A 21-year-old hockey player who was born and raised in Yellowknife is heading to the United States to play university hockey in the fall.

鈥淕rowing up, I always wanted to play hockey but never really had the opportunity,鈥� said Michael Iatridis.

He didn鈥檛 know how to skate until he was 10 years old. Until then, he learned some aspects of the game by following it online and on TV.

Iatridis, a defenceman who鈥檚 listed at 6鈥�1鈥�, 194 lbs, said he derived inspiration from watching Jordin Tootoo, a hockey player from Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. He also admired one of his cousins who grew up playing hockey and was really good at the sport.

鈥淚 always wanted to be like that, and he helped me out and getting ready for the first time skating,鈥� Iatridis recalled.

His cousin and neighbor would always play road hockey together, 鈥渟o I had the fundamentals of hockey, I just didn鈥檛 know how to skate,鈥� he said.

Iatridis convinced his parents to sign him up for a hockey tournament, thinking it was floor hockey, but it turned out to be on the ice.

鈥淚 felt embarrassed that I didn鈥檛 know how to (skate) so it was one of the few things that made me want to learn how to skate,鈥� he said.

He joined CanSkate in Yellowknife and played in the NWT capital for four years until he and his family moved to Edmonton.

He continued improving his skating in Alberta while suiting up for the St. Albert Raiders of the North American Hockey League. After advancing to the Junior A Superior International Junior Hockey鈥檚 Red Lake Miners and then the Junior A 黑料吃瓜网 Ontario Hockey League鈥檚 Cochrane Crunch, where he posted three points in 21 games this past season, he hit maximum junior hockey eligibility. That鈥檚 when the coach at Calvin University messaged him.

鈥淚t was something I can鈥檛 pass up on,鈥� he said.

Now Iatridis will be playing for the Calvin Knights in Grand Rapids, MI. The team is Division One in the American College Hockey Association.

As it鈥檚 college hockey, he will also be studying. He鈥檚 chosen to focus on kinesiology.

鈥淚鈥檝e always just been athletic鈥� it is my whole life. I just can鈥檛 see myself doing anything else,鈥� he said, adding that he鈥檇 like to be part of sports management or help people rehabilitate from injuries.

But first, 鈥淚 hope I could keep playing hockey for as long as I can,鈥� Iatridis said.

Playing in the NHL and making a living off of hockey is the ultimate dream.

鈥淏ut for now, just enjoying the next four years that I have to see where it goes,鈥� he said of his university years ahead.