107th Year - Week 3
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
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SKI SCENE Backcountry Film Fest stops here Jan. 25.
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ON GUARD Initiation player Nicole Bateman tends the net for Smithers Roi Theatre during a hockey tournament at the Smithers Civic Centre on Saturday. Nolan Kelly photo
Hamhuis chosen to represent Canada By Nolan Kelly Smithers/Interior News
Dan Hamhuis will wear the red and white in Sochi. The Canucks defenceman and Smithers native was named to the 2014 men’s hockey team last week. “It’s a huge privilege to play for the country,”
Hamhuis said. “It never gets old putting on that Canadian jersey and it comes with a lot of responsibility. “Looking at the players this morning on that list, it’s pretty incredible the amount of talent that’s on that team and the amount of talent that’s left off the team,” Hamhuis added. “I’m sure the
managers agonized over a lot of the decisions in putting the best team forward.” His former minor hockey coach, Don Pederson, was very happy with the news. “I can’t honestly say I thought he would get to this high of a level, but I guess you’re always hoping,” Pederson said. As the first Smithers’
hockey player to represent Canada at the Olympics, the news on Hamhuis spread like wildfire. “It was huge when he got named,” Pederson said. “Everyone is excited. The town is buzzing right now.” Hamhuis has played for Canada five times at different levels, including the
World Juniors and the World Championships, but this is his first Olympics. It was a nerveracking lead-up to the announcement for Hamhuis; he was one of a handful of defenceman that could have heard their named called. Instead of waiting by his phone for the call from the Team Canada
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brass the night before, he shut off his cell, and checked his messages the following morning. “I thought they maybe would have called on Monday so I was kind of waiting by the phone all day,” said Hamhuis. “A little bit of a restless sleep Monday night but I was certainly excited to get the call.” See HAMHUIS on A2
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