By Greg Anzelc

When Shattuck-St. Mary’s coach Tom Ward looked at his 2005-06 season schedule, he circled the dates on the calendar when his prep team would meet up against big opponents who would provide the key tests for his team throughout the season. But among all of the circles, there was one week on the calendar that was highlighted. This would be the week that coach Ward would lead his team on one of the definite highlights of the season.

“We try to take kids on an international trip either every year, or every other year, so all of our players get an international experience,” says Ward, who has been the head coach at Shattuck for nearly a decade. “These trips are more than just a hockey experience; it’s a cultural experience for the kids and really can be a trip of a lifetime for the players and their family who come along.”

Ward has brought teams to Moscow, Stockholm, France, Switzerland, Italy and Germany and each year tries to weave a trip into the schedule because of the great learning experience a trip like this provides, both on and off the ice.

“We have a good balance of both competitive hockey and plenty of time to take in the history and sites at the same time,” says Ward. “These trips are a great component of our programs.”

From a hockey perspective, a trip to Europe is an easy decision to make.

“A trip like this really provides the kids with a flavor of what else is out there besides North American hockey,” says Ward. “There’s a whole different hockey world out there, and a trip like this exposes players to the different ways of playing the game.

“If you look at the NHL, I bet two-thirds of the most skillful players are from Europe. The emphasis in those countries is more on skill development and skating, passing and shooting versus a physical and structured style that is more common in the U.S. It’s more of a free-wheeling style of play.”

An Assist From Minnesota
A road trip to Iowa is manageable for a team. But how about Italy? Plane flights, luggage, ground transportation and lodging are all key factors in planning a trip for a hockey team. And that’s just to get to the hotel; how about arranging games for the team?

To eliminate all of these hassles, Ward turned to another former Gopher hockey player and Minnesota native Brad Doshan, who has been coaching in Italy and around Europe for more than two decades. In addition to coaching youth players for Club Lugano, Switzerland, Doshan also runs Euro Sport Tours, a company specializing in bringing U.S. teams to Europe for hockey and cultural experiences.

“Many Americans are hesitant at the first thought of traveling thousands of miles to Europe for a hockey tournament,” says Doshan, who won a national championship with the Minnesota Gophers in 1979. “But when they get over to Europe and see the amazing history and the incredible scenery they immediately fall in love with the area. We make sure the hockey is competitive, and at the end of the week no one is ever ready to go home.”

The Shattuck prep team participated in the Raiffeisen Cup, a very competitive and elite tournament that featured teams from Russia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Switzerland. The team played very well but lost to Russia in the gold medal game in a double overtime shootout.

“The players really had their eyes opened in that tournament,” said Ward. “We played very well and learned quite a bit at the same time. Little things like pre-game rituals are different over there; the players get ready different — they are in the hall playing soccer and running around. From that perspective it’s totally different than North America, where you come out of the locker room spitting tacks because you are so fired up to play. In Europe it is a way different approach to the game. It’s very competitive — it’s just a different, almost more laid-back, way of getting there. But when the puck drops, both teams are ready to go.”

In addition to the on-ice competition, the Shattuck team saw plenty of action off the ice.

“We visited many, many landmarks and sites in a tour-type of setting, so we soaked up the culture,” says Ward. “We really try and experience the local lifestyle to the point that we try not to eat North American food so we can try the local diet.”
All of which was arranged by his former Gopher hockey alumnus.

“Planning each day was easy because there was always someone in the hotel lobby helping us translate, organize our day and answer questions,” says Ward. “We had an escort in the bus with us everywhere we went, which really helped because without someone there you are sort of at the mercy of wherever you are at.”

“Another key on international trips is the ability to schedule games with the right teams. It really helped having someone who can understand our level of play and then equate that into how we would compare to the different levels in Europe.”
Both on and off the ice, an international trip truly redefines the ultimate hockey road trip.

For more information: log on to Shattuck St. Mary’s at s-sm.org or
Euro Sport Tours at eurosportours.com.