Sudbury high school hockey team visits Music City USA
The St. Charles College Cardinals boys high school hockey team in Greater Sudbury is back from a pre-season trip to Nashville, Tenn., with memories that are sure to last a lifetime.
Two former members of the St. Charles team -- Derek McKenzie and Andrew Brunette -- are now coaches with the NHL’s Nashville Predators.
It was through this connection that the Cardinals ventured south to Music City for exhibition games and a chance to meet and greet McKenzie at the Pred's Bridgestone Arena.
"A very unique experience to have two NHL coaches working in Nashville that are graduates of St. Charles," said Cardinals’ coach Rob Zanatta.
"You are going to get a chance to go the ice, and probably do a very similar practice, so just get out there and enjoy it," McKenzie told the player before an on-ice practice session.
Zanatta said in addition to the full-scale NHL practice with McKenzie, the exhibition games against American competition proved interesting.
"The games were a surprise to us," he said.
"A very talented team in the Nashville Junior Predators, we had two games against them with great competition."
Skated with the Predators
In addition to the games, Zanatta said the Cards took in morning skates with the Predators and Edmonton Oilers and then took in the game.
"They learned that the pros are just normal people like anybody else, and they had a chance to meet a few of the Predators as well," he said.
"They watched the practice and learned from the practice the Preds did. Derek ran them through the paces and the kids absolutely loved it."
- Download the CTV News app now
- Get local breaking news alerts
- Daily newsletter with the top local stories emailed to your inbox
Zanatta said the overall experience -- including lengthy bus rides and hockey -- has made the team better.
"These kids really bonded together and bought into the system, allowing us to start our season way ahead than we were last year," he said.
The Cardinals' regular season begins shortly with an eye on hosting and succeeding at the Provincial High School Championships in Sudbury next March.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Scotiabank users report issues with mobile login, online banking
Scotiabank users are reporting issues with mobile login and online banking, according to third-party website downdetector.ca.
'Get away from your inner circle': Liberal MP 'shocked' PM didn't take more time to reflect on calls to resign
Longtime Liberal MP Wayne Long says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should give more weight to the views of his backbenchers in determining his future leading the Party, rather than relying on those in his immediate orbit.
Mother who beat and starved her 5-year-old son to death sentenced to over 50 years in prison
A New Hampshire woman was sentenced Friday to 53 years to life in prison in the death of her 5-year-old son, who was beaten, starved and exposed to drugs before his 19-pound body was found buried in a Massachusetts park in 2021.
An abrupt goodbye to a guerilla goldfish aquarium beneath a leaky Brooklyn fire hydrant
A makeshift aquarium that popped up this summer in a puddle beneath a leaky fire hydrant has been paved over, to the dismay of neighbors who turned the area into a hangout spot and goldfish shrine.
Canadian warship missile test aborted mid-flight after communication failure
A Canadian navy missile test was aborted mid-flight this week after controllers lost communication with the projectile off the coast of southern California.
'I did everything I could': Canada Post driver recounts helping save woman from fiery Tesla crash
Canada Post driver Rick Harper recounts how he and others help save a woman from a Tesla that caught fire after crashing into a guardrail on Lake Shore Boulevard.
'The power of nostalgia': N.B. archivist creates highway time machine
The Provincial Archives of New Brunswick (PANB) has uploaded dozens of dashboard camera videos from the 1970s to their YouTube channel.
'Violence is not good': UW stabber apologizes at end of sentencing hearing
Geovanny Villalba-Aleman, the man who stabbed three people in a gender studies class at the University of Waterloo, says he ‘acted dumb’.
'I'm still not giving up': Third stage of landfill search begins in Manitoba
It's been a long and emotional journey for Manitoba residential school survivor Susan Caribou. Her niece, Tanya Nepinak, has been missing since September 2011 and has never been found.