Canadian Olympic team feels the Heat
STOCKTON — Cody Goloubef received a phone call that informed him that his life had changed and a childhood dream had come to fruition.
The 28-year-old defenseman for the Stockton Heat is an Olympian.
He has been selected to represent Team Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics, beginning Feb. 9 in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and is one of five players with ties to Stockton hockey who will be playing in the games. Goaltender Kevin Poulin and forwards Mason Raymond and Linden Vey all played for the Heat and will represent Canada. Forward Mark Arcobello had a stint with the ECHL’s Stockton Thunder and will be playing for the United States.
Heat coach Ryan Huska is a native Canadian who coached Goloubef and the four former Heat players who will be on team Canada. He said their selections are an important moment for the players, the Heat and its NHL parent franchise, the Calgary Flames.
“There’s a Stockton Heat flavor to that team, that’s for sure,” Huska said. “For all those guys, it’s such an important accomplishment. You can just imagine those guys sitting in the locker room and talking about their days in Stockton. It’s a proud moment.”
Goloubef received word on Wednesday, and the good news spread around the Heat’s locker room on Thursday. He tried to explain what it was like to get that call.
“It’s a bit unexplainable,” he said. “At times I think you are going to have to pinch yourself when you are over there and really stay in the moment because it’s more than just a hockey experience, it’s a life experience. It’s such a big honor.”
The NHL decided not to allow its players to compete in the Olympics this year, creating opportunities for players in the North American minor leagues and European professional leagues, as well as the collegiate ranks. Goloubef has played 129 games in the NHL with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Colorado Rockies, and competed for Team Canada when it won the prestigious Spengler Cup in 2017.
He is from Mississauga, Ontario, and grew up hoping to be an Olympian. Current Heat teammate Luke Gazdic played youth hockey against him and they have been friends for years.
“It’s really exciting for us as a group and for Cody in particular,” Gazdic said. “I think every hockey player has two goals in life — to win the Stanley Cup and to win an Olympic gold medal. Cody is going to have an opportunity to accomplish the latter this year, and we’re all rooting for him.”
Raymond, who has played in 546 games in the NHL, was with the Heat in 2015-16 and is with Bern SC in the Switzerland National League. Vey (Heat, 201617) is with Astana Barys in Kazakhstan, and Poulin (Heat, 2015-16) plays for Zagreb Medvescak in Austria.
Arcobello, a 29-year-old forward from Milford, Connecticut, played for the Thunder during the 2010-11 season and was selected to the ECHL AllStar Game. He played for five NHL teams and currently is a teammate of Raymond’s with Bern SC.
Goloubef said he will report to Team Canada in late January for a seven- to 10-day training camp in Riga, Latvia.