Hockey Players from Around the World Call Owatonna Home

Whether from just down the freeway or the other side of the world, members of the Steele County Blades are calling Owatonna their home for the long junior hockey campaign. The Blades are in their 12th season in Owatonna. They host the Minnesota Mullets Sunday, December 4 at 7:30 pm.

Nick Doornbos (Canberra, Australia) made a trip to Minnesota in a previous season while playing with a team based in his home country. He reached out to the Blades, who have a history of bringing in players from Australia. Doornbos is from a military family and began playing hockey in Halifax, Nova Scotia, but this is his first season being away from home.

"The first couple weeks my mom came and just made sure I settled in...About two weeks after she left I started feeling a little bit homesick. But our team is such a good team. We're so close...one big family."

Interview with Nick Doornbos

Seth Falkevitch (Russell, Manitoba, Canada) is playing his first year of junior hockey, "It's been great. The guys here are great. We've really bonded together over the past months that I've been here. I think I see a team that can go really far this year."

interview with Seth Falkevitch

Connor Homan (Anchorage, AK) is in his final season of junior hockey. He's played in several parts of the country and is happy to be in Owatonna, "I'm really enjoying the boys here. I really like the coaching staff. I'm enjoying the environment here."

Interview with Connor Homan

A quick trip home is much easier for Spencer Clark who lives in Albert Lea. He recently joined the Blades and the transition has been smooth, "They're very welcoming. So, it was really easy, joining in, fitting in with the team."

Interview with Spencer Clark

Blades' defenseman Andrei Moskvitin (Tomsk, Russia) and goalie Levi Preugschas (Buffalo, MN) recently earned US Premier Hockey League Player of the Week honors. Moskvitin had points in consecutive games at Four Seasons. Preugschas had a shutout November 12 against the Mullets.

Steele County has won five of its last six games entering action at the Minnesota Squatch in Elk River on Friday, December 2. The Blades go to Hudson, WI on Saturday, December 3 before the home match-up with the Mullets on Sunday, December 4 at 7:30 pm. [See the full schedule.]