QUEBEC CITY -- The decision to have players from both teams line up arm-in-arm at center ice for the playing of the Ukrainian and United States national anthems was pre-planned in what stood as a symbol of unity and solidarity.
What no one anticipated was the spontaneous celebration that erupted among the 11- and 12-year-olds following the Ukrainian Selects' 3-1 victory at the International Peewee Hockey tournament on Saturday.
Rather than shuffle off the ice, members of the Boston Junior Bruins happily took part in a victory lap along with the Selects, which ended with the teams gathering again at center ice, where they posed for a picture with one player from each side holding up the ends of a large Ukrainian flag.