The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

SPORTS Visit insidehalton.com for more coverage OLYMPICS Olympics a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Goloubef Hockey Canada Images Oakville's Cody Goloubef signed a one-way American Hockey League contract in the summer to remain eligible for the Olympics. It paid off when he was named to the Canadian men's Olympic hockey team last week. Oakville defenceman named to Canadian men's hockey team HERB GARBUTT hga rb utt@b u rl i ngto n post, com Peter and Laura Golou- befs son is 28 years old. He's married and he and his wife are expecting their first child in April. It's been almost a decade since he moved out of their Oakville home. And yet they haven't got around to repainting his room. They've thought about it, but each time they do they see the writ­ ing on the wall. "It's kind of hidden away in a corner," Peter says, "I guess he didn't want us to get mad that he wrote on the wall." But there they are, the words Cody Goloubef scrawled on his bedroom wall as a kid: Make it to the NHL! And he did. For the past six seasons, the six-foot-one defence- man split his time between the NHL and the Ameri­ can Hockey League, play­ ing 129 games with the Co­ lumbus Blue Jackets and the Colorado Avalanche. He wants to play more. That's what made his decision this summer even tougher. Goloubef was of­ fered a two-way (NHL/ AHL) contract with the Calgary Flames' affiliate, the Stockton Heat. But with the NHL announcing it would not be sending players to the Olympics, Goloubef saw the chance to do something he never thought possible. With any player on a two-way contract ineligi­ ble for the Olympics, Go­ loubef signed a one-way AHL deal with Stockton, meaning he could not to be called up to the NHL. He was putting his childhood dream on hold for a chance at something that offered no guarantees. Goloubef was informed by Hockey Canada that he was on the long list of play­ ers being considered for Canada's Olympic team in September. It had already started the process of eval­ uating players a month earlier and would contin­ ue to do so over the course of five tournaments. The second-round pick of Columbus in the 2008 NHL draft wouldn't get his chance to pull on the Cana­ dian jersey until last month's Spengler Cup. But he'd already made an im­ pression with his play in Stockton. In addition to solid de­ fensive play, he was also enjoying a career offensive season. His 14 points in 29 games put him on pace for a career best since turning pro, and with six goals, he was just one shy of his ca­ reer high. At the Spengler Cup, Goloubef scored the win­ ning goal in a 5-2 semifinal win and Canada went on to blank the Swiss national team 3-0 in the champion­ ship game. Goloubef and his Canadian teammates received their gold medals under the wooden roof of Vaillant Arena, which brought back memories of the old Oakville Arena where he played as a kid. "If the season had ended there, I would have thought that was unbeliev­ able," Goloubef said. "Christmas time in the mountains. The event was incredible and the hockey was great." But it was about to get better. Goloubef grew up lis­ tening to his great uncle Dick Duff telling stories of the NHL and the Original Six era. That made the NHL seem a little more at­ tainable. The Olympics? As long as Goloubef can remember, they've fea­ tured NHL players (he was two the last time a team of non-NHL players compet­ ed). Goloubef has played on the world stage before, helping Canada win world junior gold in 2009. But even from that dominant team that went undefeated in the tournament, only three players have suited up for Canada in the Olym­ pics. "Maybe as a young kid you dream of it, but as you get older, you realize it's the elite of the elite. Only a few guys get to do that. It's more of a fantasy to be­ lieve you'll play in the Olympics." Nine days after the Spengler Cup, Goloubef got a call, "one I'll remem­ ber for a long time." It was general manager Sean Burke and the rest of the Canadian management team telling him he would be playing for Canada in Pyeongchang, South Ko­ rea. "It's bigger than just one team. Just being able to be a part of Hockey Can­ ada and Team Canada as a whole and rooting on mul­ tiple sports, it's going to be a once-in-a-lifetime oppor­ tunity," he said. Though there won't be any Crosbys or McDavids in Canada's lineup, Golou­ bef said hockey fans will be pleasantly surprised by the skill level on the Cana­ dian team, not to mention their hunger to win. It's quite possible Cana­ da's team in 2022 will again be stocked with the top NHL players. Goloubef and his teammates know this might be their only shot. "We have a chance for a gold medal," he said. That is all the incentive they need to bring their best on the world stage. It's enough to put his dreams on hold for a year. "For me, it was the right decision. The opportunity I'm getting now is so rare," Goloubef said. "It's not just hockey. The Olympics are something a select few get to experience. It was a bit ofa gamble, but it paid off." | O akville B eaver | Thursday, January 25, 2018 insidehalton.com SPORTS Visit insidehalton.com for more coverage OLYMPICS