Team Jamaica at Latam Cup hockey tournament to Nanaimo's Donovan Tait (Jamaican Olympic Ice Hockey Federation)

By Dan Marshall

Cool Runnings

Jamaican hockey getting a helping hand from Nanaimo coach

Jun 28, 2019 | 8:32 AM

NANAIMO – A Nanaimo coach will travel to warmer climates to help the fledgling Jamaican hockey team.

VIU Mariners assistant coach and Nanaimo RCMP member Donovan Tait will be on the Jamaican team when they travel to Florida for the Amerigol Latam Cup in roughly two months.

It’s still unclear if the 49-year-old coach will be on the bench, the ice or both.

“I’ve been asked by the coaching staff to play,” Tait said. “I’m hoping I can be more of a coach than a player but if I can get on the ice I’m certainly happy to do that. We’ll see how many players we can actually get down there who can get time off from their college, junior or pro teams.”

Tait was born to Jamaican parents in B.C. and holds dual citizenship. He’s already coached Jamaica’s under 20 program and helped athletes reach the junior leagues.

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He’ll be well prepared if called to suit up. Tait’s a regular player in Nanaimo’s over-45 league and the RCMP detachment team.

Playing at the Latam Cup is a significant milestone for the Jamaican team, who recently joined the International Ice Hockey Federation as an associate member.

Full membership won’t happen until the country’s first arena is built, which has been ongoing for several years.

Jamaicans are known for cricket, track and field, soccer and the story of the country’s first-ever bobsled team in the 1988 Olympics in Calgary.

The bobsled team actually inspired a movie which came out in 1993 called Cool Runnings.

Tait said he believes a grassroots hockey league would be a success on the island as well.

“Everyone knows the bobsled team but Jamaica’s now excelling in lacrosse, speed skating (and) they’ve got a very good floor hockey program down there.” _{Donovan Tait}

He said he’d love for his kids to have the option of playing hockey for Team Canada or Team Jamaica.

“I am a proud Canadian first and foremost, but the opportunity to play international hockey for your other country is a real treat. It opens another door for my kids who are also Jamaican citizens.”

dan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @danmarshall77