one hundred and eighty one days: Hockey Night in Dunedin

I love hockey. I love watching it, I love playing it, I love teaching it. It’s a game that has always been very special to me and one that I think I will always be involved with in some form for the rest of my life.

Yesterday on our drive back from surfing we drove by a sign that in big blue letters read, Dunedin Ice Centre. Now back in Canada I would probably have just driven past but seeing an arena in the southern hemisphere is a little different, so naturally I had to go inside for a closer look.

What I found inside shocked me. I knew there was a bit of hockey being played in New Zealand but I did not expect to find a rink of this quality. The ice was in awesome condition and the boards were the NHL kind with a nice give to them. At the far end of the rink was a big grandstand and to the side of the hockey rink was a curling surface. It was a facility that in all honesty would make most small towns in Canada drool.

As I wandered around the rink I got to talking with the day manager and he told me that if I came back in the evening I could watch the pick up leagues play and the Dunedin Thunder of the Semi-Pro NZIHL practice. My interest was totally piqued so that night I returned with a jacket and tuque to take in some hockey action.

As I watched that evening I noticed a man running some kids through some off ice hockey drills and I went over to introduce myself. I explained that I own a hockey school in Ottawa and told him how excited I was to see hockey in New Zealand. He explained that he was the coach for the Dunedin Minor Hockey Association as well as the Dunedin Thunder and asked if I had skates to practice that evening. I told him that I didn’t but that I would still enjoy watching the practice.

After our conversation I posted up in the lobby to watch some more hockey and found myself talking to some of the hockey parents and kids about playing hockey in Dunedin. It seems like there is a growing crop of young hockey players down hear with dreams of one day playing for the Ice Blacks National Team and maybe even professionally in North America or Europe.

One hero of the hockey kids in Dunedin is a young guy who happens to play for the Thunder named Paris Hynd. Paris has represented New Zealand internationally several times and is the first Kiwi to sign a professional ice hockey contract abroad. Paris spent last year playing in the first division in France and is home for the summer to play for the Thunder and to attend University.

As I was being told about Paris by one of the hockey moms Paris happened to hobble by on crutches. I was introduced to him and told him how cool it was to see hockey in New Zealand. I also told him about the offer the coach had extended to me and Paris generously offered the use of his equipment to me for the practice. This was an offer I couldn’t refuse and next thing I knew I was suited up and putting myself through the paces with the Dunedin Thunder of the NZIHL. How cool is that!