JOHN, THIS IS A STORY THAT’S PRETTY PERSONAL FOR YOU. YEAH, EVERYONE KNOWS ME. KNOWS THAT HOW MUCH I LOVE THE SPORT OF HOCKEY. I PLAYED IT GROWING UP AS A KID IN NEW YORK AND A TRIO OF TRIAD BOYS ARE TAKING MY DREAM OF PLAYING TO ANOTHER LEVEL IN A STORY OF FRIENDSHIP, HARD WORK, AND A CONNECTION TO ROD BRIND’AMOUR. CHILDHOOD AT ITS BEST, ALWAYS BEGINS WITH A HOPE AND A DREAM. AT THE AGE OF 12 YEARS OLD, COLTON LYNCH, JOHN NELSON AND MASON KARINS ARE SKATING THROUGH LIFE AND LIVING OUT THE CHILDHOOD DREAM. THE TRIO’S SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME RIGHT HERE ON THE ICE AS MEMBERS OF THE JUNIOR HURRICANES WOULD LOVE. IT’S KIND OF LIKE MY ZONE. THAT’S WHERE I’M HAPPY IS I’M ON THE ICE AND HAVING FUN. THREE TIMES A WEEK, THE BOYS TRAVEL TO RALEIGH FOR PRACTICE, WHICH MEANS A LOT OF LONG CAR RIDES. BUT THERE’S A BENEFIT TO ALL THESE RIDES. IT’S A LASTING FRIENDSHIP. ME AND COLTON, WE WENT TO PRESCHOOL TOGETHER AND, UH, YEAH. AND THEN WE MET MASON LAST YEAR. WE’RE BROTHERS. BASICALLY. THAT’S HOW TIGHT WE ARE. THERE’S ALSO ANOTHER PERK TO THESE TRIPS TO RALEIGH TO PLAY FOR THE JUNIOR HURRICANES. KNOW THE BOYS ARE GETTING SOME OF THE BEST COACHING IN THE WORLD AS THEIR ASSISTANT COACH ON THE TEAM. JUST SO HAPPENS TO BE HURRICANES LEGEND ROD BRIND’AMOUR. HE’S REALLY HE’S REALLY ENCOURAGING. HE’S REALLY NICE. HE’S AWESOME. JUST A GREAT GUY TO BE AROUND. HE GETS LIKE, HE HE ACTS LIKE HE’S A MEAN PERSON, BUT HE’S REALLY NICE NOW ROD SQUAD IS SET TO EMBARK ON A JOURNEY THAT VERY FEW GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO. IF YOU’RE A LITTLE FAR OUT, THE TEAM IS JUST ONE OF 120 TEAMS REPRESENTING EIGHT COUNTRIES ACROSS THE WORLD, PARTICIPATING IN THE QUEBEC INTERNATIONAL PEE-WEE HOCKEY TOURNAMENT IN QUEBEC, CANADA. IT’S KIND OF INSANE HOW WE’RE GOING TO A WHOLE FOREIGN COUNTRY, LIKE AT THE AGE OF 12. IT’S REALLY COOL. I’M REALLY EXCITED FOR IT, THOUGH. LIKE MOSTLY ABOUT JUST BEING AROUND THE TEAM AND LIKE PROBABLY BONDING WITH THEM A LOT MORE THAN IT’S EVER BEEN. AND WHILE THE NERVES ARE ALREADY STARTING TO SET IN, THE BOYS AT 12 YEARS OLD ALREADY HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE MAGNITUDE OF THIS JOURNEY. WE KNOW THIS IS A BIG TOURNAMENT AND WE’RE LUCKY TO GET TO GO, BUT I DON’T THINK THAT WE TRULY UNDERSTAND JUST HOW LUCKY WE ARE AND WILL BE. AND OUR PARENTS, OUR FAMILIES, TO TAKE SO MUCH TIME AND MONEY JUST TO MAKE US HAPPY. LET US DO WHAT WE WANT TO DO. WE SHOULD GO UP THERE AND MAKE THEM PROUD. NOW COLT AND JOHN AND MASON ARE ALREADY HEADED TO QUEBEC. THE BOYS LEAVING BRIGHTON EARLY