Dorais Austria Bound:

This is in todays Morning Star Newspaper:

Dorais Austria bound

By Graeme Corbett - Vernon Morning Star

Published: January 24, 2010

Like countless Canadian kids, Coldstream’s Trent Dorais grew up with a hockey stick pretty much welded to his hands. As a youngster, he would venture down to the basement of his family’s North Vancouver home to shoot the ball around any chance he got.

As is the natural progression in the sport, Dorais eventually traded basement shinny for minor hockey, eventually carving out roster spot with the Alberni Valley Bulldogs of the B.C. Hockey League.

“Growing up in Vancouver we had this big old house with a huge basement. I just set up the nets down there and pretended I was Wayne Gretzky and go end to end,” grinned Dorais, who turns 19 in April.

If you had told Dorais a year ago he would end up doing big things with ball hockey, he probably would have laughed. At that point, he had just started playing for fun in a rec league with the Keith Construction Chinooks of the North Okanagan Ball Hockey Association.

With a little encouragement from family friend Jim Armstrong, head coach of the Breakaway Fitness Midget Tier 1 Vipers, Dorais earned an invite to play with one of two B.C. select teams at the junior ball hockey nationals last August in Edmonton.

They finished fourth overall, but Dorais’ grit and work ethic stood out for the national coaches (Armstrong is an assistant coach) scouting the event. They invited him to join the Under 20 squad for the world junior championships this June in Villach, Austria.

“I wasn’t expecting it at all,” said Dorais. “Last year was the first year I had played competitively. I had no idea how competitive nationals was going to be. It turns into more of a controlled game. It’s more systems.

“I had a pretty good tournament. It’s my speed and work ethic...that’s what my role is going to be on this team.”

Dorais reckons he will have to raise about $1,500 to make the trip. Depending on how far the Bulldogs go in the playoffs – they are first in the BCHL’s Coastal Conference – he wants to work full time in the offseason to help pay for it.

The national squad will meet for a three-day camp in Toronto before venturing overseas. It will be as much a meet-and-greet as it will be a training camp.

“The only guy I really know is Dylan Smith (AJHL Lloydminster Bobcats),” said Dorais. “Everyone else seems to be from Ontario.”

While Armstrong helped get Dorais noticed, he credits the tenacious 5-foot-10, 160-pounder for putting in the grunt work.

“It wasn’t me that got him on this team,” said Armstrong. “It was his work ethic. In Europe he’s going to be a machine. Every defenceman is going to be scared every time he steps on the floor.

“He’s a hard worker and it’s a pretty basic sport. It’s a natural sport if you’re willing to work hard at it.”

After riding with the Vernon Vipers’ taxi squad for two seasons, the gritty winger hooked up with the Bulldogs last offseason. In 45 games, Dorais has seven goals and 16 points. Despite being one of the league’s smaller players, he has earned a reputation as one of the its toughest, racking up a team-high 93 penalty minutes.

The 24-man junior squad will face stiff competition from the perennial favorites Czech Republic, Slovakia, and the U.S.

“They’re as passionate about the sport as we are,” said Armstrong, who coached Team Canada at the 2008 worlds in St. John’s, Nfld. “It makes you realize how big this sport is getting.”

Armstrong is hoping Canada will be able to counter the ultra-talented European players with speed and controlled intensity.

“If you’re disciplined, they won’t kill you. Those guys live for the powerplay.”

Anyone interested helping sponsor Dorais’ journey to the world championships can e-mail cfedora@telus.ca.