Late this past summer, Jeff Gibb told himself he wanted see Europe by the next summer. The problem was, he wasn’t quite sure how.
Hockey punched his ticket for him.
Gibb, an all-Pac-8 Conference defenseman on Oregon’s club ice hockey team, recently returned from playing five games in Europe from Dec. 29 to Jan. 2 as part of the American Collegiate Hockey Association’s inaugural Division II Select team. The pool of players eligible for the honor was massive: Oregon is one of 350 teams – with roughly 8,000 total players – in the ACHA’s second division.
“Everybody said that it was going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and that’s exactly what it was,” Gibb said. “I got to see Europe for the first time actually, and I got to see it playing hockey.”
Gibb was named to the 26-man team in August, along with six other players from the Western region, including Colorado State’s Jordan Stover, who Gibb and the Ducks will face this upcoming weekend in Colorado.
The team of American and Canadian players won all five games during their trip that took the players through Switzerland, Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic. The players quickly discovered the games were as much a clash of hockey styles as culture. North American players traditionally play a more physical, defensive style of hockey on an 85-by-200 foot rink, while the European players utilize the space of their 100-by-200 foot rink to their advantages in scoring and more wide-open style of play.
“We set out to make it a clash of the styles, and it was apparent immediately that they don’t like to get hit,” Gibb said. “It was definitely an adjustment for everybody.”
Despite, outscoring their opponents by a combined score of 33-11, the games were competitive, a 15-0 blowout notwithstanding. The perfect record was a testament to the team’s quick cohesion – head coach Paul Lowden’s team had practiced all of two days in Albany, N.Y., before competition. Lowden wasn’t lacking for leaders, though. At one of the first team meetings in Albany, Lowden asked how many players were captains on their own club teams, and 20 of the 26 raised their hands.
The trip also gave several players, including Gibb, the idea of playing in Europe’s semi-pro leagues after graduation. Several of the select coaches, who played in Europe themselves, made it a point to show the players the possibilities.
“One of the goals for the trip was trying to place some players over there,” Gibb said. “It’s tough but (playing in Europe) is definitely something people are considering after this trip. I’m considering it, it would be cool.”
Gibb’s highlight of the trip was playing against EHC Bregenzerwald in Austria, whose rink was outdoors, settled 4,000 feet up in the Alps. Besides the altitude adjustment, the players experienced snow flurries during the game, as well.
“It was probably the coolest hockey experience I have ever had,” wrote Gibb in his weekly e-mail updates.
Gibb and the rest of the Oregon team now turn their attention to the final half of the season, starting with Friday’s game against Colorado in Boulder. They’ll finish arguably the hardest weekend on the entire schedule with games against Colorado State on Saturday and Denver University on Sunday.
Before leaving for Albany, Gibb talked to Oregon head coach Scott McCallum about what to expect on the trip. McCallum has guided his squad to a 12-3-1 record in the first half of the season, and a 4.5 point lead in first place in the Pac-8.
“We just kind of talked about the different styles, and the big ice surface is really nice for the forwards but a nightmare for defensemen,” Gibb said. “His final parting words were, ‘Go over there and represent.’”
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