WALKER, Michigan — As the clock strikes 5 p.m. at the Walker Ice and Fitness Center, dozens of children take to the ice, decked out in hockey gear. As they take a knee, all eyes are on their coach, Mike Fountain.
"When I started 10 years ago, I was teaching kids to learn to skate, learn to play hockey, and now they're graduating high school. They're playing college hockey," Fountain said.
There are few people in West Michigan better equipped to teach those kids hockey. Fountain has an impressive 17-year professional playing resume which includes stops in the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes, and Ottawa Senators.
"I played locally with the Grand Rapids Griffins, which ultimately got me to the area," said Fountain, who called Van Andel Arena his home ice from 1999 to 2001.
During his playing days, Fountain represented Team Canada in international play. Now the Toronto area native has a chance to do it again as a coach.
"Four years ago, a good friend of mine who's the manager of the men's Canadian para hockey team reached out. They needed a goalie coach on short notice," he said.
"I went to Calgary and helped them out in a selection camp to make the team and hit it off with the players and the coaches. And four years later, we have this opportunity to go to Beijing, China."
Fountain says he's impressed by the players on this year's team.
"These are the best para athletes in the country, and a lot of these guys got there from some traumatic situations, some things from birth, and just the way they persevered in life, and to get this opportunity to represent their country, just to be a part of it as a coach is a huge honor," he said.
Next week, Fountain will fly out to China where he'll be quarantined in the "team bubble." Assuming he stays healthy, he'll leave for Beijing on February 25.
"I'm just really looking forward to being on that ice at the end of the game at a medal ceremony. And I really hope it's going to be gold. That's what we're shooting for," he said.
To get that gold medal, Team Canada will likely have to go through Team USA at some point. But Fountain says he'll be ready to take on the stars and stripes.
"I am a dual citizen. I have 11 year old twin boys and they're American. I'm definitely Canadian, born and bred, very proud, and so we're definitely playing to win, but it's kind of a neat situation being a dual citizen. But make no doubt about it. I'll be I'll be pulling for Canada."
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