By Graham Perkins /
The Thunderbirds Hockey 4 Terminators got the thrill of a lifetime last week when they got the rare opportunity to introduce the Hockey Night in Canada crew.
The event was part of a Scotiabank contest aimed at finding young teams across the nation that could show they were unique and what made them stand out.
“We’ve got a veteran coach, who has gone up to Rep but come back down to Initiation, along with the only two girls in the entire age group,” said Julie Chapman, division manager for the Thunderbirds Hockey 4 teams. “I think this was a really deserving group because of their attitude. You take home lessons about how a great sport brings people together.”
The process was kicked off when one of the parents on the team saw an ad for the contest and wrote a submission with the help of coach Gary Hunter and a team photo. Out of 450 entries across Canada, the Terminators were one of only 16 teams to be selected.
The filming was done while the kids practiced at UBC, with the excited parents watching in the stands. After the shooting was over, the kids all got a special gift from the CBC staff.
“They got those towels that the NHL players wear at intermission,” Chapman said. “Their eyes were wide open as they got the towels around their neck. They thought they’d made the big show.”
The event was capped off with a pizza party on the night of the broadcast, where the kids got to watch themselves on national television. |