in Ostrava, Czechia. For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Para Hockey, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.
Coaching staff named for Canada's National Para Hockey Team
World championship-winning staff returns for 2024-25 season
CALGARY, Alberta – Four months after guiding Canada’s National Para Hockey Team to its first gold medal in seven years at the 2024 World Para Hockey Championship, Hockey Canada has announced the return of the coaching staff for the 2024-25 season.
Head coach Russ Herrington (Unionville, ON/ York University, OUA) returns for his third season behind the bench and will be joined again by assistant coaches Mike Fountain (Gravenhurst, ON), Boris Rybalka (Vernon, BC) and Greg Westlake (Oakville, ON).
“We are excited to have our gold medal winning staff in place for another season,” said Adam Janssen (Richmond Hill, ON), manager of hockey operations. “Coming off a tremendously successful year, capped off with a victory at the world championship in Calgary last spring, we know having a consistent and experienced staff sets our athletes up for success heading into a new season.”
The coaching staff was selected by Janssen and Jesse Albers (Victoria, BC), vice president of operations, in consultation with Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations.
Herrington was named head coach of Canada’s National Para Hockey Team in August 2022 after parts of seven seasons as an assistant coach. Since 2015, he has won a total of 10 medals (two gold, eight silver), including gold at the World Para Hockey Championship in 2017 and 2024. He has also earned silver medals at the 2022 and 2023 Para Hockey Cup as head coach, as well as the 2023 Para Worlds. Herrington was an assistant coach at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games, winning a silver medal. He has served as the head coach of the York University men’s hockey team since 2017.
Fountain is entering his seventh year with Team Canada, spending his first five seasons as goaltending consultant, and helping the team to a silver medal at the 2022 Paralympics. As an assistant coach since 2022, Fountain has a total of five medals (one gold, four silver) in that span, including gold at the 2024 Para Worlds and silver in 2023. As a player, Fountain represented Canada twice on the international stage, including the 1992 IIHF World Junior Championship and 1992 Spengler Cup, and enjoyed a 17-year professional career that included 11 NHL games. Rybalka returns as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Para Hockey Team for a second season after helping it to gold at Para Worlds. The all-time leader in wins by a coach in Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) history (683), Rybalka won two gold medals (2006, 2007) and one silver (2008) as head coach of Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge. The Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) Coach of the Year in 2003-04, he led the Camrose Kodiaks to five AJHL championships (2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008) and won the Royal Bank Cup as national Junior A champions in 2001. Westlake enters his second season as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, having helped the team to gold at the 2024 Para Worlds. The second all-time leading scorer in Team Canada history (175-194—369 in 240 games) had a monumental playing career, winning a total of 12 medals (four gold, five silver, three bronze), including Paralympic gold in 2006. As an assistant coach, Westlake won gold at the 2024 World Para Hockey Championship and silver at the 2023 Para Hockey Cup.
Hockey Canada also announced the support staff that will work with Canada’s National Para Hockey Team throughout the 2024-25 season:
- Assistant coach, mindset and leadership Liam Heelis (Georgetown, ON)
- Equipment managers Grant Boswall (Cornwall, PE) and AJ Murley (St. John’s, NL)
- Guest equipment manager Matina Landstad (West Vancouver, BC/Toronto, PWHL)
- Athletic therapist Tracy Meloche (Essex, ON)
- Physiotherapist Michael Lenart (Keswick, ON)
- Medical IST lead Christine Atkins (Fort Macleod, AB)
- Physical performance lead Bryan Yu (Edmonton, AB)
- Team physicians Dr. Ben Cameron (Summerside, PE) and Dr. Danielle Kelton (Guelph, ON)
- Dietician Kelly Anne Erdman (Edmonton, AB)
- Senior Manager, Hockey Operations Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON)
- Hockey operations coordinator Hannah Curlock (Calgary, AB)
- Media relations coordinator Branden Crowe (Virden, MB)
Following a September evaluation camp, Canada’s National Para Hockey Team will compete in the International Para Hockey Cup, set for Oct. 7-13 in Ostrava, Czechia. For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Para Hockey, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook , X and Instagram.
Schedules announced for three fall events
Tickets for U17 World Challenge, U18 Women’s National Championship, Junior A World Challenge, Para Cup available now
CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has unveiled the schedules and ticket package details for the 2024 editions of the U17 World Challenge, U18 Women’s National Championship and Para Cup.
In addition, Hockey Canada has also announced that tickets are now on sale for the 2024 Junior A World Challenge, which is set to take place at Encana Arena in Camrose, Alberta, from Dec. 9-15, in partnership with the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and National Hockey League (NHL). The schedule and format for this year’s event will be announced at a later date.
“The unveiling of the schedules and ticket packages for our fall events is an exciting milestone, as the anticipation for the puck to drop continues to build while allowing fans and community members to plan their involvement in world-class events across the country,” said Dean McIntosh, senior vice-president of revenue, fan experience and community impact for Hockey Canada. “Hosting major events is not possible without the commitment and passion of these great communities, and we are grateful for the community leaders, volunteers, partners and our Members who make these events possible.”
The U17 World Challenge returns as a six-team format for the second-straight year, with Sarnia, Ontario, hosting at the Progressive Auto Sales Arena from Nov. 3-9. The teams — Canada Red, Canada White, Czechia, Finland, Sweden and the United States — will be split into two groups and will each play two preliminary-round games before the medal round. The event will also feature pre-tournament games in Sarnia, Petrolia and Forest on Nov. 1.
For the first time in the tournament’s history, the U18 Women’s National Championship will be held in Atlantic Canada. Eight teams consisting of the top under-18 players in Canada — Alberta, Atlantic, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario Blue, Ontario Red, Québec and Saskatchewan —will descend on the qplex in Quispamsis, New Brunswick, from Nov. 3-9.
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of ParaSport and Recreation PEI, the Para Cup returns to the East Coast for the second straight year (2023 in Quispamsis, New Brunswick), with Canada’s National Para Hockey Team looking to secure its second-straight gold medal in international competition at the Bell Aliant Centre in Charlottetown, P.E.I. Canada will compete against China, Czechia and the United States from Dec. 8-14.
Full-event ticket packages for the U17 World Challenge, U18 Women’s National Championship, Para Cup and Junior A World Challenge are on sale now and can be purchased at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets. Fans that purchase a full-event ticket package to any fall event before Sept. 20 will be entered into a contest to win a 2025 World Juniors prize package. The prize package includes two tickets to both semifinals and the medal games, at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa, as well as hotel accommodations for two nights and two $100 Hockey Canada merchandise vouchers. Hockey Canada and the local organizing committees of its fall events are currently looking to fill several volunteer positions for all four events. Individuals that are interested in creating a world-class experience for players and fans alike are encouraged to CLICK HERE to learn more about Hockey Canada’s volunteer program or visit the individual event pages to apply now.
TSN and RDS, the official broadcasters of Hockey Canada, will air select tournament games, with broadcast details to be announced at a later date.
For more information on Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.
Host locations selected for 2024 fall events
Ontario to host U17 World Challenge, Atlantic Canada to welcome U18 Women’s National Championship and Para Cup
CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the host communities for three of its fall events: the 2024 U17 World Challenge, 2024 U18 Women’s National Championship and 2024 Para Cup. “These events play a critical role in the development of men’s, women’s and para hockey athletes, coaches, officials and staff, and we are thrilled to be bringing them to communities in Ontario, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island,” said Pat McLaughlin, chief operating officer and executive vice-president of strategy. “They are an excellent opportunity to create lifelong memories and leave a legacy in each community for years to come.” The 2024 U17 World Challenge will be played Nov. 1-9 in Sarnia, Ontario. It is the seventh time Ontario will play host to the tournament, and the second time in Sarnia, following 2014.
The 2024 U18 Women’s National Championship will run Nov. 3-9 in Quispamsis, New Brunswick, bringing the event – and the future stars of the women’s game – to Atlantic Canada for the first time.
Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, which won a home-ice gold medal at the 2024 World Para Hockey Championship earlier this month, will compete against three countries at the 2024 Para Cup, which will be held Dec. 8-14 in Charlottetown, P.E.I. It is the fifth time the tournament will be held in the Birthplace of Confederation and coincides with the 50th anniversary of ParaSport & Recreation PEI. Fans can sign up now to receive ticket information or become a Hockey Canada Insider and receive advanced access to tickets and other promotions. “These tournaments are often once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for participants, families and fans,” said Dean McIntosh, vice-president of strategic partnerships and community impact. “I’m confident in the host committees in these three great hockey markets and know we are set up for success with the passionate hockey fans and volunteers in each community.” In the spring, Canada’s U18 Women’s National Club Championship will be decided at the 2025 Esso Cup, April 20-26 in Lloydminster, Alberta , while the U18 Men’s National Club Championship will be up for grabs April 21-27 at the 2025 TELUS Cup in Chilliwack, B.C.
The host communities for the 2025 Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons, and 2024 Junior A World Challenge will be announced at a later date.
To learn more about Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca , or follow along through social media on Facebook , X and Instagram .
Embracing a new life through hockey
Bridget Vales had never heard of hockey until she moved from the Philippines to Saskatchewan; now she can’t get enough of Canada’s game
Bridget Vales got her first taste of hockey when she went to her stepbrother’s practice shortly after she moved from the Philippines to White City, Saskatchewan, when she was eight years old, and pretty quickly she was interested in trying it out herself.
That first experience didn’t go as expected.
“It was tough,” Bridget, now 14, says. “It was embarrassing for me [at the beginning] because when I went to the tryouts, I didn’t know how to skate. I cried at the rink because everyone was better than me.”
In the end, she made the team and got better every game. The next season, when she was nine years old, she made the ‘B’ team with the Prairie Storm Minor Hockey Association and worked hard to improve her skating and skills.
“I felt happy with how much I improved in hockey,” she says. “But the transition was difficult.”
Bridget comes by the passion of the game naturally. Her mom, Reynilda Vales, quickly fell in love with hockey after moving to Canada from the Philippines on a work visa as a midwife in April 2015. She couldn’t bring any family members at that time, but after two years, she got her Canadian permanent residency and was able to bring Bridget to Regina in 2018. Her employer at the time introduced her to hockey and the love affair began.
“It was my plan to put Bridget in hockey. I am crazy about hockey. I am loud with my intense cheering … I am crazy at the rink,” Reynilda says. “Being from the Philippines, it’s very warm, but when the kids are playing hockey, I don’t care about the cold.”
Growing up in the Philippines, Bridget focused on school and didn’t play any sports. Since moving to Canada, she has embraced her athletic side and participates in hockey, baseball, lacrosse, badminton, volleyball and track. Hockey, though, is her favourite.
“I love to play games and meet new teammates. My favourite part is skating and hitting,” she says. “Hockey is my favourite sport because it just gives me so much joy and excitement. I just love playing it because it’s such a fun sport.”
Hockey is just one of the ways Bridget came to better understand life in Canada. Not only is she able to meet new people and create friendships, but it has also helped her transition to a new life with a different culture, climate, food, language and school.
“I’m glad Canadians love to play hockey. It’s fun learning about hockey because it’s a fun sport to play and watch,” she says. “I feel accepted because I’m in a sport and hockey has been able to give me a team where you feel like you are a part of something bigger.”
Reynilda has been an influence for Bridget in life – helping her navigate coming to a new city and new country, and setting up a new life.
“It’s easy for me to guide my daughter because I came here first and I encountered the same feedback about our culture,” says Reynilda. “Hockey is a part of our lives now. It keeps us busy, and it helps us to focus on the kids’ well-being. It’s just our day-to-day life now.”
It’s not easy making a major life change and moving to another country, but hockey has been valuable in making things easier. The comments Reynilda gets now, it shows how much Bridget has grown.
“The parents now ask if Bridget grew up here because of the way she skates … she doesn’t look like she just started playing hockey,” says Reynilda. “The progress has been unbelievable. I think it’s because hockey is in her heart. She loves it.”
Reynilda and Bridget have fully embraced the Canadian way of life – from learning to ice fish to hockey – but they also share their culture with others.
“I used to be embarrassed because I was different, but now when people find out I’m Filipino, they are interested in finding out more about me and my culture; they want to know my language,” Bridget says. “That makes me happy to share who I am. Hockey has made me feel like everyone else and I feel at home.”
In my own words: Dampy Brar
The coach, mentor, teacher and Willie O’Ree Community Award winner talks about his journey in the game, and the importance of making an impact with the South Asian community
For countless generations, my family lived in Punjab, India. They were honest, hard-working, salt-of-the-earth people. Each generation took over the farming and continued the family traditions and lifestyle.
My dad had a different dream for himself and for his future family. A dream to come to Canada and start a new life with new opportunities. But he never imagined that his Canadian dream would include hockey.
At the age of four, I vividly remember sitting on the front step of our townhouse in Sparwood, B.C., the town I was born in, watching a group of older boys play street hockey. I was instantly intrigued. My dad recognized my interest and bought me a plastic hockey stick with a pink blade, yellow shaft and a black rubber knob, which also came with two plastic pucks. I would play non-stop in our undeveloped basement, shooting into a milk crate.
As the hockey season approached, we were fortunate enough to have older East Indian family friends whose boys played minor hockey in Sparwood, so my dad registered me. There was only one problem – I had never been on skates.
I was incredibly lucky to have a great skating instructor; his name was Tander Sandhu, and he was 11 years old. He says it took me 15 minutes in an old pair of his skates that weren’t even my size to start skating on my own. By the age of eight, I was moved up to play with the older kids after scoring 21 goals in two games.
I kept scoring several goals per game, and then early in the season when I was 11 years old, they implemented a rule that players could only score three goals in a game. Even though I was a playmaker and had a lot of assists, it was pretty well-known that this rule was created because of me. In hindsight, it made me an even better passer; however, my family always wonders if that rule was not implemented how much more attention and exposure would I have received in the hockey community.
I was born in Canada, and simply loved the game. I saw all my teammates and their families in the same manner, but not everyone looked at me as an equal. As a kid, perhaps I was oblivious to the looks and comments. The racism piece really came to light when I was eight. After my third goal, a player on the opposing team, who was from a nearby town, yelled something at me several times while I was taking the face-off against him. A word that started with the letter P, but I couldn’t fully understand what he was saying.
After scoring two more goals, he continued yelling the same word at me over and over again. I can still see what he was wearing, his facial expressions and his anger. I remember feeling scared. I didn’t know what I did wrong, and why he was so upset with me. My teammate told me he was saying something really bad about me. Something about how I look. The taunting continued, but I managed to focus on playing the game and having fun. After finishing the game with 13 goals, he shook my hand and said the word ‘Paki’ yet again, right to my face.
All weekend the incident rolled through my mind. On Monday morning at recess, I asked my older East Indian friend, who also played hockey, what ‘Paki’ meant. He explained that is what they call us in a negative way to make fun of us. It was a name assigned to me because of the colour of my skin.
I got used to hearing it over the years. However, the worst had to be hearing from a parent when I was 15 years old. Just before the game started, with the arena pretty quiet, the father of the opposing goaltender yelled to his son, “Don’t let that f*cking Paki score!” and then looked straight at me with glaring eyes.
Towards the end of that season, we went to a small town in Crowsnest Pass in southern Alberta. It was a Friday night game, and a bunch of teenagers came to cheer on their home team. Instead of watching the game, they stood away from the parents and threw constant racial slurs at me while making inappropriate gestures.
I have never repeated what they said. But if we want to invoke change, we need to be honest with what was said and done. They were saying things like, “Go back home, Paki,” or “Put curry on the puck, it will slide better,” or “Where is the red dot on your forehead?” Any time I took a face-off in front of them, or simply skated past them, they banged their hands on the glass and tried to scare and intimate me.
We won 6-4 that night. My parents were so happy on the car ride home, as they thought I played well; however, I was quiet and numb. When I got home, I had tears in my eyes and asked my parents, “Who cares about the game, did you not see what was happening?” They told me that if I wanted to be an elite player and represent our culture, it was something I would need to endure. My dad then told me some stories of the racism he had gone through on the streets and in the workforce. He wanted to shield me from it, but sadly he could not.
It was then that I really started to envision that one day I would use hockey to earn respect, and then turn around and help other South Asian players and their families.
I had the goal of playing professional hockey, but as we all know, the path to get there is extremely complicated. With immigrant parents, no mentors and no internet, navigating the hockey system was very difficult. Some how, some way, I made it through Junior B to Junior A and to Concordia University College in Edmonton. But I started to doubt that college hockey was the right decision to get me to my goal.
After a few games, an ex-NHL coach turned agent named Bill Laforge Sr. came to watch us play. He was gracious enough to take me under his wing and send me on my way to play pro hockey in the United States.
In my seven-year career, I played five seasons with the Tacoma Sabercats in the West Coast Hockey League (WCHL), where I had two stand-out coaches: three years with John Olver and two with Robert Dirk, who I coach with now at the Okanagan Hockey Academy.
During this time, I really grew not only as a hockey player, but as a person. I learned the importance of community work and giving back. The city showed me a lot of love in return, which overshadowed any discrimination. I won the WCHL championship with the Sabercats in 1999, played in the WCHL All-Star Game and was voted Most Popular Player by the fans in all five of my seasons.
A few other milestones were getting called up to play in the International Hockey League (IHL) with the Las Vegas Thunder, and the following year, signing a two-way contract with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League (AHL), an affiliate of my favourite team, the Edmonton Oilers.
I hung up my skates at the end of the 2002-03 season and knew I had to fulfil my other goal of paying it forward and giving back.
When my now-16-year-old son started playing Timbits, I got involved in assisting, educating, mentoring and coaching our South Asian youth and their families. A few years later, I delved deeper into women’s hockey when my daughter started playing. I was lucky enough to help take this internationally when a women’s team from Leh Ladakh, India, came to Canada for the first time to participate in WickFest, run by Team Canada icon Hayley Wickenheiser.
In the end, my passion for the game comes back to providing support and guidance to South Asian and other ethnic players, connecting the community, highlighting players and parents, and spreading information.
It was through my work with the South Asian community that I was honoured in 2020 to receive the Willie O’Ree Community Award, becoming the first South Asian to win an NHL award, which really drove me to continue to make an impact in the diversity and inclusion component of the game.
Congratulations to Dampy Brar for winning this year's Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award. #NHLAwards MORE ➡️ https://t.co/bZTLKWBhIs pic.twitter.com/vP2sExJJWL
— NHL (@NHL) September 8, 2020
Already, we see a number of NHL teams recognize the contributions of the South Asian community by holding a South Asian Heritage Night. I have had the privilege of being part of the Honour Guard or dropping the puck for the Los Angeles Kings, Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames.
Change is slow, but where there is a will, there is a way. Together we will help improve hockey culture and grow the game we all love. Just like in my hockey journey from the age of four to when I played my last professional game, perseverance and resilience are important factors.
Any road to success will always be under construction.
Brian’s life behind the bench
Brian Sugiyama has spent the last three decades coaching his kids, his grandkids, other people’s kids, and even other coaches who – much like he does – just want to make the game better
When you spend decades doing something you love, you evolve.
Brian Sugiyama has been behind the bench, in the dressing room and on the ice helping kids and young adults become better hockey players and people for the past 30 years.
The 72-year-old Nanaimo, B.C., resident maybe hasn’t seen it all, but he has seen quite a bit, more than most, and has a good sense of what it takes to be a great hockey coach.
“When I first started doing the coaching development stuff, I thought it was more the technical and science of coaching,” says Sugiyama. “Now, I think it’s more the art of coaching, that you’re working with young men and women, sometimes they just graduated from playing minor hockey themselves, sometimes they’re parents. They all seem to think it’s about the Xs and Os and the practices, where I think it’s really more the psychology of coaching, working on childhood development, how kids get along and that you have developed within your team that bonding and that whole area of respect within your teams, respect for your opponents and others involved in the game, like the officials.”
Sugiyama is a member of Hockey Canada’s Coaching Program Delivery Group. He is district coach coordinator for Vancouver Island and clinic facilitator for Coach 1, Coach 2 and Development 1 programs within the National Coach Certification Program, teaching hundreds of new and experienced coaches each year. He is also a High Performance 1 coach mentor and Development 1 coach field evaluator.
To attain those credentials requires time, dedication, experience, patience and an incredibly strong and thorough knowledge of Canada’s game.
Sugiyama has all of those traits.
His journey began, as so many Canadian hockey stories do, on backyard and outdoor rinks. Sugiyama was born and raised in Edmonton and got his start outside when his father built a backyard rink.
As his love of the game grew, so did his skill and commitment. Sugiyama played competitively with the Maple Leaf Athletic Club through his teenage years. He got his start in coaching when he helped out with his younger brother’s team. And then, in the early 1980s, Sugiyama did what so many dads do – get involved in coaching with his own’s son’s team. He and wife Karen have four children and all of them grew up playing hockey.
“I started coaching local recreational divisions at the younger age groups and then you get into wanting to be better as a coach, and you start taking some courses,” says Sugiyama. “I coached a competitive U11 team and you encounter the good, bad and whatever. I still got a lot from it. I thought I could contribute to not only my kids’ development, but other kids as well.”
Later in life, the family moved to Vancouver, where they still reside. And the Sugiyama name is perhaps just as well known in Nanaimo as it is in Edmonton, given the years of service and dedication to hockey given by Brian and the rest of the family.
TJ Fisher helped coach a U15 co-ed recreational team during the 2023-24 season with Brian, one that included one of Sugiyama’s granddaughters and one of Fisher’s kids.
“It’s so neat to see a grandpa coaching grandkids. You never see that,” says Fisher. “It’s one of those things for people my age, it’s like the life goal where you have to keep on evolving with the next generation. He stays current and is totally relatable. He’s really up on technology to be able to be current to both teach his clinics and to stay current with the kids on the team.”
Erin Wilson has also been inspired by Sugiyama. Wilson and Sugiyama coached together during the 2021-22 season and have known one another for close to three decades.
“As both a parent and coach, I really value Brian's focus on fair play and sportsmanship,” says Wilson. “His encouragement of every player to be a contributing part of the team is so valuable and important for individual character development, self-worth and team play. This focus on fair play and sportsmanship is something I try and replicate and is a strong value and focus I believe in when I am coaching a team.”
Sugiyama has been on the bench of competitive and recreational teams and believes there is a gap that will need to be filled on the rec side. Often, there are plenty of moms and dads who want to help out with competitive teams, but a shortage of coaches who want to pitch in on the recreational side.
His impact hasn’t just been felt by regular Canadian moms and dads, though. In recent years, Sugiyama has facilitated and led courses attended by some well-known retired former NHLers who want to give back and coach.
“This last season, I’ve had people like Andrew Ladd and Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith take the courses,” says Sugiyama. “They’re coming back and imparting their knowledge back to a hockey academy or a team in their community. They come back supportive of what Hockey Canada is doing with the development of coaching.”
Sugiyama jokes with his course attendees that he’s “getting long in the tooth,” but continues his involvement and will as long as he can. That’s not only good news for kids on the ice, but the men and women who have a chance to learn from Sugiyama.
“It’s special to see that whole family,” says Fisher. “He’s still coaching, his kids are coaching, the grandkids are playing. It’s pretty awesome.”
Para Worlds Preview: Canada vs. United States
Sunday, May 12 | 5:30 p.m. MT | Calgary, Alberta | Gold Medal Game
This one’s for all the marbles. The 2024 World Para Hockey Championship comes to a close Sunday at WinSport Arena with an all-North American matchup for gold as Canada’s National Para Hockey Team takes on the United States.
Last Game
Canada survived a semifinal thriller, getting goals 84 seconds apart from Micah Kovacevich and Dominic Cozzolino early in the third period to earn a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over China on Friday night. Tyler McGregor added two assists for the Canadians.
The Americans had a nail-biter of their own in Friday’s first semifinal, getting the go-ahead goal from Malik Jones with 7:01 remaining to earn a 3-1 win over Czechia and a chance to defend their world title. Chris Douglas scored the other two goals for the U.S.
Last Meeting
The Canadians and Americans have met 10 times this season, most recently in the finale of a brief two-game series in Calgary in early April. Liam Hickey scored for Canada, but the Americans got a goal and an assist from Josh Misiewicz and the game-winner from Declan Farmer to leave the Canadians with a 4-1 defeat.
What to Watch
Adam Kingsmill continues to be an absolute workhorse for the Canadians this season; the Smithers, B.C., product has appeared in 17 of the 20 games played by Canada’s National Para Hockey Team this season and was terrific in the semifinals. After having faced just 11 shots across his first two starts, Kingsmill turned away 14 of 15 on Friday night, keeping the Canadians in the game as they looked to break through the Chinese defence and erase an early deficit. Not bad for a netminder who wasn’t part of the Canadian roster a year ago at Para Worlds and had just 10 international appearances on his résumé entering this season.
The American offence starts and ends with Farmer. The 26-year-old is once again at the top of the tournament scoring chart, posting 19 points (10-9—19) in four games, including a four-goal game in the Day 1 win over Slovakia and an eight-point effort in a win over China in the prelim finale. But the most important play the Tampa native has made all tournament long might not have come with the puck on his stick; with the U.S. clinging to a one-goal lead late in its semifinal with the Czechs, Farmer sprawled across the goal line to deny Czech captain Radek Zelinka and ensure he would have a shot at a fifth world championship.
A Look Back
The head-to-head history between the Canadians and Americans is very close, with the U.S. holding a narrow 66-59-1 advantage.
The Americans have had the upper hand as of late; the last win for Canada came back on Oct. 29, 2021, when Anton Jacobs-Webb scored the winner 13 seconds into the third period, helping the Canadians earn a 4-2 victory in the opener of a two-game series in the St. Louis suburbs.
It’s the seventh time the rivals will meet for Para Worlds gold, and the seventh in a row. Canada has won two of those finals, claiming a pair of world titles on Korean ice – 2013 in Goyang and 2017 in Gangneung.
All-time record: United States leads 66-59-1 (13-8 in OT/SO) Canada goals: 243 United States goals: 278
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