Hawks hockey forward Danny Hanlon helps Canada capture bronze at 2019 Winter Universiade

/

[siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Image_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget]

The bigger the opportunity, the easier it is to take it on and being able to represent your country and go overseas is no opportunity to hesitate over.ย 

โ€œAny time you get selected to represent a country, I think, no matter the sport, itโ€™s a pretty big honour, no matter the level of competition either.โ€

โ€œRepresenting a country youโ€™re proud of is something you donโ€™t take lightly and knowing how competitive hockey is on our level, the U Sports level, it was a big honour. When I got asked, I love travelling, I had no hesitation in saying yes. Itโ€™s something Iโ€™ll remember for the rest of my life.โ€

Enter Danny Hanlon, a third-year forward for the Laurier Golden Hawks menโ€™s hockey team.

Hanlon represented the bronze medal winning Team Canada for 2019 FISU Winter Universiade in Russia.

โ€œItโ€™s a tough scenario coming into it because itโ€™s 22 guys whoโ€™ve for the most part, never played together, never met,โ€ Hanlon said.

โ€œWe get there three days before our first game, in a foreign city, 12 hours ahead, a lot of obstacles in the way. We came together a few days before and rolled into the first game,โ€ Hanlon said.

Team Canada had no issues getting through as they went 4-1 in the preliminary round.ย 

โ€œIt was an experience that you become somebody bigger than your own sport, you become one for Canada.โ€

Their only loss, which just so happened to cost them a chance to go further, was against Kazakhstan who they eventually went on to beat 3-0 for the bronze medal.

โ€œWe met a tough Kazakhstan group that has played together for a while. We felt we put together a pretty good game,โ€ Hanlon stated.

As for himself, the Waterloo native finished the tournament with six points in seven games off the strength of four goals and two assists.ย 

โ€œPersonally, I thought I did pretty well considering playing with other elite players,โ€ Hanlon said.

โ€œI can say more about how the team played and Iโ€™m just happy I got to be a part of it,โ€ Hanlon said.

The bigger picture for Hanlon, however, did not have to do with that.ย 

The experience as a whole was far bigger than just himself.

โ€œThe biggest thing I could take away, just wearing the Team Canada jersey, it becomes so much bigger than hockey and especially with this event, it wasnโ€™t just a hockey tournament, it was university students from all around the world competing at their own event,โ€ Hanlon said.

โ€œIt was an experience that you become somebody bigger than your own sport, you become one for Canada.โ€

โ€œIt was just a really cool feeling and something I wonโ€™t forget.โ€ย 


Leave a Reply

Serving the Waterloo campus, The Cord seeks to provide students with relevant, up to date stories. Weโ€™re always interested in having more volunteer writers, photographers and graphic designers.