Yellowknife student to represent Canada at Finland hockey competition

SaharaLafferty, a15-year-old Yellowknife hockey player, is en route to Finlandto represent Canada at an internationalhockey skills competition.

Laffertyis the only Canadian female competing at the event. It's a qualifier for next year'sYouth Olympic Winter Games in Norway. She'll be competing against female hockey playersfrom 31 countries.

Laffertyhascompeted for the territory at the Canada Games before, but it's her first time representing the country.She says it is not often someone from the N.W.T. gets to be the ambassador all of Canada.

"I've always wanted to be like representing my country and I'm excited to meet a lot of new friends from different places," she said.

She's still shocked that she's the one going.Laffertythought that another girl would be chosen. She doesn't know if theother playersare jealous or not, but she says she would be.

Hockey Canada can send only one male and one female player to the competition. To make it fair, they randomly drawa region, and that regionchooses aplayerto send.

When Hockey North, the body which represents the sport in the N.W.T. and Nunavut, was given the chance to choose a female player to send, they picked Lafferty.Carson Focht of Regina is the male player who is also going.

Lafferty,who just finished Grade 9atSir John Franklin High School,admits she's under a lot of pressure.

"I feel really good but I'm also really scared," she said.

The competition testssix different skills: fastest lap, accurate shooting, skating agility, fastest shot, precise passing and Lafferty's least favourite puck control.

Training has proven to be achallenge. With the rinksout at Yellowknife's arenas, Lafferty hasn't been onice for almost two months. She's had to mimic it at the gym with her trainer,Devin Madsen.They've been lifting weights and working on strengtheningLafferty'slegs.

'I want to go to the actual Olympics'

Laffertysays she anticipatesone of the hardest parts of the trip willbe the nine-hour time difference between the N.W.T. and Finland. It's her first time in Europe.

"My texts [home] are pretty much just going to be like, 'Well I'm going to compete' and then like, 'Well that was a good competition, like good night,'" she said.

"I'm used to texting [my friends]like every minute. [Now]it's going to be like, twice a day."

Lafferty's been packing her bags for several days. She's bringing 800 Yellowknife, N.W.T. and Canada pins to trade with other players.

"They areall in my hockey bag. It does put weight in my hockey bag but not a lot,"saidLafferty.

The competition begins Monday andLaffertyisn't sure if she will get topractise on the icebefore then.

"Getting on the ice after two weeks is hard [let alone]two months."

Madsen said hethinksLaffertywill do just fine. He gave her some advice before she left.

"Just have fun. It'll be a great experience... as much as you can get from it, take it."