Page 16 - Washington Little Capitals Season Program 2016-17

TOP LEFT: Stephen Werner plays for Graz 99ers in the Austrian Hockey League. He
is starting his 5th season in Europe. TOP RIGHT: Nick Petersen plays for Eisbären
Berlin (Berlin Polar Bears) in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). LEFT: Paddy
Cullen with the Fife Flyers in the Britain's Elite Ice Hockey League.
?Being a Little Cap to me at the time was Hockey League (EIHL), where Cullen
like playing for the real Caps,? Werner plays for the Fife Flyers, while Fritsch
recalls. ?I was proud to put the jersey on of plays for the Braehead Clan ? both based in
my favorite team.? Scotland. Cullen played for the Little Caps
organization from pee wee major all the
Sixsmith agrees. ?My best memories of way through juniors with the Washington
being a Little Cap were the road trips. I Junior Nationals. ?The Little Caps when I
lived for those road trips!? he says. ?My was young was the one team you always
family and I still to this day reminisce wanted to be on,? Cullen recalls. ?I loved
about the days in the hotel in various cities; every second of playing for them too.?
when the parents would hang out at the bar
while the kids ran crazy around the hotel. I He says ?the highlight of my Little Caps
made lifelong friends playing for the Little career would be committing to RPI while
Caps and that's something I truly cherish.? playing in the Little Caps system. I always
thought that I needed to leave the area to
As Little Caps, Sixsmith and Werner played get seen, but with good showings at USA
together in Quebec Pee Wee tournament Hockey Selects camp and getting in contact
twice, in 1996 and again in 1997. ?Bubba with college coaches, I eventually was
and I stayed with the same host family and getting seen fairly regularly. Credit goes to
we still talk about that experience until this my dad for keeping me here because in the
day,? Werner recalls. Sixsmith says, ?We end it was the right move.?
were quite good the first year and we
played a few games in front of thousands of "I am still very much in contact with tons
fans, something I had only dreamed about of former Little Caps,? he says. ?I had a
doing as an 11 and 12 year old.? good group of teammates whom are all
Despite all his professional success, Werner Now they play in front of thousands of fans some of my best friends still to this day.
says, ?I would say some of my best every day. And they are not alone in There are about eight of us that have grown
memories as a hockey player were my forging successful careers on the other side up together and have played since mites or
Little Cap years. We really had a fun group of the Atlantic. Former Little Caps Paddy so and continue to talk and hang out.? One
of guys that stayed together for a few years, Cullen and Jaime Fritsch regularly face-off of those former teammates is Mike
and it?s great to see some of those guys like against each other in the British Elite Ice Clemente, who played in 2015-16 for the
Bubba still playing.? Rungsted Ice Hockey Club in Denmark.
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