Two young Chatham-Kent Cyclones are back from a whirlwind trip to Europe where they recently competed in a global hockey tournament.
10-year-olds Xandre Aitken and Lucas Kirchner spent four days in Sweden and another four in Finland, competing in the 2017 European Summer Series.
Aitken says they faced some very friendly international competition.
"After we lost to the Russians in the semis, we got to do a trade thing -- the Russians came to our room," says Aitken. "People were trading sticks and jerseys and then we went to the Russian room and we were giving pins out and people were trying to trade stuff with other people."
While they were overseas, the boys also got to see some up and coming NHLers.
"I got to see William and Alex Nylander practice," says Aitken. "And a bunch of other guys from other places."
That experience especially impressed Lucas Kirchner.
"William Nylander is now my favourite NHL player," says Kirchner, adding Nylander's Maple Leafs teammate Auston Matthews used to hold the number one spot.
But even seeing his hockey idol couldn't top Kirchner's experience on the cruise ship.
"On the cruise boat, some of the team went to bed and some of the team stayed up -- and on the 13th floor of the cruise boat, we all sang karaoke," says Kirchner.
The Canadian team finished third at the European Summer Series -- the Czech Republic finished first while Russia placed second.
Both of the boys -- and their undoubtedly jealous Cyclones teammates -- will have a chance to be invited to the tournament again in 2018.
