Daniels part of winning combination for Team Saskatchewan

An American with ties to a Saskatchewan First Nation laced up her skates for this year’s National Aboriginal Hockey Championships in Saskatoon.

Sydney Daniels, originally from the Mistawasis First Nations, is the daughter of former NHLer Scott Daniels. Scott Daniels played in the National Hockey League for 11 years for the Hartford Whalers, Philadelphia Flyers and New Jersey Devils. He and his family live in Massachutes, which is where Sydney has lived all her life. But, with her dual citizenship, she was able to come to Canada to join the girls Team Saskatchewan.

“I just wanted to come back and play and learn where (my father) learned,” said Daniels, who embraced the chance to be a part of something her dad was a part of years ago. “(He’s) great guidance for me. He tells me what I’m doing wrong.”

Even from a young age, hockey was in her blood, said Daniels. “I was the baby. I hung out with all the other babies, so I don’t have a recollection of it, but my mom has filmed all his games, so I go back and watch that. I have friends from growing up who have NHL dads, too.”
When she was about five or six and her father had finished his professional career, Daniels became interested in hockey.

“Even at that young age, I’d make him take me to the rink. I just wanted to be a part of a bigger team and learn how to play like he did.”

Daniels said joining her new, temporary team was a positive experience with the other girls welcoming her.
“It’s a lot different style of hockey for me, a little bit of an adjustment,” she explains. “I would say just the way they move the puck. But in the States, it’s all cycling and just quick, quick, quick, quick, and here it’s more like a thinking game and which pass could I make better.”

Daniels didn’t seem to have too much trouble: she scored two goals in Team Saskatchewan’s 7-3 victory over Eastern Door and North for the gold medal.

“There’s a lot of girls who have some talent. They’ve played some good hockey. They know what to expect, and they know how to play,” said Coach Jean Fauchon, who added Daniels was part of a group of talented forwards the team had this year.

Daniels plays for the Under 18 Team U.S.A. and hopes that will get her to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

In the mean time, she pulls on the drive and work ethic of her two favourite players: her father and Alex Ovechkin.

“My favourite NHL player right now is Ovechkin,” said Daniels. “I just like his drive and how he just doesn’t get caught up in the fame and he’s all hard work and gives it all every shift.”

Photo caption: Proudly sporting her gold medal around her neck, Sydney Daniels accepts her award for making the all-star team from Saskatoon Tribal Chief Felix Thomas.