Hockey’s teen idols

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/01/2012 (5007 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CALGARY — It’s become a familiar image by now: a Winnipeg teenager scoring yet another goal for Team Canada and stretching out his arms, spread eagle, and running his chest into the glass as the home crowd explodes.

In their homes across the country, tens of thousands of young boys stare at their television screens, or tuck themselves into bed, dreaming that they might someday spread their wings in a Team Canada jersey, too.

Face it, the holidays might begin with sugar plums dancing in the heads of little Canadian boys, but they end with visions of a game-winning goal against the Russians. Or the Swedes.

Mark Stone was no different.

As a kid growing up in Westwood, playing ball hockey on the driveway, the world junior championship was much more than just a diversion for him.

“I’m not going to lie,” Stone said, the other day. “I was really nervous when I was watching these kind of things. If they (Team Canada) lost, it would take a while for me to get over it.”

That’s the curious nature of the world juniors, a place where dreams come true. Tonight, Team Canada will square off against Russia for the right to advance to the gold medal final in Calgary, the apex of their hockey world.

Yet it was only a few years ago that every player wearing the Maple Leaf these days would have been playing bantam or peewee hockey. Their lives would have been, in presentday terms, pretty much all about Justin Bieber and Grade 8 math. And maybe the pretty redheaded girl in band class. The players on Team Canada? They must have seemed so larger-than-life, and a foot taller with a Maple Leaf on their chest.

In fact, Stone, who got his start in hockey at Kirkfield-Westwood Community Centre, isn’t so far removed from being glued to TSN during the Christmas break not to realize the circle of life that has become Team Canada tradition is unfolding every time he celebrates another goal.

“Most kids will idolize a lot of guys on our team,” he acknowledged. “I did the same thing when I was a kid, especially being from Manitoba and watching guys like Jonathan Toews (2007 in Leksand, Sweden). You sort of knew him because you saw him around the rinks. My brother (Mike) played with his brother (David).

It was unbelievable to see a guy like that, what he could do on the international stage.”

Stone was just 13 when he watched Toews’ heroics in Leksand, scoring one shoot-out goal after another to advance Team Canada to the gold medal final against Russia. He was in awe. Just five short years later, it is Stone who is leading Team Canada — and the entire tournament, for that matter — with seven goals in just four games (nine points).

Now Mark Stone is Jonathan Toews, who was Nigel Dawes, who was Jordin Tootoo, who was Theo Fluery — at least, in the eyes of the next generation.

“You see guys go through it,” Stone said.

“Obviously, it’s something every kid wants to do growing up. It’s such a thrilling tournament. There’s so much on the line. I mean, everybody wants to play for Team Canada.”

The geography doesn’t matter, either. When a 14-year-old Stone was fixated on Toews in Lekskand, a young netminder in Brampton, Ont., named Scott Wedgewood was watching the same drama unfold in Sweden. Only Wedgewood was far more focused on Canadian goaltender Carey Price.

And while Team Canada head coach Don Hay has yet to confirm his netminder for the semifinal — “I like to keep you guys in the media guessing” — it just might be Wedgewood’s turn to be the last line of defence against the Russians.

“Growing up, as a kid you always have those sorts of aspirations,” Wedgewood said. “When you get in that net, it’s different. You almost have to make sure that your head’s in the right spot to make that adjustment to stay calm and collected.

“You don’t really think about it, but if you were to… kids that are eight or 10 (years old) right now who are goalies look at me and (goaltender) Mark (Visentin), or other guys on the team (thinking): ‘I wish I could be in that spot.’ It’s something I did as a kid and to be here is really a surreal experience. But you have to enjoy the moment. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s outstanding.”

In fact, until last year, Wedgewood and Stone were still watching Team Canada from afar — Wedgewood with the Plymouth Whalers and Stone with the Brandon Wheat Kings.

Both of them hadn’t given up on their little boy dreams.

Said Wedgewood: “It was a thought that it could still happen.”

Well, it did.

The Russians await. And so do countless young Canadian boys with a dream.

randy.turner@freepress.mb.ca