A Sudbury hockey player has been selected to join Canada's men's hockey team for the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games, being held in South Korea, in the New Year. The games will take place toward the end of January.
Mateo Beites is a 15-year-old goaltender who said he is feeling fit and ready for the international action, but admitted he didn’t expect the call.
“At first I thought it was a dream for a second. And then I woke up and I'm like, ‘Holy crap! This is real! Gotta get ready’,” he said.
Beites was formerly a member of the U14 AAA Nickel City Sons. In 2022, he was a member of Sudbury Wolves U16 AAA in the Great North Midget League. Beites moved in the fall of 2023 to become part of the Junior Colts in Barrie.
It was just before Christmas that Hockey Canada revealed that Beites would be joining the youth Olympic Games roster, part of a group of eight players from the Ontario Hockey Federation.
Beites said he was pleased with the call up and added he is feeling ready for it.
“It's a new challenge, but I'm ready for it. I'm ready for anything, right? So I've trained all summer. I do my thing, and I’ve just got to go there and play my game. I'll be just fine.”
At this early stage, Beites has not met the full team yet, but he said he is pleased with the roster.
“Our team looks spectacular. To be honest. I've met a few of the players. They're great and I'm really looking forward to it,” he added.
Earlier in December, before the Hockey Canada announcement, Beites commented on the importance of maintaining his mental strength.
He added that he expects the experience will help him mature as a player.
“I think it will help me develop first of all, as a goaltender and for my career,” he said.
“It also makes me more mature as a person to kind of grow into that and see what's next with my hockey career. Like, I'm still 15. So I have a lot of learning to do.”
Hockey Canada said men’s hockey will take place Jan. 27-31 at the Gangneung Hockey Centre. Team Canada opens the Youth Olympic tournament against host South Korea on Jan. 27 at 6 a.m. ET (3 a.m. PT) and will play Finland on Jan. 29 at 6 a.m. ET (3 a.m. PT). Semifinals will be played on Jan. 30, with the medal games set for Jan. 31.
Len Gillis is a reporter at Sudbury.com.
