Gremlis Lielais about his first days at Mississauga

[Anomalijs 29]

As the plane that i was on landed at the Pearson International Airport, my heart was racing, i was so excited to meet everybody. It was a new page to my hockey career. As i stepped off the plane i felt a cool Canadien breeze, it was super weird, i have never felt this way since it is my first time in Canada. I was greeted by the GM at the airport.

As i drove trough the streets of Mississauga i knew that this is gonna be the best place to persuit my dreams. It seemed like the perfect placeplace for me.

 

The next day i drove to the rink dressed up my gear and laced my skates. I met 
all of my teammates and had my first practice. When i oppened the front  doors everybody greeted me, it was great, everyone was super polite. In Latvia i never had this, most people are  always grumpy and inpolite there. I like it betterhere.

 

When i stepped on the ice everyone gave me tips and encouraged me, at that moment i understood the Missisauga hockey community is as passioned and suporrtive as i hoped. It was akward at first, but everyone was talking to me, trying to get to know me so it wasnt that bad.

 

 

After practice i spent  some time exploring the city. It's very vibrant here. Each neighbourhood with its own unique charm. The cultural scene captivated me. I attended a concert, went to a restourant. And i made some friends already.

 

About the team. I havent done much research about history so i don't know much. All i know is i like the team colours, the staff, and ofcourse my teammates.

 

The time i will be spending here, i will do my best i promise. I will work on my goals and ofcourse the dream - the VHL I hope i can contribute and progress well too. But i guess we will see that in the future. 
Off the ice, i have devoted my self to physical conditioning. I have pushed my body to the limits these past few days, i have been sweating through intense workouts that build strenght, endurance. I have worked on my agility aswell since i like to skate quick and fight my way towards the net.
In addition i have started to work on my mental aspect, i will sharpen my mental game. I have engaged in sports psychology lessons, i am learning techniques to enhance focus, concentration, and reisilience in high pressure situations.

 

My favorite club growing up was Riga, it still is. After the Hounds of course haha. It would be nice to play there some day, it has been a big inspiration for me since it is my home country club.

Anyways i'm really looking forward for the first game of the season. I will work really hard in this last period of the offseason and hopefully it will pay off. Its been very different these past few days, but surely i am gonna get used to this and everythings gonna be alright.

Edit: Sorry for bad English. In some spots i used translate
 

Edited June 12, 2023 by Anomalijs