Charlottetown para hockey player heading for nationals with Team New Brunswick

Looking back, Aidan Godin never imagined he would help bring some P.E.I. representation to the Canadian National Para Hockey Championships. 

"It was pretty exciting," said Godin. "I heard about it right away and was overwhelmed with excitement ... it's a big honour."

The Charlottetown athlete will be playing for another province, though. For the first time ever, New Brunswick is sending a team to the championships, which take place next month in Boucherville, Que.

"It is the first time ever that New Brunswick has had a team represented at nationals," said coach Shawn Lucas. 

"So [it's] a group of history-making, ground-breaking athletes and they are going above and beyond to try to help create that solid foundation for the future."

There are some athletes from Nova Scotia on the roster, but Godin is the only one who lives on P.E.I. 

"I think it's really big for the Maritimes, just to show like we are here, we want to grow, we want to have more players," said Godin. 

"I'm really proud of being from P.E.I. and the sport culture here, especially with the [Canada Winter] Games just finishing. So I'm really excited that I get to be a small little bit of P.E.I. on the team."

'It's incredible'

Another player on the roster also has a connection to the Island. Eric Payne lived on P.E.I. for years and even helped create a para hockey program here before moving to New Brunswick.

"I had thought, 'As an above-knee amputee, I'm not going to be able to play hockey ever again,'" said Payne, who lost his lower leg because of a motorcycle accident.

"But they put me out in a sled, I had sticks and I had a puck, and I said, 'Well, if I can still play hockey, what else can I do?'"

There are six other provinces competing at the national tournament from May 18 to 21: Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia.

"It's huge," said Payne. "To be able to put this high-performance team together, to be able to go at the national level, it's incredible."

But getting there is expensive and athletes have to fund their own way, meaning paying for things like transportation and hotel rooms. 

"Our hope is to raise enough money to change this from athlete-funded to community-funded," said Lucas.

"And to grow that for the future that so next year ... there's more support, there's more foundation, instead of people scrambling to try to raise the money."

Godin also has the additional costs that come with driving to Moncton for training camps. 

"I leave here at six in the morning on the days of camps, head down to Moncton across the bridge, play there for the whole day, and then head home, sleep and do it again the next day," he said. 

Hopes for a P.E.I. team in future

Lucas is optimistic that the new team will help grow the sport for the younger generation.

"It brings hope. It brings opportunity. When you get into a sport and you don't have the [chance] to chase your dreams, it can really limit you," he said. 

"It is world-changing and it opens up so many paths, so many opportunities — and instead of thinking that you have limits, you realize that you don't have the limits people tell you."

There is one more camp before the team leaves for the tournament. Both Godin and Payne have high hopes. 

"I would like to get a medal at nationals," said Godin. "I think I'll be nervous before the game and I think as soon as I get there, everything kind of just tunes out and you're there just doing something you love with the people you love, and it's all about just playing.

"We've got some skill on this team and we will carve out a notch for ourselves and we will be remembered," said Payne. "And I look forward to the year after that." 

Both hope to one day see a team from P.E.I. heading to the nationals.   

"My goal in sport is to just get more people involved and more people playing," said Godin. 

"I think if we really get some more numbers and some players willing to play, I think we could definitely do it — and maybe give Team New Brunswick a run for their money."