Young hockey players visiting from Finland are getting a little taste of Canada while in Brantford for the 52n/a annual Wayne Gretzky International Hockey Tournament.
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Two Finnish teams – under 14 BB and under 13 A/AA — are competing in the tournament, which has become a Christmas tradition for the hosting Brantford Minor Hockey Association since the event’s inception in 1970.
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All of the Finnish players are being ticketed at the homes of Brantford players. Sarah Evans has taken in two of the visiting boys.
“I asked them to tell me if there was anything specific they wanted to try,” said Evans, who is the parent rep for the Brantford 99ers. “They asked for hamburgers, so that’s what I made. For breakfast we had maple syrup and French toast, which they’d never had.
“The boys may get to learn a few words in new language, hear about some of new traditions – experiences they never have staying at a hotel.”
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Evans said there weren’t any awkward moments for the Brantford and Finnish players who had already got to know each other prior to the tournament through messages on Snapchat and Instagram and playing online video games.
Tournament organizer David Fielding said Brantford Minor Hockey Association board members have been working for the past nine months to host the tournament, which, this year, includes some 2,000 participating players and coaches on 96 teams.
In addition to the two Finnish teams, there is one from Oswego, New York and one from Grand Rapids, Michigan. The rest comes from all over Ontario. There are 15 divisions ranging from under 8 to under 18. They play on 10 rinks at six arenas in Brantford and the County of Brant, with a home base at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre.
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“It’s a great facility, there’s the Gretzky name, and I think we have a good reputation,” Fielding said of the tournament’s popularity.
Walter Gretzky, who died in 2021, had been a fixture at the tournament for many years. Fielding set up a photo of the world’s most famous hockey dad on a table just inside the tournament office at the Gretzky Centre.
“We have 200 volunteers,” he said. “When I meet with them to go over things, I make sure to mention his name. I remind them we’re the tournament capital of Ontario and we’ve got some big shoes to fill.”
Anton Pakarinen and Walter Nystrom, both 13-year-old goalies for Finland, warmed up in the hallway outside a Gretzky Center dressing room on Thursday afternoon.
“We are very excited to be here,” said Pakarinen. “We’ve been collecting money for so long and this is so far away from Finland.”
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Satu Hyokyvaara, who lives in southern Finland, was in the Gretzky Center standing cheering on her son, Onny Lonn. She said the teams spent six years raising enough money – about 70,000 euros ($102,000 Can.) – for 29 players and 26 adults to attend the Gretzky tournament.
“The players were about seven years old when the fundraising started,” said Hyokyvaara. “We sold all sorts of things – flowers, licorice, washing powder.”
The group will be in Canada for 10 days. After the tournament they’ll visit Toronto and take in a Maple Leafs/Carolina Hurricanes game, attend a Raptors game, and celebrate New Year’s Eve, followed by a visit to Niagara Falls.
Niklas Ekblad, head coach for the Finnish teams, said he was the same age as his players when he visited Canada for the first time to play in a Toronto hockey tournament.
“It’s really exciting for the boys,” he said. “Brantford is well known in Finland because of Wayne Gretzky.”
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