Moving from a country where safaris are a part of daily life to a much colder environment where ice hockey is the most popular sport was part of a big cultural change for Dean and Kim, who grew up in South Africa.
When asked what they knew about ice hockey before they moved, they laughed: Kim said, “I knew nothing. Nothing! I didn't even know what offside was…I remember going to my first few Calgary Flames games and not being able to find the puck.”
Dean, on the other hand, played field hockey, so he figured he'd be more approachable. But after signing Harrison up for Timbits (Mini-Mites or Mites in the US) when he was about 4 or 5, Dean quickly realized he had a lot to learn. Harrison had always been athletic and bigger than most kids his age, and Kim says her son could kick a soccer ball on the swings as a toddler. “So he was always going to play sports,” Kim says. “He was a very mobile kid, you know? Sitting still is hard for him most of the time.”
Harrison quickly fell in love with ice hockey and showed natural talent, much to the delight of his parents. “Hockey is awesome,” Dean says. “I got introduced to it through that process, and now I think it's one of the greatest sports out there.”
Born in 2006, Harrison's journey coincided with the Penguins' captain becoming the face of the NHL. “When we first got here, Sid was just the guy, so naturally we were all into it,” Dean said. “The first time he scored a goal, he had Sherwood Crosby's stick and he was wearing a Pittsburgh uniform. That's my first memory of him scoring his first goal. I don't think he lifted the puck.” [laughs].”
Harrison grew up playing for the Glen Lake Minor Hockey Club before moving about seven hours from Calgary to be drafted by the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League, at which point Kim had not only gotten used to the early mornings and weekends of being a hockey parent, she also missed it.
“I love going to the rink, to practice, and watching his games,” she said. “I love it. Now I can't see him all the time, I can't watch all the games. I miss it. I miss the early mornings and the weekends. But he loves hockey. It's his life.”
Harrison's family traveled to Las Vegas to see his dream come true, and it was an emotional experience for all. “In South African terms, I'm just happy,” Dean said with a smile. “I'm just beyond happy just for him and all the hard work he's put in.”
“I kind of lost my breath and I kind of cried a little bit,” Kim said. “Plus, the Penguins are such an iconic team, you know? Sidney Crosby “Did he just call me? I'm like, get out! I'm really proud of him.”
