Golden memories for Robertson at Hlinka Gretzky Cup

Red Deer Rebels Athletic Therapist Terence Robertson says it was a great experience working for Team Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

And why wouldn’t it be with Canada running the table for a third-straight gold medal.

“I obviously had to check with the family, being that it’s cutting into your summer vacation,” Robertson recalled upon receiving the invite from Hockey Canada. “They were all on board for me doing this. It was a two-week commitment in July and August. So, yeah, they asked, and I jumped at the opportunity.”

Robertson’s 16-day gig started with selection camp in Calgary followed by exhibition games and the tournament itself at Rogers Place in Edmonton, something that made the job even more appealing.

“Team Canada was getting the Oilers dressing rooms. So, being that I’m an Oilers fan, it was a little bit surreal being able to walk the same halls as those guys.”

Robertson says it was also fun being around the team while they spent time at Commonwealth Stadium with the CFL’s Edmonton Elks.

“Not for just for myself being an Elks fan, but for the players too, because they got to get out of the hotel and do another activity that was not hockey related. They got to take their minds away from it and run around on the field and play some football and got to interact with some of the Elks players.”

Some of those Elks players made their way to Rogers Place to watch Canada take on the United States in the semifinals. Even more players, along with some members of the BC Lions, were turned out for the gold medal game.

“There was, I would say, 20-plus CFL players in attendance at the gold medal game. And I think that’s a direct relation to them being with us at the field that day. There was a bit of a bond in a blink of time, that crossover. It was really cool.”

Robertson was part of a staff comprised of personnel from across the Canadian Hockey League, giving the chance to chat about and learn new things from across the WHL, QMJHL, and OHL.

Despite being together for only a short amount of time, and will little downtime to boot, Robertson says he still tried to get to know the players along the way.

“If they were coming in for any type of maintenance treatment or any injuries they were dealing with, that was really the only time you really got a chance to talk to them.

“We always went for a team walk on game day mornings for about 15 minutes. I would take them around a couple blocks downtown before we headed over to the rink, and I usually would try and walk next to a new player every day and just have a chat with them, find out where their hometown is and stuff.”

Canada edged Czechia 2-1 in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup gold medal game. Robertson says some of what happened between the two teams, ‘shenanigans’ you could say, made the win even sweeter.

“They actually beat us in the in the exhibition round and celebrated like they’d won the gold. So, we had a bit of a chip on her shoulder going into the final game. Then, obviously, people saw what they did trying to win the opening ceremonial faceoff. So yeah, there was a lot of animosity, I think, going into that game.

“Although it was a tight game all the way through, we had full confidence in our team that we were going to, once we got ahead, hold them off. Once we got closer and closer, you know, your heart rate rises and your blood pressure starts, and you’re just counting down those minutes, waiting for that chance to celebrate a gold medal. And when they scored that late goal with eight seconds left, it sets you back a little bit, but you know, it’s only eight seconds. And then when our centre shot it down the ice on the next faceoff, you knew it was over. Then it was celebration. It was surreal.”

Robertson says he’s definitely open to working an event overseas and the chance to experience a new country and culture.

In the meantime, along with all the memories made, Robertson has a shiny new centrepiece to his keepsake collection.

“I was able to get a Team Canada jersey that will definitely go up with my medal, and probably the team picture, in a case in my man cave as a memory of a really awesome time.”

(Story photos credit: Andy Devlin/Hockey Canada Images)