CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – Kevin Elliott will be celebrating Christmas with his hockey family this year in Buffalo, N.Y.
The Charlottetown Islanders athletic therapist is with Team Canada at the world junior hockey tournament for the second straight year and fifth time since 2010. While he said everybody misses their family back home, Hockey Canada does a great job of bringing players, coaches and support staff from across the country together for a common goal.
“We’re going to celebrate Christmas as a group,” Elliott said. “It’s family. You’re celebrating Christmas with your family.”
His wife, Carolyn MacGuigan Elliott, their son, Mathieson Barr and his longtime girlfriend, Hannah Morrison were at last year’s tournament in Toronto, but will be watching this year’s event from home.
“I’m happy I got to share Christmas last year with my family, Matt and Carolyn,” he said.
Elliott said they will have some time to talk on the phone on Monday before the tournament begins on Tuesday.
The staff includes returnees Brian Cheeseman (a Newfoundlander who is the Edmonton Oil Kings athletic therapist), Chris MacDonald (Halifax Mooseheads equipment manager) and Adam Douglas (York University strength and conditioning coach). Brian St-Louis (Baie-Comeau Drakkar equipment manager), who Elliott has known for years, has joined the group this year.
They are much like a forward line and defence pair.
“We’re one big unit of five,” Elliott said. “We all have a job to do and we do it really, really well as a group.”
The team has been together since Dec. 8. There was a selection camp where the roster was finalized, exhibition games and team-building exercises.
It all ramps up on Tuesday when the puck is dropped for the first game.
“We’re going to be eager. We’re going to be excited. We’re itching to go,” Elliott said. “It’s an off-the-chart event.”
The Saint John, N.B., native has a bronze medal from the under-18 tournament, a gold from the men’s world championship and three silvers from the junior tourney.
Elliott said he appreciates Hockey Canada asking him to be involved in the tournament and enjoys working with the great staff and young men during a tournament that brings the country together during the holidays.
“It’s just an awesome experience,” he said. “(Hockey Canada and tournament organizers) treat us unbelievable. They treat our families unbelievable and they treat our teams that we come from unbelievable.”
Next year’s tournament is in Vancouver/Victoria before going to the Czech Republic in 2020 and back to Canada for 2021. A host site has not been announced. The last time the event was held in Atlantic Canada was 2003, when the tournament was played in Halifax and Sydney, N.S.
This year’s tournament will cap a remarkable 12 months for Elliott that saw him be part of last year’s tournament, the Islanders longest playoff run, the Hockeyville game in Summerside and the CIBC Canada/Russia games in Charlottetown and Moncton. Isles equipment manager Andrew (Spider) MacNeill has been with Elliott for most of the journey.
“It’s been an incredible year,” Elliott said. “I’ve been able to experience a lot, myself and Spider, and my family. We’ve done a lot, but it doesn't even feel like work.”
Tournaments attended
Kevin Elliott has worked the following world junior hockey tournaments as part of Team Canada.
Year Host city Finish
2010 Saskatoon Silver
2011 Buffalo Silver
2013 Ufa, Russia Fourth
2017 Montreal/Toronto Silver
2018 Buffalo To be determined
