QUEBEC CITY (AP) 鈥� The decision to have players from both teams line up arm-in-arm at center ice for the playing of the Ukrainian and United States' national anthems was pre-planned in what stood as a symbol of unity and solidarity.
What no one anticipated was the spontaneous celebration that erupted among the 11- and 12-year-olds following the 3-1 victory at the International Peewee Hockey tournament on Saturday.
Rather than shuffle off the ice, members of the Boston Junior Bruins happily took part in a victory lap along with the Selects, which ended with the teams gathering again at center ice, where they posed for a picture with one player from each side holding up the ends of a large Ukrainian flag.
鈥淔irst of all, it鈥檚 a message that everybody can be friends and should be friends and live in peace and respect each other,鈥� Ukraine forward Denys Lupandin said in an answer translated by coach Evgheniy Pysarenko. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 matter from where you are.鈥�
The bonds that were made and the electric atmosphere of playing in front of some 18,000 fans in Quebec City鈥檚 Videotron Centre weren鈥檛 lost on Boston goalie James Boccuzzi.
鈥淭his was definitely a life-changing moment for me,鈥� Boccuzzi said. 鈥淚鈥檝e never experienced anything like it.鈥�
The moments went far beyond fulfilling the message of peace that tournament organizers hoped to send across the world nearly a year after began. And it exceeded the vision Pysarenko and Sean Berube had in August, when they began the lengthy process of cobbling .
鈥淭he players reacted like that because they also want to show unity,鈥� said Berube, who spent countless hours and some $20,000 of his own money crisscrossing Europe to gather the players in Romania. 鈥淲hat a day for hockey. What a day for sport.鈥�
The game didn鈥檛 lack for drama, either.
With Boccuzzi keeping the swift-skating and play-making Ukrainians at bay on a number of close-in chances, Boston鈥檚 Kai Ochi opened the scoring 1:27 into the third period.
The pro-Ukraine 鈥� but not anti-Boston 鈥� crowd finally got a chance to cheer and chant 鈥淥le, Ole, Ole,鈥� when Yehor Kosenko batted in a bouncing puck to tie the game with 4:48 remaining. Lupandin sneaked a shot in off a faceoff with 2:04 remaining and then sealed the win with an empty-net goal.
Speaking in English, Lupandin said he and his teammates were nervous to open the game upon being welcomed by the large crowd.
鈥淭he first moment it was so scary. I look and up and too many people look at me and my team, and first moment it was so hard, first period,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut second and third period, it was easily for me and maybe for my team. And thank you to the fans who come looking at us.鈥�
A large number of fans arrived three hours before puck drop. White T-shirts spelling out 鈥淯KRAINE鈥� were draped over the backs of chairs in one section. In another, a blue-and-yellow version of the Canadian flag was attached to a railing.
In Section 113, Roger Poirier carried a Ukrainian flag while handing out blue-and-white handkerchiefs. Poirier, who is from Quebec City, has become active in supporting Ukraine in part because he had business there, during which he also met his wife.
Jessica Anthony wore a T-shirt with the Ukrainian flag on it and had on matching yellow sweatpants. Though an avid hockey fan, she acknowledged she doesn鈥檛 normally attend peewee games.
鈥淚 want to express my solidarity with Ukraine,鈥� Anthony said.
The atmosphere was mostly foreign from what the Ukrainian Selects have known for much of the past year. Many of them have resettled with their families as refugees in countries neighboring Ukraine. At least five still live in Ukraine, where rocket-warning sirens in the middle of the night are the norm.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an honor to participate in this event and everybody in solidarity with us and supporting our country,鈥� Pysarenko said. 鈥淓verybody wants peace. These kids want peace mostly probably because you don鈥檛 know their stories, but I tell you they have the terrible times and terrible experiences.鈥�
One of those experiences included five players鈥� trip to the Romanian border to open training camp last month. Twice, they saw rockets fly above them.
That鈥檚 something Bruins assistant coach Mike Cashman couldn鈥檛 even imagine. He hoped the Ukrainians can enjoy the new memories they鈥檝e made at the tournament.
鈥淚 just hope that these kids from Ukraine, they just experienced a thrill of a lifetime like our players did,鈥� Cashman said. 鈥淵ou know, I don鈥檛 know what the future holds for them, unfortunately, but today they can remember today and be really excited about the future.鈥�
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John Wawrow, The Associated Press
