Tarvisio, Italy - On the ice, Team Canada's Men's Hockey team is currently 4-0 in Pool B. Behind the scenes are without a doubt two of the hardest working members of the country's entire 110-person contingent.
Team Canada Web Site / Site Web d'équipe Canada
University of Saskatchewan's Peter Herd is the Equipment Manager for the hockey team, while University of Lethbridge's Gordon Watt is the Therapist. They both leave the hotel in Sella Neuva at the crack of dawn and head to the rink in Pontebba to set up for the game that will start ten hours later.
"I do it for the student-athletes, for most of these guys this will be their only international competition and I want it to be a great memory", says Herd.
Herd is a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan with a Bachelor's Degree in Agriculture. He started out as a volunteer with the Saskatchewan Huskies in 1986-87, the same year the Dogs went on to earn the CIS (formerly CIAU) silver medal in Edmonton. Over the past 17 years, he has spent the majority of his time as the team's equipment manager. Peter also has an impressive international record, having worked with the 1993 Gold Medal Spangler Cup team, the 1995 World Junior Champion team, and the 1995 Silver Medal team at the Winter Universiade in Japan.
"I love hockey and my country. Every time we march into the opening ceremonies or receive our medals I have goose bumps."
Herd's sidekick on the far end of Team Canada's bench is Gordon Watt, Head Therapist for the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns.
"I agree totally with Peter, it's a passion for hockey, university student-athletes and Canada", says the graduate of Brandon University.
After his graduation, Gordon earned his Diploma of Athletic Therapy from Mount Royal College and started working with the Pronghorns hockey program in 1994. After three seasons, he moved onto the Western Hockey League's Lethbridge Hurricanes where he served as Head Athletic Therapist until last summer when he returned to his first love, CIS (CWUAA) Hockey. Watt is a certified member of CATA, the Canadian Athletic Therapy Association, and currently owns and operates a therapy clinic in Lethbridge, Alberta (High Level Athletic Therapy Clinic).
"For me it is the pleasure of working with student-athletes and helping them balance their busy schedules with practice, studies and part-time jobs. I like to see these guys graduate and go on to excellent lives. I feel great when I see them years later successful and happy."
Watt served Team Canada at the 1997 Winter Universiade in Korea and Italy is his second international experience with Canadian Interuniversity Sport.
"Without these guys our lives would be hard in a quick ten-day tournament like FISU", comments team Captain Blair St. Martin of the University of Alberta Golden Bears.
Bill Seymour, Team Canada's Men's Ice Hockey Team Leader, adds: "They are the glue that holds the program together. They come early to the rink and leave late without ever complaining. They are excellent role models for our student-athletes."
"We love wearing the Maple Leaf on our chests and are proud of our country and sport", Herd and Watt say at the same time.
Story by David Kent, Team Canada Sports Information Manager
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