Page 11 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 45

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Positive Sports Memories are Never Forgotten

By Jordan Todd

n issue 43, we published a
Istory about the 1994 Bantam

AA Seaway Valley Rapids who
got to go on the trip of a lifetime
as they travelled around several
European countries during a
three-week stay. We weren’t
able to tell all of the amazing
stories from the trip in the first

story, so we’re doing another

one.
Throughout much of the trip,
the players were treated like
rock stars by the locals. Gerry

Goulet, goalie for the team,
thinks they must have thought
they were Canada’s junior team.

“Well we had Canadian

patches and flags sewn onto
our jackets,” he explains. “So
we had kids coming up to us all
the time. It was a very surreal
experience at 15 years old.”

The language barrier was,
for the most part, not a huge
deal. Except for the fact that the
age of the Rapids players was

apparently lost in translation.
“Every one of these teams
anticipated us to be older,” Gerry Goulet with his parents Gerald & Shirley before a game in Katowice Poland. Photo Submitted
recalls Goulet. “So some nights had an extremely somber and They once got dressed in one pong with him. They spent one

we were playing against 20 year
educational visit to Auschwitz building and then had to walk night shaving their numbers
olds. At 15.”
while they were there. Even through a snowstorm in order into their hair and giving each
Despite the age gap, all the at 15, the experience was to get to the rink. They played other “stupid, crazy haircuts.”
games were fun. They would do powerful. a game in an arena that used
shootouts after every game. For 22 days in the winter of
“It was an unbelievable sense natural lighting, so the sun would 1994, the Bantam AA Seaway
“So it was a really, really fun of awe,” says Goulet. “You see glare off the ice and temporarily Valley Rapids had the time
experience, as far as that goes,” all the stories, but we never blind them. The team befriended of their lives. It may have
says Goulet. really gave it that much thought. a nice homeless man outside of happened over 22 years ago,
We did the whole tour and it
The trip was mostly just fun their hotel, completely unable but the memories are as fresh
and games for the players, was incredible.” to communicate with him, and as ever. And they will be for the
but not entirely. The group There are too many stories. gave him food and played ping rest of their lives.