[PHOTOS] Quebec pee-wee tournament: a semblance of normal life for little Ukrainians

Hockey practices, evenings at the restaurant, activities of all kinds… The war is far from the minds of the young people of the Ukrainian pee-wee hockey team who are finally tasting a semblance of “normal life”.

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“Being here as a team allows them to forget all that a bit. [le conflit en Ukraine]», Underlines in English the coach-dear of the team, Evgheniy Pysarenko, met at La Cage de Lebourgneuf.

Impossible to win the smile of the face of his players since their arrival in Quebec last Wednesday, after a host of adventures to repatriate everyone.

Supported by families of volunteers who organize a wide range of activities for them to introduce them to life in Quebec between their two daily hockey training sessions, they simply do not have time to breathe.

“They’re excited, but it’s my job to keep them focused on our upcoming games. We still came here to show what we are capable of!” says Mr. Pysarenko, with a smirk.

Several activities

On Saturday, the pee-wee were treated to an all-inclusive meal at La Cage de Lebourgneuf before going to see a match at the ramparts in the evening. The bomb alert sirens gave way to that of the goals scored.

“They wanted to experience a typical Quebec sports restaurant, so I didn’t hesitate to invite them!” says Philippe Laroche, owner of the restaurant.

They also had a taste of the Quebec cold despite themselves, when the vehicle that was supposed to pick them up after their training did not start.

“We love it here, everyone is nice to us, but we find it a bit cold. We’ve never had – 40 degrees in Ukraine,” laughs the youngster, Oleksii Bondarchuk, who would still like to visit the Carnaval de Québec despite the cold.

Fries, sauce and cheese

After hockey, the cold and the hospitality of Quebecers, the immersive experience of young hockey players could not be complete without them tasting our famous national dish. A great “fries, gravy and cheese” dish.

It is that the word “putin” is prohibited in the entourage of the team, because of its similarity with the name of the Russian president.

“We are really careful not to remind them of the atrocities of war, but we are going to organize ourselves so that they taste it! The coaches told us that they can’t wait to try it, ”says François Robert, one of the volunteers who host two young hockey players and who organize the outings.