By Peter Watts /

Three members of the University of Saskatchewan hockey team have added an extra roadtrip to their season in mid-February.

Forwards Steve Gillen and Steve DaSilva and defenceman Derek Endicott will play for Canada at the FISU Winter Games in Harbin, China Feb. 18-28.  

“It’s pretty exciting,” said Gillen, a second-year Husky.

“We found out about going about a week before the official announcement on Dec. 1st.

“I know a few guys on the team. I played with Jason Fransoo and Kyle Fechko in midget and again with Kyle when I was with Moose Jaw in the WHL. I played with Chad Klassen when we were both in Spokane.

“This will be the first time I’ve ever played for Canada. I went to Denmark a few years ago with my novice team but this will be a completely different experience. Derek has a brother playing in Japan, so maybe he’ll have a little insight on the game in that part of the world. But I’m certainly looking forward to seeing what life is like in China.

“I play on the same line with Steve and with Casey Lee and the only disappointment is that Casey wasn’t selected to go too.”

DaSilva is the only rookie on the team. The four-year veteran of the Kootenay Ice of the WHL has come home to play for the Huskies after finishing his junior career.

“It was an easy decision to come play at Saskatchewan,” he said. “I wanted to be part of a good program and I wanted to come home where I’m with my family and my friends.

“We’ve had a good start to our season here. We’re tied with Alberta at the break. It’s been a long time since the Huskies won the University Cup and the CIS title. I think our coach, Dave Adolph, was a player on the last team to win it in 1983. There’s a lot of expectations for the program this season and I’m hoping it will be sooner rather than later that we can get to nationals and win it again.

“So far as this trip is concerned, I’m pretty excited about it. It was a hard secret to keep until the announcement. And like Steve, I’ve never pulled on a Canadian team jersey before either, so that part will be really neat.”

DaSilva is a first-year general studies student, taking a variety of courses to see what he wants to do. The players will miss about a week of school for the trip.

“There’s one week which is a regularly scheduled break,” he noted. “But we’ll have mid-terms and assignments to complete, so we’ll have to get that organized.”

He also spoke of the adjustment to the university game after graduating from the WHL.

“Our coach, Dave Adolph, has really helped with the transition,” DaSilva said. “I’ve played with and against a lot of the players in the WHL. But I’ve gone from being a veteran to being a rookie again at this level.  And I’m playing against players who, in some cases, are three or four years older, and bigger. So it’s been an adjustment. But I think I’m fitting in and certainly our team is doing well.”

“Our goal is to win CIS. If we can win gold at the FISU Games, that would be a real nice bonus.”