Far from Home but Always Repping

Spain’s Team Captain Pol GonzalezGRANADA – The Granada Sports Palace was packed on the evening of 10 February with Spanish fans who came out to support their men’s ice hockey team take on Korea in the first qualifying match.

“We weren’t expecting [these fans] at all,” said captain Pol Gonzalez. “It was a surprise and it was a welcome one. This crowd is amazing.”

Gonzalez has represented Spain more than 15 times in ice hockey tournaments since 2007.

But it’s a rare occasion when he actually gets to play his favorite sport in his homeland.

That’s because Gonzalez moved to Canada in 2009 to pursue his future hockey dreams.

His father, Frank Gonzalez, has been serving as the Spanish delegate for the International Ice Hockey Federation since 1991 and has been on the IIHF council since 2003 and because of that has a good idea of which regions are developing the sport at high speeds.

But son Pol Gonzalez always manages to make it home to wear the red and gold.

“I always like coming back [to Spain] and playing,” he said. “It’s awesome, it’s an unforgettable experience.”

And although he competed for Spain in the Under 18 and Under 20 World Junior Championships each summer, he is now wearing the University of Concordia Stingers jersey across his chest.

The 22-year-old is in his second year of his studies and after playing for a number of teams in the Ontario Junior Hockey League, including the Aurora Tigers and the Milton Icehawks, he’s back on the ice in Spain.

“It’s great [being named Captain of this team],” he said. “I know all the guys [on Team Spain], they’re all great guys and we will try to give it our best against [our next opponents].”

Kelcey Wright, U-Media Reporter