Nicholas Walters left home at 13 to improve his hockey skill to impress Western Hockey League (WHL) scouts before the 2009 bantam draft.

"I just wanted to know how living away from home would be at a young age so it won't be as overwhelming if I have to do it when I'm older," said Walters.

The 14-year-old spent last year in Kelowna, B.C., attending the Pursuit of Excellence hockey program, which attracts players form around the world to work on developing their skating skills and personal team skills.

"I was on the ice every single day for two hours, plus weekends practicing basic thing like passing, shooting, skating and they all improved by just being on the ice," said Walters.

The school is run by David Roy who has worked for several NHL teams helping with the development of players skating skills. Currently, Roy is working with the Vancouver Canucks. Walters learned about the school through attending Roy's Edge of Excellence summer hockey camp for six seasons, which is held in either Kelowna or Winnipeg.

Walters is looking to bring his newly developed hockey and leadership skills to bantam triple-A St. Albert Sabres during the 2008-2009 hockey season when he mans the blue line.

With his fingers crossed that a WHL club will draft him next year, Walters wanted to return home to spend time with his parents and younger brother and to play hockey at the triple-A level.

The school only accepts about 80 students each year, so a player has to prove they deserve to be there and they can maintain a good academic average, since classes are only for three hours each day.

"At first it was a little bit different, because you have to learn how to live by yourself, but after a while it got [easier]," said Walters, "It's easier to make friends if you don't know people right off the bat."

He still keeps in touch with a friend from Michigan who became his best friend last year in Kelowna and helped him deal with the enormous responsibility that came with being on his own. Like WHL players, the students billet with families at the school, rather than living in a dormitory.

The Pursuit of Excellence 13 - to - 14 year - old boys wound up winning the regular season title in the Okanagan Minor Hockey Association league, but were ineligible for the playoffs since they represented a school, not a city.

A trip to St. Albert in January almost made up for missing the playoffs, but not quite.

"We came first in the league and then we came to St. Albert for the John Reid Memorial and we treated that like our playoffs," said Walters.

The 12-team tournament had the Pursuit of Excellence team struggle to a 1-3-1 record and being outscored 19-21 in the Iginla Pool. In their final game, against the eventual tournament champion Sherwood Park Flyers they were shutout 3-0.

Walters is looking forward to suiting up in St. Albert colours again - he played the 2006-07 season with the pee wee double-A junior Saints. He had an assist in his first game with the Sabres on Oct. 4 - originally he was supposed to play the weekend before, but their game with Camrose Kodiaks was postponed.

"I was kind of excited to get out here for my first time, since two years ago. I was kind of excited, but then I was bummed, but at least we got to practice," he said.

by Sheri Lamb - Saint City News

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