Hockey Provides International Experience For Sabia

By Andy Hutchison

Hockey players are accustomed to venturing out of town to skate (Danbury Ice Arena is the home rink for Newtown’s hockey programs, and Connecticut players find themselves in any number of towns throughout the state for games).

But there’s trekking to Danbury, Stamford, and Wallingford … and then there’s traveling to Canada, Iceland, and Sweden.

Newtown’s Matthew Sabia, a 13-year-old, is getting to be a part of these out-of-the-country hockey opportunities.

Sabia, a defenseman on the Stamford-based Mid Fairfield Blues and a seventh-grader at Newtown Middle School, was selected by the New York Rangers Pee Wee Hockey Club (the Junior Rangers) and by the International Selects Program’s East Coast Selects Team this winter season.

The Newtown seventh-grader and his teammates were recognized at Madison Square Garden in New York City when the Junior Rangers were formally announced between periods of a New York Rangers game back in November. That kicked off an exciting season of travel, adventure and, of course, ice time.

Sabia was one of 20 local skaters on the Rangers who got to go to Quebec to compete against teams from not only the states and Canada, but a variety of countries in the Quebec Pee Wee International Tournament in late February. The team was coached by Mark Messier (a New York Rangers Stanley Cup winner and Hall of Famer), his father Doug Messier (also a former pro), and Tomaz Piatek (of the Mid Fairfield program).

In addition to playing great hockey, Sabia and his teammates have an opportunity to experience different cultures. In April, the East Coast Select players will head to Reykjavik, Iceland, for development training at the Selects Hockey International Training Center. Then, they will go to Stockholm, Sweden, to participate in another tournament.

“You’re seeing all the sites and you’re with your friends,” Sabia said of the opportunity to travel.

The Newtown seventh-grader first started playing travel hockey in Danbury a half-dozen years ago. He says the excitement of being out on the ice gives him a lot of adrenaline, which keeps him lacing up the skates and playing the sport he loves.