In case Mykyta Staskevich needed another reminder of his boys Hockey The team of Ukrainian refugees playing to go back home came in touching form of the country’s flag in the locker room before their game against romania on Monday.
In blue, representing the sky, were the surnames of a player’s father and the father of a player’s friend who has died on the front lines in the war with Russia. In yellow, representing the field, were the surnames of two of the player’s fathers – including Staskevich – who are still fighting.
Speaking in Ukrainian, Staskevich’s eyes went moist as he answered the symbol of the flag.
“He wants Ukraine to win the war and stop the war,” said Ukrainian selects coach Evgeny Pysarenko, translating his team’s captain. “Calmness.”
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The flag was brought to Pisarenko by one of the player’s parents, and served as both inspiration and a poignant reminder of why the team is competing in the International Peewee Tournament in Quebec City. The selections go far beyond the hockey team of 11- and 12-year-olds. Nearly a year after Russia invaded Ukraine, he has come to represent a symbol of peace and a more hopeful future for the war-torn country.
“You can imagine a kid, he saw his dad’s name, and he starts crying. And the whole team comes up to him and hugs him. It was quiet for a few minutes,” Team Romania on Wolves After the 2-0 win, Pisarenko said.
“It was more than a hockey game,” he said. “We dedicate this game to these people.”
The tears turned to smiles by the end of the game, when Ivan Bilozerov converted a rebound with 61 seconds remaining to seal the scoring. And excitement ran high in the locker room when word spread that the selectors were boarding a bus to Montreal, where the team would be special guests of the Canadiens for their game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night.
During what is now growing into a three-week stay in Canada, one of the team’s dreams was the chance to attend an NHL game.
The Selects extended their stay by defeating Romania in the elimination game. Maxim Kukrenko scored a power-play goal and Matvi Kulish earned the shutout (shot totals are not tracked in the tournament).
The Ukrainian, who has been celebrated around town since his arrival nearly two weeks ago, is three wins from clinching a spot in the tournament’s Class AA championship on Sunday. They advanced to play the Academy of Vermont Flames on Friday.
“It’s a special story, special kids,” Pisarenko said of the resilience shown by his players. “They’ve grown up a lot more than everybody else.”
The Selects blamed the pressure of playing in front of a near-capacity crowd of 18,000 blue-and-white flag-waving fans for their slow start in a tournament-opening 3–1 win over the Boston Junior Bruins. Ukraine overcame a 1–0 deficit by scoring three times in the last five minutes.
On Monday, the selectors had pre-game emotions to overcome.
This time, Kukharenko took an early lead at 4:37 into the 10-minute first period, scoring from a shot from the left point that appeared to deflect off a Romanian defender. The Selects could not take a breath until Bilozerov scored by slapping in a shot from the right circle.
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The Ukrainian once again celebrated with a victory lap, paying tribute to his supporters, who made up the majority of the fans who filled almost half of the lower bowl of the arena.
A small contingent of Romanian fans had gathered in one section, and made their presence known with chants, songs and the banging of cowbells.
Tournament officials do not release attendance figures, but Monday’s crowd was still much larger than the 20 or so people select forward Zhar Kovalenko said he was used to playing in front of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian’s appearance has signaled a huge global spotlight on the 63-year-old tournament once again with the war in Ukraine rising. Those chosen are considered symbols of peace for Ukraine and hope for a better future, and have received mentions from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Matchups of teams from bordering countries featured many coincidences. Romania is where the Selects held training camps, as that is where Pysarenko now lives, and began holding camps for players after seeing several youths fleeing Ukraine with hockey equipment in tow.
And the Romanian team’s presence in the tournament stems from Pysarenko, who recommended the country’s hockey officials to send a team to the Quebec City tournament four years earlier.
“I know these kids and I saw them crying after the game and I felt very sorry for them because I work with them too. And know them personally, and the parents and the coach, ”Pysarenko said Said. “But the situation was that we needed this victory probably more than them.”
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