Corner Brook -
Jeremy Bishop sure knows how to make a good first impression.
The Grand Falls-Windsor native did just that at the recent 2009 World Ball Hockey Championship in Pilsen, Czech Republic. Despite playing in his first tournament as a member of Team Canada, Bishop lit it up, finishing first on his team in scoring and third in the tournament with 12 points (5G, 7A).
It was a performance which impressed his teammates and coaches so much that he has already been invited to suit up for the Montreal Black Knights at the A nationals in Winnipeg later this summer and may have earned himself another trip overseas.
"They pretty much guaranteed me a spot in 2011 in Bratislava, Slovakia," Bishop told The Western Star. "They were real pleased with the way I played. I went over as just a spare and after the first couple of games I worked my way in and was playing with the two best guys from Canada."
Those players would be Team Canada veterans Sandro Morello and Martin Fechette, linemates with the powerful Montreal Red Lite and players Bishop was clearly happy to have found chemistry with.
"You're playing with two of the best flying Frenchmen in the game," he said. "For me it was just an absolute honour to play with them. It blew my expectations away, I didn't expect to do as well as I did. I just put my mind to earning a spot and at the end of the day, they said it was a pleasure playing with me."
Bishop feels having Corner Brook Royals teammate Terry Ryan in the Czech Republic made it easier for him to ease his way into the team.
"Terry was my roommate," he said. "Terry was the assistant captain and he was going for his third gold medal. He introduced me to all the guys on the team and it's just like going into any hockey room. To meet so many people from different cultures, all from the same country, it was just an honour to be in the same room as some of them."
Despite playing as well as he did, the tournament ended in disappointment for Bishop and his squad. Canada cruised into the quarterfinals after outscoring the opposition 47-10 yet lost to the United States 5-4 in overtime, a game Bishop did his best to secure for Canada by scoring the tying goal and setting up the go-ahead goal in the last two minutes of play only to see the Americans tie the game 4-4 on a power-play goal with just 30 seconds to play.
The defeat ended Canada's run of four-straight gold medals and was just the second time Canada had lost a game in 10 years.
Bishop felt the club was guilty of a little overconfidence and may have taken the Americans lightly.
In addition to the loss, Bishop suffered a knee injury the following game against Portugal, one which will likely have him on the shelf for the rest of this summer.
He admits falling short of the gold medal has him hungry for another shot in two years time.
"To have it within reach and have it snatched away like that, I want it so bad," he said. "It's just like wanting the Herder, it's the Stanley Cup of ball hockey. It's the best you can get. You're playing for your country at the highest level and you're expected to win. It was disappointing and a bitter pill to swallow ... but we'll get it in 2011."