Canucks prospects feel the heat at Damage Control School

Photo courtesy of John W. Penner, John’s Photography

Lt(N) Nicole Murillo, Base Public Affairs ~

The Canucks Prospects were on fire on the ice at their training development camp, but off the ice they were learning to fight fires and floods at the Damage Control Training Facility (DCTF) Galiano.

The camp is an opportunity for the athletes to be put through their paces on the ice each day, as well as take part in other team activities throughout the week, such as working with the kids at The Nanaimo Child Development Centre.

On July 6, the 33 players from six different countries put their teamwork and communication skills to the test in a number of friendly competitions that tested their damage control and firefighting skills for the coveted DC School Challenge Cup.
In one of the first competition, the players were timed as they controlled a flood in the simulator. Then  they headed outside to use the fire hose to knock down three logs before filling up a bucket until a water bottle that was inside floated up to the top and fell onto the ground.

“Although we’re a little upset about our loss [of the DCTF Cup], we definitely had a lot of fun today,” said 24 year-old Justin Parizek, an invitee from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. “This correlates really well to hockey; we had to switch off and trust our team-mates to hit the log and fill up the bucket just like we have to trust them with the puck.”

Jakob Stukel, a 19 year-old player originally from Surrey, B.C., who played three seasons for the Vancouver Giants, also didn’t win the DC Cup, but got the chance to fulfill his other childhood dream: being a firefighter.

“This was a really great experience and a bit of a surprise,” said Stukel. “You have to work together as a team here, just like we have to on the ice and the level of communication is similar to what we have to do on the ice. We also had to have each other’s back, which we also have to do in hockey.”

Photo courtesy of John W. Penner, John’s Photography

Photo courtesy of John W. Penner, John’s Photography