REGINA -- The Moosomin Rangers Under-13 minor hockey team received a special surprise on Thursday from Edmonton Oilers’ defenceman Ethan Bear.
The minor hockey team was participating in a video chat with Sportsnet’s Gene Principe as part of the network’s set up for Hockey Day In Canada on Saturday. As Principe was asking the team a trivia questions about which Edmonton Oiler was from Ochapowace First Nation, Bear jumped on the call to surprise the team.
“It was pretty amazing. Even I was in awe when he came on the screen,” team manager Randi Thorn said. “It’s pretty amazing to know that from a small town anything is possible.”
Thorn said the Moosomin Minor Hockey Association has been working with Scotiabank’s hockey sponsorship program for years, which is how the team was registered to be a part of Hockey Day In Canada.
“It was an amazing opportunity, and with such a dull uneventful hockey season this year it was a bright spot for them. And they will remember it forever,” Thorn said.
Bear told the team about some of his favourite moments in his career so far, which included wearing his last name written in Cree across his jersey.
Thorn’s son Dane, who plays on the team, said his favourite part was getting to ask Bear questions.
“I thought it was pretty cool to see Ethan Bear,” said Dane. “I asked him what his favourite jersey was of the Edmonton Oilers.”
According to Thorn, the team has played in Bear’s home rink on Ochapowace First Nation, so getting to talk to him was extremely exciting for the players.
“He’s played in our rink too in Moosomin, and he talked about being there and playing against other Moosomin teams,” Thorn said.
