Watson Earns Spot on Canadian Amputee Hockey Team

To represent your country on the international sports stage is a rare opportunity. But it is one that Eric Watson of Elmwood finds himself presented with. And he intends to make the most of it. Less than two years after losing his right leg from injuries sustained in a devastating snowmobile accident, the determined 21-year-old set out for Toronto a few weeks ago with the hopes of earning a spot on the Canadian Amputee hockey team.

Having little time to prepare for the three-day national camp, held January 14th through 16th at the Ice Gardens on York University, Watson left for Ontario with no expectations other than to give it his best shot. As he would soon discover, that would be good enough. "The day I got the call to go out is the day that the ice went in at the (outdoor) rink in Debec," related the Woodstock Minor Hockey product. "I only had a week and a half to get ready. So I skated every day in Debec and I attended practice with the Hartland Coca-Cola Sabres (Senior team). I only had my equipment on three times before I had to leave." Unsure of what to expect in terms of caliber of play, Watson was seriously impressed with what he found. "I was very surprised by the level of hockey; it was very high," remarked the young forward. "The first few practices, I wasn't great. But every time I got on the ice, I improved. My last time on the ice was when I played the best. That was when I made it!"

Upon the conclusion of the camp, Watson was informed by head coach Jamie McGuire that he was among those lucky individuals selected to the 27-man training roster. Needless to say, he was ecstatic. "There are nine forwards, six defensemen and three goalies," he explained. "I was one of nine affiliates that were named to the team. There is a chance that a couple of the regular team members will retire. If that happens, I could earn my way on to the regular team. I think I'm the youngest guy on the team. So if I don't move up this year, maybe the next." Regardless, the rookie will participate in all scheduled events (camps, tournaments, etc.) with the two-time defending World Amputee champions. And the best part, he is guaranteed be part of Team Canada when they travel to Turin, Italy in just over a year’s time for the 20th Winter Olympic Games. Each national team member has been asked to raise $2,500 in sponsorships for that event, slated for Feb. 10 through 26, 2006. The next national team camp will be held this coming May in Calgary. Watson plans to be far better prepared when that rolls around. He will continue to practice with the Sabres and will also play in the Carleton County Industrial League with the Courtyard Do-It-Centre team. A strict off-ice training regimen will also go a long way in boosting his physical endurance for the rigours of international competition.

While skating with a prosthetic leg has been a learning experience, Watson is quickly adapting. "Just by watching the other players (in Toronto), I was able to pick up something every shift," he reflected. "When I practiced with the Sabres this week, they couldn't believe the difference. "I can still skate in a straight line as well as I ever could. I might be a little slower than I used to be, but I was never that fast to begin with," he added with a chuckle. "Stopping and starting, making quick turns, and skating backwards take time to get used to. But it's getting better all the time. "At the camp, there were a couple of guys (technicians) that showed me how to make adjustments to my leg. That helped a lot." Watson is appreciative of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that is before him. Especially considering what he and his family – parents Darlene and Eric Sr. and younger brother Brad – have endured over the past 23 months. In the days immediately following his life altering snowmobile accident, it was questionable whether he would survive, let alone have the chance to lace up a pair of skates again. Alone at the time of the Feb. 14th accident, the seriously injured sledder spent an unimaginable eight and a half hours stranded in the woods during the coldest night of the winter. To make matters much worse, both his gloves and boots were knocked off in the impact when his snowmobile left the trail and entered the woods. Frozen and barely clinging to life, he was found by friends Kyle Kelly and Glen Thornton at approximately 9:30 the next morning. He was first taken to Carleton Memorial Hospital and later transported to the Chalmers Hospital in Fredericton. After eight weeks, doctors were forced to amputate his right leg about 10 inches below the knee. Three weeks later, he was heading home. "When I was first there, the doctors told me that I could lose both hands and both feet," Watson reflected. "My shoulder still isn't very good. I can only lift my left arm about halfway up. But, all things considered, I came out of it pretty good. With the support and encouragement of his family and literally hundreds of friends, it was no time before he was on the road to recovery. "I told them (medical staff) when I was in the hospital that I would play hockey again," he recalled. He was true to his word. About 10 months after his release, he was back on the blades for the 2004 Debec Pond Hockey Tournament. Just a few months later, he helped his former team, the Panthers, capture their sixth Hartland Ball Hockey League title in the past six years. Watson thanks Diane Jeanne, an occupational therapist at Chalmers, for setting the wheels in motion for his national team tryout. He also credits the efforts of physiotherapist Angela Lawson and prosthetic specialist Allan Menzies for their part in helping his dream become a reality.

"I never had any doubts that I would go (to the national camp) once I got the call," he affirmed. "I knew that if I didn't do it now, I never would. I'm glad I did." As the saying goes, every dark cloud has a silver lining. If Eric Watson didn't believe that before, he does now.

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