Teaching hockey to the ends of the earth

How did a meeting between four Quebecers in a café in Serbia allow 120 coaches to teach hockey to young people in India, Malaysia and Kyrgyzstan?

It’s a story of exploration. Of friendship. Of brotherhood. An adventure that has deep roots right here, in Montreal, and that has lasted for nearly fifteen years.

It all started in the spring of 2006. Jonathan Gautier, former first choice in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, was brooding at Concordia. A severe concussion prevented him from fully enjoying the final months of his university career.

“I was hurt all the time. I met with my coach, Kevin Figsby, to tell him I wanted to quit hockey. It hurt my heart. Kevin convinced me to stay with the team for a few more weeks. » Which Jonathan did. At the end of the season, Kevin presented him with an offer.

“Jo, I know someone who needs players in Serbia. That tempts you ?

— You mean, in Siberia?

– No no. In Serbia. »

A country Jonathan didn’t know much about. He didn’t even know that hockey was played there. The challenge intrigued him. His studies were finished. His headaches were gone. ” I said yes. »

So he found himself in Novi Sad, a city that was just recovering from the war in the former Yugoslavia. On site, he was welcomed by the handyman of the local club, Quebecer Fred Perowne. “I was a player and a coach, like Reggie Dunlop! », exclaims Fred, amused. The Sherbrookois had two other compatriots in his sights: former McGill captain Daniel Jacob and forward Marc-André Fournier. He was curious to hear Jonathan’s opinion.

“Jo, Dan Jacob, what do you think?”

“The last time we faced each other, we fought…”

Fred Perowne went ahead anyway. Once gathered, the four Quebecers got along wonderfully. They integrated into the community. They learned Serbian. “We made a conscious effort to learn the language, to be respectful,” says Jonathan. As soon as we took the first steps, we were welcomed with open arms by everyone. People invited us to their homes to celebrate the feast of this or that saint. »

One hot day in November 2006, Quebecers sat down at a café in the city. They chatted about hockey. Of life. How lucky they were to have such an enriching experience. It was at that moment that the spirit of Hockey Without Borders, the organization that Jonathan and Fred lead today, was born.

“This stay in Serbia changed my life,” confides Jonathan. I saw the game in a different way. Our wish was that as many people as possible would experience the same thing. That’s the trigger. »

The next five years, the guys struggled. Fred, Marc-André and Daniel played for the Serbian national team. Daniel came back here to coach the McGill team. Jonathan found a job in the wine industry. In 2011, the quartet organized a reunion in an apartment in Plateau-Mont-Royal. That day, the project they had discussed in Novi Sad became clearer.

Hockey Without Borders would link coaches to clubs in need. Not in the United States. Not in Sweden. Not in Finland. In countries lacking expertise and resources. Think of The great seductionhockey version.

Where did the first request come from?

From Serbia. A former teammate wanted to restart the minor hockey program in Subotica, a small town near Hungary. The problem? The club was not rolling in gold. He could offer rent and food, but no more. The coaches recruited by Hockey Without Borders would have to pay for their plane ticket and work without being paid.

Two Montrealers accepted.

Afterwards, everything unraveled. Hockey Without Borders was contacted by clubs in Bosnia. From Greece. From Türkiye. From Mexico. From Uzbekistan. “All this, by word of mouth, without budget,” explains Jonathan. We were doing job interviews. We were doing background checks. Some coaches left for three weeks. Others, three months. Always on a voluntary basis. »

Since then, Hockey Without Borders has sent 120 coaches to 18 countries.

Justin Ducharme traveled to Serbia. The culture shock was total. “I didn’t speak the language. The children’s hockey knowledge was limited. My exercises weren’t working very well. Plus, it was my first experience as a coach. It took a huge capacity to adapt. It allowed me to grow, to learn the importance of leadership and communication. You see, today I’m a high school coach. »

Nathan Shirley, who played hockey at Cornell University, contacted Hockey Without Borders after seeing a video on the internet. He was first deployed for three months in Bosnia-Herzegovina and a few weeks in Greece. In a second trip, he visited Central Asia, notably Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. He stayed there five months.

“The parents, the children, the coaches, everyone loved hockey,” he remembers. They already knew the sport well when I arrived. Facilities varied from location to location. In Bosnia, we played in a big tent. In Greece, in a hangar. In Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, we were in quality arenas financed by the KHL. »

Ian Andersen, who was in charge of video for Jacques Lemaire with the Minnesota Wild, made two long stays in India, in the highlands of the Himalayas, where young hockey players train on outdoor rinks and rivers. frozen. Several photos that accompany this column are taken from his trips there.

“It’s an experience that marks a life. It changes your perspective on the world. Now, when I watch the news, I know people in the countries they’re talking about. It touches me more, even if it’s on the other side of the world. It also allowed me to focus on the love of the game. There, when you go to the rink, you don’t have four lines and three pairs of defensemen. You work with those who show up. It can be children, it can be teenagers… There is less rigidity, and more passion. »

Hockey Without Borders was on a roll – until the pandemic hit like a hurricane.

During the Great Lockdown, many countries closed their borders. Only one coach was able to go abroad. And when travel resumed, the dynamic had changed. The cost of living had increased. Not all coaches were willing to pay their plane ticket to work voluntarily for several months. Hockey Without Borders, which had always operated with the means at hand, began looking for partners.

Jonathan Gautier met the general director of Hockey Québec, Jocelyn Thibault. The former Canadian goalkeeper gave him advice: “If you want to have partners and sponsors, you will have to concretely explain what the coaches who return to the country can give to their community. »

Thus was born version 2.0 of Hockey Without Borders.

Yes, travel is still at the heart of the mission. The organization has projects in Serbia, Bosnia, India and Iceland. He works closely with a former Canadiens player, John Chabot, to develop hockey in several communities in the Far North. “This winter, we had three coaches with the First Nations,” says Fred Perowne. Next year, we would like to go up to 10 or 12.”

But Hockey Without Borders also has a greater ambition: to improve hockey. This involves its new leadership program intended for coaches, and developed in collaboration with the D^r Mike Gauthier.

“We don’t want to change the wheels of hockey,” explains Jonathan. We don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. We want to oil the chain that is already in place. » The organization particularly wants to help coaches overcome difficult challenges they may have experienced in hockey. “Traveling,” says Jonathan, “takes you out of your comfort zone. You face situations that you wouldn’t see in organized hockey. This is our leadership course on steroids. »

From now on, concludes Fred Perowne, “the focus is no longer on going abroad. She’s on her way back home.”