Every season, student players from across the globe uproot from the familiarity of their family and lifestyle to pursuit a calling at the Banff Hockey Academy.
The nationalities on the team are mixed, from countries such as Japan, Hong Kong, Mexico and Italy, but in Banff, the teenagers play under one banner – as the Bears.
“In the academy, you’re pretty much together all year so that means everybody is coming together no matter what,” said forward Philip Schader, 18, from Austria.
Every season BHA recruits young men and women to play for the academy. It’s an on and off the ice affair to join up where sport and academics coincide.
The teens learn from the staff of BHA coaches, and from the teachers at Banff Community High School.
For many of the players, this means travelling to the other side of the world for the first time, alone, where English or French isn’t their first language.
“It’s not that easy the first time when you leave,” said forward Emanuele Larcher, 17, from Italy. “You go to another country that’s far away and another lifestyle that’s different, but as soon as you get used to it, you start living a normal life.”
Larcher’s family all played soccer growing up, including himself, but with an ice rink he skated on near his home, it was “kind of a strange thing” that hockey became his top sport.
The players said it’s difficult at first leaving family and friends for months at a time, but throughout the season the group grows together on and off the ice.
“There’s so much hockey and there’s no spare time for us and I got used to it; making sure laundry is done because nobody is doing it for you. It really helps you mature and grow up,” said Schader.
Schader began playing hockey at a young age and said he always had the goal to leave Austria to compete. With some family in Calgary, it was a perfect fit and he has been enjoying the “Canadian life” in Banff for two seasons.
“I don’t even miss my parents anymore,” Schader joked.
It’s the first season in Banff for Larcher and goalie Dominik Vollenweider, 16, from Switzerland.
Vollenweider, of Swiss and Thai heritage, stumbled upon the sport one day while skating with his family at the rink. To chase his hockey dreams abroad, he logged onto the Internet and searched for a place to play.
“I wanted to play in Canada and go to school here, and Banff was recommended to me,” Vollenweider said.
He is excited to get on the ice next month when playoffs begin for BHA.
“I’ve never had a playoff in Switzerland, so I will see how it goes,” Vollenweider said.
The BHA program isn’t just for student players. Berni Gredig, from Switzerland, came here two months ago to volunteer as an assistant coach and learn the Canadian hockey style.
“I was for three years a head coach of an adult hockey team and now I would like to be here in Banff to watch how the coaches are working, how they are doing practice on the ice, and I hope this will give me a lot of feedback,” said Gredig.
