In certain ways, Gävle and Stockholm, Sweden felt like home for Andrew McKim and his Team Canada teammates at the 1995 IIHF World Championship.

“The crowd was amazing,” recalls McKim. “The host team, of course, receives the most support, but everybody’s second favourite team is Canada, so we have always received tremendous support wherever we go in the world.”

McKim received the invitation to don the Maple Leaf because there was a need for a player who could provide a steady offensive punch.

The native of Saint John, N.B., delivered: he led all skaters with 13 points to lead Canada to bronze.

“It was a great experience,” says McKim. “It is always an honour to get the call to represent your country. I have had the opportunity to play for Canada six times.”

Those six international competitions include the 1986 Quebec Esso Cup (now known as the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge) as a member of Team Atlantic, an under-18 tournament at Colorado Springs in 1988, the Spengler Cup in 1996 and 1999 and the Deutschland Cup in 1996.

After retiring in 2001 as a member of the ZSC Lions in Switzerland, McKim settled down in St. John’s, N.L. The East Coast was a natural place to call home after his career; he fell in love with the province where he suited up for the St. John’s Maple Leafs during the 1991-92 season.

A mutual friend connected McKim with physical education teacher and former senior hockey player Randy Pearcy. The two joined forces in 2002 to establish Xtreme Hockey, a company driven to “develop hockey players and help them reach their maximum potential both on and off the ice.”

Power skating and puck skills sessions, goaltending seminars and competition opportunities are a few of the services offered by a company that has grown from 35-40 participants to over 500, including NHLers Teddy Purcell, Ryan Clowe and Colin Greening.

A philosophy has guided McKim in his years with Xtreme Hockey.

“For me, working with the four-year-olds who are just learning to skate is just as satisfying as working with the draft-eligible prospects.”

He stresses his team is just as fixated with developing the person off the ice, as many students “will achieve their greatest successes outside the game.”

Exciting days lie ahead for McKim. Former Xtreme pupil Alex Newhook was the 16th pick by the Colorado Avalanche at the 2019 NHL Draft, and McKim says multiple female students could challenge for spots in Canada’s National Women’s Program very soon.

An opportunity to rekindle memories of his Spengler Cup days is potentially on the horizon, too. The 48-year-old is engaging in discussions with multiple alumni to explore the possibility of arranging a tour of tournament alumni that will either attend the 2019 or 2020 edition of the competition.

Until that opportunity materializes, McKim is very content in his current role helping Newfoundland and Labrador increase its imprint on the country’s favourite game.