Being an Aussie, I wouldn’t normally give a puck about hockey. But this story piqued my interest.
Imagine this: an 8-year-old boy playing hockey at his local roller rink with his dad, dreaming of someday playing in the NHL and winning the Stanley Cup. It’s a fairly common sight in a hockey-crazed country like Canada.
Now, imagine that boy is from Israel.
NHL dreams are no figment of imagination for forward David Levin, a top prospect for the 2018 NHL Draft. And the gravity and impact of potentially being the first Israel-born NHL player is not lost on him.
“A lot goes through my head,” Levin told NHL.com. “Israel will be a lot bigger in hockey when that happens. I think about it every day, how my family and friends are going to be happy for me. I’m just trying to work hard every day, do my best and see what happens.”
Levin, 16, plays for Sudbury in the Ontario Hockey League, but his improbable hockey journey began at a small roller rink in Netanya, Israel, a short drive up the Mediterranean coast from Tel Aviv.
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Even though Levin has been living in Canada for a few years now, he thinks of his home country. When he laces up the skates and puts on the Sudbury jersey, he’s playing for his team, himself, his homeland and for anyone in Israel who has NHL dreams.
“The Sudbury jersey is made with the Israeli colors, blue and white,” he said. “That makes me think of Israel every time I see it, so I’m stepping on the ice to try and do my best for people in Israel and for those that think they can be hockey players too. I want to show everyone that they should never give up.
Read the whole thing.
