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Head coach Vadym Shakhraychuk speaks to members of the the Ukrainian National U25 Team as they practice at the hockey for all centre in Winnipeg in preparation for their game against the University of Manitoba Bisons on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg. The game is part of the “Hockey Can’t Stop Tour” to allow the Ukrainian Team to practice for the World University Games later this month in Lake Placid, N.Y., while raising money to keep hockey alive in Ukraine. All ticket sale profits will be sent to the Canada/Ukraine Foundation, which provides assistance to humanitarian groups in Ukraine and Canada. The Foundation will disperse the majority of funds to Save Ukrainian Hockey Dream, a charitable foundation operated by the Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine with the assistance of the IIHF. Photo by Glen Dawkins /Winnipeg Sun
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A group of Ukrainian hockey players will continue their once in a lifetime experience as the “Hockey Can’t Stop Tour” makes its Manitoba stop on Monday at the Canada Life Centre.
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“(Playing in) A NHL rink, it’s something like magic for us,” said Ukrainian National U25 Team forward Gleb Krivoshapkin on Saturday as the team held a practice and media availability at the hockey for all centre in Headingley. “We don’t have these sort of arenas in Ukraine but I hope we will some day. For most of the guys on the team, it’s their first time in Canada and to be in an NHL arena for the first time, it’s really some kind of a miracle for most of us.”
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The Ukrainian National Team has been playing the Universities of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Calgary in preparation for the World University Games which begins next week in Lake Placid, N.Y., while raising money for refugees and Ukrainian communities torn apart by the war.
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(Left to right) Misha Cimshuk, head coach Vadym Shakhraychuk, Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine Executive Director Aleksandra Slatvytska, Gleb Krivoshapkin, Andre Gregoreb, and assistant coach Dmitri Kristich speak to members of the media following the Ukrainian National U25 Team practice at the hockey for all centre in Winnipeg in preparation for their game against the University of Manitoba Bisons on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg. The game is part of the “Hockey Can’t Stop Tour” to allow the Ukrainian Team to practice for the World University Games later this month in Lake Placid, N.Y., while raising money to keep hockey alive in Ukraine. All ticket sale profits will be sent to the Canada/Ukraine Foundation, which provides assistance to humanitarian groups in Ukraine and Canada. The Foundation will disperse the majority of funds to Save Ukrainian Hockey Dream, a charitable foundation operated by the Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine with the assistance of the IIHF. Photo by Glen Dawkins /Winnipeg Sun
More than 7,000 tickets have been sold for Monday’s game with 4,000 Ukrainian refugees in attendance.
“It’s awesome,” said Krivoshapkin. “When I found out about this tour, about these games, I was so excited and really happy and thankful to everyone who made this tour happen. That we have this opportunity to play against Canadian university teams. This is a really great experience.
“I’m really thankful for your support. The games are good, the teams have a pretty nice level. I think this would be an amazing experience in the future for all of us.”
Head coach Vadym Shakhraychuk speaks to members of the the Ukrainian National U25 Team as they practice at the hockey for all centre in Winnipeg in preparation for their game against the University of Manitoba Bisons on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg. The game is part of the “Hockey Can’t Stop Tour” to allow the Ukrainian Team to practice for the World University Games later this month in Lake Placid, N.Y., while raising money to keep hockey alive in Ukraine. All ticket sale profits will be sent to the Canada/Ukraine Foundation, which provides assistance to humanitarian groups in Ukraine and Canada. The Foundation will disperse the majority of funds to Save Ukrainian Hockey Dream, a charitable foundation operated by the Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine with the assistance of the IIHF. Photo by Glen Dawkins /Winnipeg Sun
All ticket sale profits will be sent to the Canada/Ukraine Foundation, which provides assistance to humanitarian groups in Ukraine and Canada. The Foundation will disperse the majority of funds to Save Ukrainian Hockey Dream, a charitable foundation operated by the Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine with the assistance of the IIHF.
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Krivoshapkin admits that it is extremely hard not to worry about his family and friends back in Ukraine.
“Mentally it’s pretty hard because I’m on the phone with my parents who are still there in Ukraine in Kharkiv and I’m asking them, ‘How are you?’ and they’re always saying that they’re okay,” he said. “Of course they will say that but I know what is going on there. It’s hard but they’re trying to be positive because of these games they have these positive emotions.
“This tour and these games are helping them. At least, it’s helping them mentally with the positive emotion that they can wake up in the morning and stay positive the whole day long.”
(Left to right) Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine Executive Director Aleksandra Slatvytska, and Gleb Krivoshapkin speak to members of the media following the Ukrainian National U25 Team practice at the hockey for all centre in Winnipeg in preparation for their game against the University of Manitoba Bisons on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg. The game is part of the “Hockey Can’t Stop Tour” to allow the Ukrainian Team to practice for the World University Games later this month in Lake Placid, N.Y., while raising money to keep hockey alive in Ukraine. All ticket sale profits will be sent to the Canada/Ukraine Foundation, which provides assistance to humanitarian groups in Ukraine and Canada. The Foundation will disperse the majority of funds to Save Ukrainian Hockey Dream, a charitable foundation operated by the Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine with the assistance of the IIHF. Photo by Glen Dawkins /Winnipeg Sun
The team is coached by Ukraine’s national coach Vadym Shakhraychuk with former NHLer Dmitri Kristich as assistant coach.
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“(The tour is) some kind of miracle,” said Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine Executive Director Aleksandra Slatvytska. “Nobody really believed in that in Ukraine. Nobody ever imagined that we could do that, especially during the war.”
Slatvytska hopes that the tour serves as a beginning of greater ties between Ukraine and Canada.
“I hope that this tour is not just going to be good preparation for the World University Games and not just raise some money for humanitarian aid for Ukrainians,” she said. “But also I really hope with all my heart that it’s going to be the big beginning and good start for the hockey relationship between Ukraine and Canada for many, many more years.”
Twitter: @SunGlenDawkins
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