(922 words - first article! - edit : put it at the top so it's visible)

When you’re trying to establish yourself as a professional in a foreign country, the road is bound to be tumultuous and long. Markus Tegernako learned this lesson the hard way last week, when he went undrafted in the SMJHL. What other youngsters could see as a defeat, the Swiss goalkeeper took in stride, and looked to his options – which landed him in Lethbridge a few days later, just in time to arrive at the training camp with his new teammates. We were able to have a chat with the 18-year-old after his first training session.

At first glance, the Köniz native, who grew up to play his youth hockey in Bern and in the national system starting at the U15 level, is not an imposing sight. When nowadays, goalies are taller and bigger, Tegernako is a modest 184 cm (6 feet, for our American friends) and 84 kg (185 pounds). But what he lacks in size, he makes up for in positioning and reflexes, as his first few exercises with his new team have shown.

“I was never the biggest on the ice, but that always motivated me to gain every edge I could”, said Tegernako in a surprisingly good English. “In the summer, I practiced my reflexes with a tennis ball I would bounce on the wall, and my father was kind enough to spend for a few lessons with pro trainers. I now feel that my positioning and the flow of my style are good enough to get me far, but the road is only beginning.”

What really drove him to better himself for a chance at the SHL was a fortuitous encounter with SC Bern and Swiss legend, Marco Bührer, 2 years ago at the PostFinance Arena. “I watched him throughout my youth, and he was just the way I was – smaller in net, but always at the right place, at the right time. He was so quick to react to the opposing team’s chances… It made me feel like I had a shot, even if was smaller than everyone else. He’s a player I admire greatly, and to see him take an hour of his own time to chat with me of my style, my dreams and goals… It was surreal. Just the fact that he knew my name nearly brought me to tears! [laughter] I owe him my renewed determination to make it work in North America, because even if he never played there, he encouraged me to follow my own path, and to forget the nay-sayers, as he had when he was younger.”

Thankfully for him, he won’t be the only Swiss in the Albertan city this season. Fellow Swiss goalkeeper and national team backup Nolan McMahon will be the starter for the Lions after impressing the front office in his tenure as a rookie backup last year – something Tegernako will wish to repeat in the 49th season of the Junior league. Add to this the selection of rookie standout Luca Veccelli, his adversary at the U15 level turned teammate on the national team and abroad, and the Lethbridge locker room can be expected to hear a bit of romansh being spoken in passing.

“In all honesty, I didn’t expect to get an offer so quickly, and from this team”, Tegernako said candidly. “Nolan and Luca are such important players for our U20 program, that it feels awesome to be able to join them in the SMJHL this season. My first focus will be on my growth as a player, of course, but being able to witness my national teammates grow at the same time will be pretty exciting. It may also help us feel a little less homesick at times, too.”

In the meantime, the Lions are looking ahead towards the future. After a 7th place finish in the regular season last year, they were eliminated in the quarter-finals by the Anaheim Outlaws in the post-season. While this seems encouraging for a team that had seemingly lost its way a few years ago, their roster is now comprised of 12 rookies – the highest out of any team in the SMJHL. The task ahead may be daunting, but the rookie goalkeeper is staying level-headed.

“Obviously, we may look like underdogs from the outside, but I have full faith in our team. There are a lot of very talented players in the team, and they’re already pushing me to my limit, which is what you want out of your teammates. I can’t wait to see us on the ice this year and the next, and I hope to win a championship with this team. I had a conversation with Harry Carpet (e.d. last year’s starter), and he really sold me on the management team that is in place currently. And I want to reward their faith in me with a trophy, for sure.”

While it is good to see such drive and determination from the young man, every player that passes through the SMJHL has a dream of making it to the big leagues. With his eyes set on the dawning season, is there still a thought lingering about the 50th season draft in the SHL?

“Not right now! [laughter] Certainly, when the season is over, there will be speculation, and I will probably be thinking about it more often, but right now, it’s all about the Lions. I still have yet to find an apartment in Lethbridge! [laughter]”