They may not be playing on the same team, but Calgary’s young hockey player gets a lot of help from fellow goaltenders.
11-year-old Harrison Markin is passionate about hockey, but his eyes kept wandering toward the crease as he honed his edge and stick-handling.
“Before I became a goalkeeper, I wanted to skate and be good and strong,” Harrison explained.
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Taking the next step between pipes was overwhelming and intimidating.
with some relief from calgary hitmen Goalkeepers Ethan Buenaventura and Brayden Peters began to have nerves melting.
“He asked a lot of questions about being a goalkeeper, so I said I was the young goalkeeper in the team,” Buenaventura said. “I told him he should try it.”
With a fresh set of gear from the Calgary Frame Sports Bank in tow, Harrison hit the blue paint and never looked back.
Harrison plays with autism super heroes Hockey, an adaptation program for youth with visible and invisible disabilities.
His family is amazed at how far he has come on and off the ice.
“He was out for 15 or 20 minutes and was tired,” Harrison’s father John said. “Now I can’t get him off the ice.
“I feel more confident, my social skills improve, and things that people take for granted. There are no words to describe it.”
Harrison’s story resonated with another goalkeeper. U15 North Stars.
“I heard there was a new goalkeeper and he liked it right away,” Budd said. “I’ve been there, so it sticks with me. I remember when I first started, probably when he was his age.”
Bud reached out and made a deal Enacoop.
The company pledged $1 for each Budd save and $10 for each shutout this season to send Harrison to the HEROS hockey tournament in Ontario.
Budd diligently tracked his stats game by game and managed to collect $650.
But the company decided to raise it to $5,000.
“I didn’t believe them when they told me,” laughed Budd.
“I never dreamed it would be as successful as it was in September.
“So I’m really happy with the results and I’m very happy that I was able to help someone and make a difference with this.”
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The three goalkeepers celebrated on the ice on Monday as Harrison continued to smile and save.
“They shot at me, but I made a lot of saves. Grab saves, kick saves, pad saves.”
“Harrison is such a good kid,” Budd added. “He was making saves and was stopping me and Ethan. That’s for sure. It was amazing.”
The group will host a goalie lunch (along with Peters) as a special send-off for Harrison before he and his teammates head to the tournament in March.
Here’s your chance to talk strategy, mental games, and trade secrets while Harrison eats his favorite pre-game meal, pepperoni pizza.
“Harrison is 100% part of the goalkeeping club,” said Buenaventura. “Just knowing that Harrison looks up to us, and we helped him become a goalie, it’s something we’re proud of.”
Budd also wants to up the ante next season with a new goal of raising $10,000 for HEROS Hockey.
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