Grads player suiting up for Team Canada East

The Cumberland Grads centreman will be suiting up for Team Canada East in Camrose, Alta. from Nov. 2 to 9 at the six-team event, the top international tournament for Tier II Jr. ‘A’ players. While the World Junior Hockey Championships are taking place in Pacan’s hometown this year, he’s more than happy that he’s getting the chance to travel.

“Playing for Team Canada will be awesome,” says Pacan, whose furthest previous trip for hockey was to Rochester, NY. “You always dream of playing for your country, and it’s finally come true, so it’s real cool.”

The invitation to play for Team Canada East – which will be coached by the Grads’ Mark Grady – provided further justification for Pacan in choosing not to play in the Ontario Hockey League.

So far this season, the 17-year-old has attracted scouts from a dozen U.S. universities, half a dozen NHL clubs and has been watched by NHL Central Scouting. Pacan – who has been offered several full scholarships to play hockey at NCAA schools such as Clarkson, St. Lawrence and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute – says the added attention is a good thing overall.

“When I’m playing, it doesn’t affect me, but after there’s always people asking, ‘what are you doing?’” notes Pacan, who would like to study business. “It’s kind of tough on my mind because there’s a lot of schools and I just want to focus on playing. But I’m really happy that they’re all looking at me – I’m excited that a lot of schools are talking to me.”

Grady notes that Pacan – who has 15 points in 13 games so far this season – was selected to the team entirely by merit, and that it should be the “single best hockey experience” in his Team Canada East players’ lives.

“I was there as an assistant coach last year and even as an older guy going to an event like that and being with Hockey Canada, it was my best experience in hockey ever,” Grady says. “I’ve already informed a bunch of kids out of our league that they’re on the team, and some of them even went as far as to start crying on the phone, they were so emotionally happy.”

There will be a few exhibition contests – including one against Team Canada West – prior to the tournament opening ceremonies featuring a performance by Tom Cochrane.

Team Canada East opens play against Germany on Nov. 3 and plays Russia the next night, and Grady hopes they’ll continue on their way to a tournament championship.

“Any time you put the Canadian jersey on, you’re driven to win gold,” he says. “It becomes harder every year to win that tournament. The Americans won’t be sending any slug team and the Russians will be sending their best.”