From Breclav, Czech Republic, to Okotoks. If there’s game, you’ll find Cochrane’s Dillon Dubé.
With the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup in hand – Team Canada’s under-18-year-old (U18) team won the international hockey tournament for the eighth-straight time Aug. 15 with a 7-3 decision over Sweden – Dubé flew 8,000 kilometres over night from Central Europe to Calgary. He got up Aug. 17 and drove 80 kilometres to Okotoks to watch older brother Jake Dubé prepare for his third Alberta Junior Hockey League season with the Jr. A Oilers.
“Oh, yeah, I’m always at a rink,” the 17-year-old Kelowna Rockets forward cracked. “I just got back last night. I got back late and just woke up an hour ago.”
Yet, there he was in Okotoks watching his 19-year-old brother skate gassers and work on skills in Okotoks, the fruits of his inaugural Team Canada international hockey triumph still hanging on the vine.
“It was unbelievable. It was probably the best tournament I’ve ever been to,” Dillon Dubé said of the elite, international U18 hockey tourney named for late Czech hockey star Ivan Hlinka, played annually in Czech Republic and neighbouring Slovakia. “The way they treated us was incredible. It was definitely an honour wearing that jersey and being able to win a championship and represent Canada.”
With eight-straight Hlinka Cup titles, it’s safe to say Team Canada owns the international U18 tourney held ahead of hockey season. Canada went 5-0 at this year’s Hlinka, but it’s never as easy as the record indicates. Down 1-0 to host Czech Republic in the Aug. 10 opener, Dubé flipped a textbook backhander over Czech goalie Adam Brizgala before Canada netted a couple of “greasy” goals, as described by head coach Stan Butler, to win the all-important first game. Then came the Aug. 14 semifinal against Russia.
“It was obviously a high-emotion game. I don’t think we ever like playing Russia,” Dubé recalled. “It was back and forth quite a bit. I think that was the toughest one. It was exciting. Getting into a shootout was pretty impressive. It was awesome. It was a pretty cool experience.”
Canada prevailed 2-1 following the shootout, advancing to the final and dominating Sweden 7-3.
“We clicked right away. That was probably the tightest team I’ve ever been on. Even though we were from all over Canada we clicked right away,” Dubé explained of his nation’s success at the Hlinka. “We didn’t play selfishly.
“We were playing for Canada.”
