From the rock to remembrance: N.L. teens head to Europe on hockey pilgrimage

N.L. Hockey team sports custom “Trail of the Caribou” jerseys (Garrett Barry/CTV News).

ST. JOHN’S - Thirteen Newfoundland teenagers are heading to Europe this week for a unique trip blending hockey and history.

The group, made up of players from across Newfoundland, will compete in exhibition games against other junior hockey teams in Europe and visit several of the historical “Trail of the Caribou” sites representing Newfoundland’s war effort.

“There’s a lot of interest in hockey trips,” said organizer Michael Holden. “People were (saying) ‘Wow, that would be an amazing trip, to combine the history and actually the love of hockey at the same time’.”

It’s the second year that Holden has organized a team, which will compete this year in an eight team tournament in Mechelen, Belgium. The group has ordered custom “Trail of the Caribou” jerseys for the occasion.

“I also had a great-great-grandfather that fought in World War One,” said Liam Collins, a 16-year-old player. “I’m excited to go and look over there because it’s significant to me.”

“I don’t know very much about the war, or anything, so I kind of just wanted to go over and learn,” added goaltender Cole Holloway, who is travelling with his father.

“I wanted to go over and go around with my dad because he’s right into it. It’ll be a good laugh.”

The hockey side of the trip will represent a bit of a challenge for the players, who will face off against European teams on larger, international-sized ice.

The team is smaller — 12 skaters and one goalie — and some of their games will be quick 20-minute events.

The group will visit Vimy Ridge and Beaumont Hamel, according to Holden, and see as many of the historical caribou statues as time allows during their 11-day trip.

The “Trail of the Caribou” has become a pilgrimage of sorts in Newfoundland and Labrador. Six caribou statues have been erected throughout Europe at sites that saw significant battles in Royal Newfoundland Regiment history.

The sixth and final statue was erected in Gallipoli in Turkey, in 2021.

Each of the players was given some homework by trip organizers — they were assigned one soldier who is buried at Beaumont Hamel, and were asked to bring a gift to place at their gravesite.

“To have a little piece of Newfoundland, always with him, I thought that was pretty nice,” said Nicholas Blackmore.

Holden expects it will be the trip of a lifetime for his 13 players, and is sure a bit of the competitive side will come out when the players — representing the only Canadian competition — participate in the tournament in Belgium.

“We want it to be enjoyable, we want it to be competitive of course, but we’ll see how the team stacks up against the Belgians and the Dutch.”