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Heading for Europe, young icer has big goals
(by Steve Novak - July 07, 2010)
Heading for Europe, young icer has big goals
By STEVE NOVAK
Michael Hall, of Chagrin Falls, played for several years in the International Hockey League. He said he often dreamed of representing the United States in international sports competition.
However, it is Hall's 10-year-old son, Curtis, who has taken care of that dream for the family. This summer, Curtis will fly to Europe and play against all-stars from other countries.
Hall, a student at Chagrin Falls Intermediate School, is the only Ohio hockey player chosen to compete in August in an international competition involving countries including Russia, Czech Republic and host country Sweden. The Junior International Games run from Aug. 9 to 16.
In a nutshell, it's the closest thing to a Junior World Olympic Tournament that a 10-year-old can get.
Hall is a member of the Bauer Select All-Star team, a junior all-star team assembled by Chicago tournament organizer Kevin Mann. He also serves as the coach of the Bauer team, and he said that he is constantly looking for the best junior athletes all over the country.
"He's one of the elite 10-year-old players in the United States," Mann said "This is a AAA hockey program. The purpose of the Bauer Select tournaments is to bring good hockey players together from all over the country."
Because he also was chosen to Mann's team last year, Curtis is already a veteran of two years of tournaments for the Bauer Select team. He has played across the country and in Canada, but this is the first time that he will take his game across the Atlantic Ocean to face European countries which are renown for their hockey prowess.
Hall already has some idea what to expect. He said the tournament should be a lot like the Olympic hockey games he has watched on television.
"I'm really looking forward to competing. I told my classmates about going, and they all think it's pretty cool," he said. "They just wish they could go along too."
Curtis' father, who played collegiate hockey at Maine and in the International Hockey League nearly 20 years ago, said the realization of the immensity of overseas competition hasn't yet hit his son fully.
"This is a precedent. It's huge. I always wanted to play in Europe, but it never happened," Michael Hall said. "Now, it's my son who's going to get to do it. Curtis is excited now, but I think the importance of it will grow on him as the time gets closer."
Hall, who has played forward since he was about 7 years old, has played for the Cleveland Barons junior team for several years. During the past season, he led his team in goals with 88 and he amassed 128 points.
His skill is very much still in the developing stage. His Cleveland Barons coach, Martin Scheutte, said he seems to be using his physical talents to their maximum right now.
"Curtis is a good little player for a 10-year-old. He is certainly big and strong already," Scheuette said. "He has a lot of speed, and he plays with a lot of intensity. He has the size, he has the speed and he has the strength."
He said his favorite professional player is Alex Ovechin, of the Washington Capitals. Ovechin is of Russian descent, and Curtis said, "Oh yeah, Russian players are good players." This is another reason he has been looking forward to the overseas games next month.
"I'm just looking forward to going out there and playing," he said. "I guess I just want to go out there and see how good those guys really are."
But he also knows that in addition to a heavy percentage of Canadian and European players in the National Hockey League, there is also a good number of Americans. Despite being only 10 years old, Hall has given this fact some thought and is quick to admit that he does want to play in the NHL someday.
"Yeah, that is pretty much my goal, definitely," he said. "I started playing hockey because I like the game. I love winning tournaments."
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