Berglof proud to suit up for Team Canada
The chance to wear Team Canada colours is a treat and an honour for Saskatoon two-sport athlete Colin Berglof.
While it hasn’t happened for him in hockey, Berglof couldn’t be happier to represent Canada this week during an International Indoor Junior Lacrosse tournament at Sasktel Centre Arena in Saskatoon.
“It’s a dream come true,” admits Berglof, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound transition player in indoor lacrosse.
“You always dream about representing your country as a kid growing up, whether it’s hockey or lacrosse. Just being able to do it, even on the junior stage, it’s something else. I’m so excited and I can’t wait.”
Berglof, 19, is one of seven Saskatchewan Swat players on Canada’s roster. The others are Tanner Deck, Quinn Ingalls, Keagan White, Wyatt Haux, Mitch Linklater and Laine Hruska. He says it’s nice to have so many familiar faces along for the ride this week.
“It’s nice seeing the new guys from all across Canada but just to have a few guys in the room that you’re comfortable with and guys you’ve been playing with all year, it makes the transition a little easier and it makes things go a little smoother,” he said.
“It also shows that lacrosse in Saskatchewan is growing with quite a few of us on Canada’s team and that’s just leaps and bounds for Saskatchewan lacrosse.”
Dubbed the World Junior Lacrosse Championship, the tourney features Canada, the United States and Team Iroquois.
It’s more of a North American championship for now, but there is hope to grow the tournament into something similar to the IIHF world junior hockey championships.
“I expect a lot from Team Iroquois and Team USA,” Berglof predicts. “I don’t think either team will be a cake-walk. Both teams are going to put up a fight and we’ve got our work cut out for us.”
Berglof, who plays junior B hockey for the Delisle Chiefs in the Prairie Junior Hockey League, has spent 15 years playing hockey and 12 seasons playing lacrosse.
He has mainly been a box lacrosse player.
“I tried field (lacrosse) a little bit when I was younger, but (it was tough) with other stuff, hockey and things like that, and there were times I wanted to go to the lake.”
Berglof played midget AA in Saskatoon, and got in four games with the Saskatoon Midget AAA Contacts before moving on to the junior hockey ranks where he was once listed by the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Humboldt Broncos.
“In my first year of junior, I tried (to get onto a junior A team) but things didn’t really work out,” he said. “I liked the situation I had out in Delisle and it’s the best place for me. I gave up on that (hockey) dream and I was content playing junior B.”
And he is content playing both hockey and lacrosse. He has no preference.
“I’m split right down the middle with that one,” Berglof said.
“Lacrosse season, lacrosse is my favourite, and hockey season, hockey is my favourite.”
Not only does Berglof get to wear the maple leaf, he gets to do it in his hometown.
“Playing at home here in Saskatoon means the world to me,” he said.
“It makes it a whole lot sweeter knowing that the stands will be filled with all my friends, family, past and present teammates and coaches. It’s going to be an amazing (weekend) here in my hometown and I look forward to it.”