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BELL CAPITAL CUP
OTTAWA INTERNATIONAL HOCKEY FESTIVAL
Ice dreams from far away
Orleans family's outdoor rink
a hit with Chinese |
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Players from China's Harbin Red Star House B
team are staying in Ottawa with the Seguin family who build an
outdoor ice rink each year. From left is Guan Yunpeng, Nicholas
Seguin, Yang Huai and Wan Xihan.
Photo by Darren Brown, Ottawa Sun |
Sat, December 31, 2005
(c) Ottawa Sun
http://ottsun.canoe.ca/Sports/Hockey/2005/12/31/1374095-sun.html
by BARRE CAMPBELL, OTTAWA SUN
It's been said that you need to tear down walls to build
understanding between nations.
Orleans resident Marc Seguin took that literally. Three
years ago, he approached Alex and Saeeda Mansoori, his next-door neighbours,
about building an outdoor rink that would cover the yards behind both houses.
The Mansooris agreed.
"We don't mind," said Saeeda Mansoori. "All the kids
enjoy it, so it's got to be good."
Late in the autumn when the chill of winter begins to
bite, the neighbours remove the fence separating their properties so kids from
nearby houses can experience hockey in its purest form.
But this week during the Bell Capital Cup, Seguin knew
he'd need to do something extra special with his patch of outdoor ice.
He and his wife Vera and nine-year-old son, Nicholas,
are hosting three players from the Harbin Red Stars team from northeast China.
ADDED CHINESE FLAG
Before the youngsters arrived on Wednesday, Seguin made
sure his ice would be in mint condition for the arrival of the three guests
and he added the Chinese flag to the existing collection behind each net.
Around the perimeter, there are boards that make a solid
thunk each time the puck hits.
Seguin has six floodlights of 500 watts each set up so
the skaters are allowed to stay on the sheet well past the early evening
sunset.
"But there are strict rules," noted Seguin, pointing to
a sign posted near the door of a hut, outlining the rink's hours of operation
(no access past 7 p.m. on weeknights, and nothing later than 9 on Fridays and
Saturdays).
When the Red Stars aren't playing, sightseeing or
spending time in the kitchen getting accustomed to Canadian food, the three
boys staying at the Seguin home hit the frozen pond.
"It's amazing to them because something like this just
doesn't exist in China," said Kaihu Chen, who works for the New York Islanders
the team that brought the Red Stars and Qiqihar Snow Leopards to the Bell
Capital Cup through fundraising and the help of several other NHL teams,
including the Senators.
"As soon as they come downstairs every morning, they're
pointing at the window, wanting to get outside and get onto the rink," said
Vera Seguin.
None of the boys staying with the Seguins speak English,
but communicate by using hand gestures and pointing at items of interest.
"Really, there haven't been any barriers," said Vera
Seguin. "These kids are so well behaved, and my son and these boys have become
very close."
The Seguins added extra beds in their son's room to
accommodate the three Red Stars players --Quan Yunpeng, Yang Huai and Wang
Xihan.
The room is decorated with Senators posters, pucks,
sticks and various other items.
Even the family dog, a Lhasa apso named Alfie after the
Senators captain, hasn't escaped the influence of hockey on this household.
"This has been so much fun," said Quan through a
translator.
Asked if he didn't mind yesterday's cold temperature, he
replied, "It's colder in Harbin, so there's no problem getting used to this."
Other players with the Harbin team are staying in the
homes of players from the Orleans Devils atom team.
Coach Marc Gagnon said hosting the visitors from China
has been a rewarding experience.
"It's so funny that even though these kids live halfway
across the world, they're so much the same," he said.
______________________________________
Bell Capital Cup:
http://www.oihf.net/
New York Islanders:
http://www.newyorkislanders.com
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