Teen to play for Canada at U19 World Floorball Championships in Zurich, Switzerland
Tate Thiessen will be on defence at the 16-nation tournament April 29-May 4
Manor Park will be represented on the world stage later this spring.
Life-long resident Tate Thiessen has been named a member of Canada’s U19 floorball team and will participate in the upcoming 16-team World Championships in Zurich, Switzerland, held from April 29 to May 4.
The local high school student, who turns 18 this month, says he’s excited to don the Team Canada uniform and join teammates overseas.
“It definitely is (exciting),” he told the Chronicle in a recent interview. “It’s nice to be able to represent the country.”
The son of Jeffrey and Jennifer Thiessen, who’s serving as a Manor Park rink attendant this winter, says he’s been playing the sport, a fast-flowing and safer version of floor hockey, since he was four or five years old. It was his father who enrolled him in the Manor Park program more than a decade ago.
“I’ve been playing ever since,” he said.
Similar rules
Certain rules of the sport are similar to like those in ice hockey/floor hockey/ball hockey. There are five players and one goalie on the gym floor at any one time. Players use specially-designed lightweight sticks to fire the ball into the opposing team’s net. The team to score the most goals in a 60-minute game is the winner.
But floorball has key differences as well, designed to keep the players safe. Neither body nor stick-to-stick contact is allowed. Players must keep the ball below the knees and the stick below the waist. Hitting or lifting the opponent’s stick is penalized.
“You have to intercept the ball or get it cleanly,” Thiessen explained.
To keep games constantly moving, there’s no offside or icing.
Thiessen, who’s also played minor hockey in Ottawa East for much of his life, says the pace of the sport is what appeals to him.
“It’s how fast the games are and how smooth everything goes,” that makes it fun.
On defence
Thiessen plays locally with the Ottawa Blizzard Floorball Club. He will be on defence when Canada takes to the court for its first round-robin game on April 29 against Germany. The team is also in a division with European Qualifier 2 (still to be determined as of press deadline) and Singapore. Thiessen remains realistic about the team’s chances.
“Usually, we’re one of the weaker teams, but you never know,” he said. “We definitely compete with every team we play.”
Canada failed to qualify for the 2023 championship, but a series of wins over rival USA during qualification in August, 2024 helped to book their entry as the North American representative in 2025.
Team Canada, he says, is comprised of players scouted from across the country. In addition, one of his teammates currently lives in Sweden, another in Switzerland.
Seeks sponsors
Thiessen says he’ll fly out to Zurich with the team the week before to prepare for the championship. In the meantime, he says he’s actively seeking local financial support to help with some of the costs.
In a letter to prospective sponsors, Canadian head coach Matt Smith notes the “expected cost for each player is approximately $4,000.
“Your support will directly benefit the athletes and provide them with the opportunity to compete at the highest level.”
There are two ways to contribute to Tate Thiessen’s participation in this world championship tournament, according to Smith. Write a cheque payable to Floorball Canada U19 Men’s Team and send it to Floorball Canada, 330 Metcalfe St., Ottawa, ON, K2P 1S4, or, send an e-Transfer to General Manager Jennifer McKay: Jenn.mckay@floorballcanada.org.
“This is a unique and exciting opportunity for the athletes to represent Canada on the world stage,” says Smith.