It is an experience hockey players across the country dream about: wearing the red and white for Team Canada in international competition. For one member of the Weyburn Red Wings, the dream is becoming reality this week.

Devon Becker plays defence for the Red Wings. While the SJHL season doesn’t start until September, Becker is still staying active, as he is on Team Canada’s roster for the Maccabiah Games, which are being held in Israel.

The Maccabiah Games are held every four years. Called the “Jewish Olympics”, at first derisively by detractors, but now as a term of endearment by organizers, it sees 10,000 athletes from 80 countries competing in 47 different sports. One of those sports is hockey, which made its debut at the Maccabiah Games in 2013.

For the ice hockey events, there are three separate tournaments being played. The junior, which is for players 16-18 years old, the masters, which is for experienced players, and the open, which has the best a country has to offer in the sport. Becker is playing on the open squad.

Team Canada opens their tournament Wednesday when they play the United States. They skate against Germany on Sunday, Israel on next Wednesday, and Russia on Thursday. The tournament wraps up with the gold medal game on July 15th.