Estevan Bruins goaltender Joel Danyluk is heading to Europe.
He is not going to play in the Swedish Elite or the Russian Kontinental leagues. In fact, he won't be playing hockey at all. Danyluk was awarded the 2011 Contiki Tours SJHL Player of the Year, also sponsored by CAA Saskatchewan, as a player who routinely exemplifies leadership in the community.
Each SJHL team nominates one player. Danyluk was the recipient of the Bruins community award, and then wrote an essay for the league's award.
That essay will send him on an 11-day trip across Europe. He's going to be stretching that tour to 21 days on his own coin.
"I'm actually go to go on a 21-day trip," he said. "They gave me lots of coupons, so I'm paying about $1,000 for an $8,000 to $9,000 trip."
The trip is planned out by Contiki, and he will be travelling with a group of other 18 to 35-year-olds to everywhere from England to Austria, and most places in between.
When Danyluk found out he was nominated, he received a Contiki Tours package about what they would win.
"I had looked through it and I was going to book exactly the 11-day tour (if he didn't win). So I saved some money and (after I won) decided I might as well make it a 21-day trip and stay a little bit longer."
Danyluk had played in three communities-Estevan, Yorkton and La Ronge-and held down a full-time job, at which he is still working, in Estevan.
"I'm still in Estevan. I like it. I've met lots of good people, and I think I'm a good representative and ambassador for all three communities. That's what I'll be doing on the trip. I'll be representing the whole SJHL by wearing all three jerseys."
He said his involvement in the community has been a combination of different things, from working, school visits and helping with minor sports. He said getting involved in the community is why he plays hockey.
"That was why I play hockey, to be honest; to meet people and leave a good impression. Maybe it wasn't so much the hockey, but just getting involved and helping out in the community, that's what I love to do. That was my best experience with hockey, and I wanted to continue on with that every place I went."
Danyluk called the trip the "final cap" of his hockey career, before heading to school at the University of Regina in the fall and pursuing a new career in education.
