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Sutton Sting and the fans would chant,‘ Up the Sting!’ I had a pretty great year( 20 goals and 39 points in 28 games), but it’ s really interesting at that level over there. They’ ll sign imports, suddenly realize they’ ve overspent and drop guys immediately. That’ s happened at least three times with me. So after the season, I got dropped by Sutton and Billingham picked me up. I was the only import on Billingham and we got to the league final. I had another great season( 17 goals and 36 points in 22 games).”
FROM BRITAIN YOU WENT TO HOLLAND AND NOW YOU’ RE GOING TO GERMANY?“ Yeah, last year I signed with the Ahoud Devils of Nijmegen in the top league in Holland( the BeNeLiga), I was the captain. It’ s interesting how I became captain. The team had a captain, but his wife had booked a winter holiday for them before the schedule came out. So when the schedule came out, it turns out he’ d miss five or six games because of this holiday in Spain or
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someplace. So I was named the captain. That’ s kind have been the story of my career thus far.
“ Right now, I would say that I’ m at the midway point of my career. I have a lot of years behind me, but I have some pretty good years ahead as well. I’ m going to play for Adendorfer EC in the German 4th League. I’ ll be paid about $ 1,500 CDN a month. It’ s kind of like playing for the Goldeyes. To be honest I’ m not too sure with what to expect from the hockey. I watched videos and I’ d say it’ s probably a Jr. A level over here. I could be wrong, but that’ s what the videos looked like. I’ m looking to go over there and set that league on fire. Personally, and I’ m probably pumping my own tires here, but I know I can play at a higher level, but I need to put points up, win a championship and get more on my resume so that teams in higher leagues in Europe will notice me. This is a regrouping year – a pay-my-dues year – so that next year I can take another step forward.
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AFTER EVERYTHING THAT’ S HAPPENED DO YOU HAVE ANY REGRETS, ANYTHING YOU WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY?“ Well, it’ s the way that it went and I guess it worked out. I think there might have been other paths I could have taken, but I don’ t regret anything that’ s happened. I’ m happy with the decisions I’ ve made. Maybe I could have gone out to the U of M and tried to be a walk-on with the Bisons, but maybe if I’ d played for the Bisons, I wouldn’ t have had the opportunity to play pro. So I don’ t look back and say‘ Oh, I did this wrong.’ I look back and say,‘ I got lucky.’ I put the work in and it’ s paying off. But there are a lot of people who did as much work as I did and never got the opportunity to go pro so I’ ve been very fortunate.” |
“I WAS THE ONLY
IMPORT ON
BILLINGHAM AND
WE GOT TO THE
LEAGUE FINAL.”
THOMAS SUART-
DANT, 91, OF THE
BILLINGHAM STARS
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Thomas Stuart-Dant with the Sutton Sting- NIHL
HAS THE LONG, CRAZY JOURNEY BEEN WORTH IT?“ When I learned that I could have the opportunity to play pro hockey and travel the world at the same time, I was like,‘ Why don’ t we actually look into this? This is appealing.’ Now that I’ m doing it, I would highly recommend it to any kid playing hockey right now. I’ m living proof that if you want to be a hockey player and you want to play pro, you just have to keep playing and not be afraid to play in places that others might not pursue. Don’ t quit. Just grind it out. There are times when it’ s far from perfect, but it’ s still playing hockey. And in Europe, it’ s great. You have a week off and you just get on a plane and go someplace. It’ s cheaper for me to fly from London to Madrid than from Winnipeg to Toronto. It’ s unbelievable. Playing in Europe, I can’ t describe it in words. It’ s like a Kodak moment all the time.“ And you have to understand, I just like to play hockey. I like to skate, I like to be on the ice and I met most of my friends through hockey. I still love it now despite everything I’ ve gone through. There is nothing I’ d rather do than be on the ice playing hockey. I like working out in the gym and I really like bartending, it’ s a lot of fun and you meet interesting people, but there is nothing more natural to me or fun for me than being on the ice playing hockey. I spent hours and hours playing on the outdoor rinks with my buddies. Hockey isn’ t a way of life, it’ s a ritual. The rink is like church for me and I want to go to the rink every day until I die.”
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106 | GAME ON | NOVEMBER 2017 |