Though the details and reasons for a war halfway across the world can be easily lost on children, the current Russian invasion of Ukraine hit much closer to home for members of the Semiahmoo RavenB次元官网网址檚 U11 A1 team.
The minor hockey squadB次元官网网址檚 goaltender, Dmytro Makogonsky, is Ukrainian.
His family B次元官网网址� which includes a brother and sister, father, Yuriy, and mother, Sasha B次元官网网址� had already fled Vladimir PutinB次元官网网址檚 Russian army once B次元官网网址� leaving UkraineB次元官网网址檚 Crimea region for Canada in 2014. And his teammates B次元官网网址� and teammatesB次元官网网址� parents B次元官网网址� knew that, with the season winding down, they wanted to show their support.
B次元官网网址淎s a team, we knew this was affecting him, so we wanted to do something,B次元官网网址� team manager Paul McMillan told Peace Arch B次元官网网址, noting that the team had purchased a Ukraine flag, as well as stickers for players to wear on their helmets for the teamB次元官网网址檚 Final Four playoff weekend, which was hosted by the Burnaby Winter Club.
B次元官网网址淲e wanted to support him through this, because itB次元官网网址檚 about a lot more than just hockey.B次元官网网址�
But what the team didnB次元官网网址檛 expect was for one of their biggest rivals to get behind the movement, too.
Prior to the four-team playoff tournament B次元官网网址� which included the Ridge Meadows Rustlers, and both Burnaby and North Shore Winter Clubs B次元官网网址� McMillan had emailed the three other teams to let them know they would be visibly showing support for Ukraine, and that it was because of a teammate, who still has family in the country.
B次元官网网址淲e wanted to make sure they knew the meaning behind it, and knew it wasnB次元官网网址檛 just some kind of social-media (stunt) B次元官网网址� to know that it was important for us to support our teammate,B次元官网网址� he said.
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Upon arriving in Canada and settling on the Semiahmoo Peninsula, the Makogonsky family bought Moby Dick restaurant on White RockB次元官网网址檚 Marine Drive, which they continue to run.
They still have many family members living in Ukraine, however. DmytroB次元官网网址檚 grandparents on his motherB次元官网网址檚 side are en route to Canada via Romania, while YuriyB次元官网网址檚 sister and family spent seven days in a bomb shelter near Kyiv B次元官网网址� they couldnB次元官网网址檛 evacuate because bridges were destroyed B次元官网网址� and are now heading to western Ukraine, which, so far, is safer.
Normally, before each game at the Final Four tournament, players line up on their respective blue lines and the Canadian national anthem is played. But last Friday, a day before Semiahmoo was set to play Ridge Meadows, the Ridge Meadows coach approached McMillan with a thought: What if they played the Ukraine anthem, too?
B次元官网网址淚 thought it was a really cool idea, and it makes it clear that there are important things out there happening B次元官网网址� things that are bigger than winning some championship,B次元官网网址� McMillan said, adding that members of the Ridge MeadowsB次元官网网址� team B次元官网网址渨ere nothing but first class.B次元官网网址�
From there, arrangements were made with the tournament hosts to make it happen, and on Saturday, both teams left their respective blue lines and joined together at centre ice and over the arena speakers blared Shche ne vmerla Ukrainy B次元官网网址� the official anthem of Ukraine, which translates to English as B次元官网网址楿kraine Has Not Yet Perished.B次元官网网址�
Makogonsky held a Ukraine flag on the ice, and the Ridge Meadows team all signed a card that said, B次元官网网址淚 stand with Ukraine.B次元官网网址� As well, money was raised, and $1,200 was donated to the Maple Hope Charity that helps wounded soldiers in Ukraine and ships medical supplies to that countryB次元官网网址檚 hospitals.
Watching from the bleachers, Yuriy said that the on-ice gesture was an emotional one.
B次元官网网址淚t was just great. It was so profoundly important for us to know that Ukraine is not alone, and to see young kids getting to know about Ukraine,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚t brought tears to my eyes seeing the boys paying respect to a country thatB次元官网网址檚 across the globe.B次元官网网址�
It wasnB次元官网网址檛 just Makogonsky who welled up, McMillan confirmed.
B次元官网网址淭here were a lot of tears,B次元官网网址� he said.
The elder Makogonsky said itB次元官网网址檚 hard to explain the differences between 2014B次元官网网址檚 invasion of Crimea and the current conflict. However, he noted that in B次元官网网址�14, citizens saw the war coming, but knew it B次元官网网址渨asnB次元官网网址檛 going to be a full-scale war.B次元官网网址�
ThatB次元官网网址檚 different now.
B次元官网网址淧utin has come to kill. Back then, it was a fear. But now there is no room for fear, but there is anger and a desperate willingness to protect our loved ones and our motherland.B次元官网网址�
Though it paled in comparison to the discussion of the war in Ukraine, Semiahmoo did end up winning the Final Four championship, McMillan said, while reiterating that it was the former, rather than the latter, that is more likely to be remembered by those in the arena Saturday.
B次元官网网址淔or 10-year-olds, they donB次元官网网址檛 quite understand the whole thing, but now, if parents want to have a conversation about it with their kids, they can,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淚t was a small idea and it just kind of snowballed into what it became.B次元官网网址�
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