About the Project

March 9 - 20, 2005

Project: Portrait of a Hockey Player
Where: From Budapest to the Baltic Sea to Belgrade

"Why do you play?" we ask.

Passion for ice hockey is spread unevenly across Eastern Europe, reaching near-Canadian levels of obsession in some countries and barely registering in the popular imagination in others. Since the changes that swept the region in 1989, vowel-starved Czech and Slovak names have flooded the NHL's rosters, while neighbouring Hungary as yet has only three covered rinks. Tiny Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia were all part of the fearsome Soviet juggernaut that so menaced North American hockey, whereas on the other end of the continent, in war-weary Serbia and Montenegro, Canada's game remains a local curiosity at best. It's all a mixed bag, and over the next 11 days, Budapest residents Richard Adkin and Josey Walker will document an ambitious journey through these meccas and hinterlands of European hockey. From Hungary to the Baltic Sea to the heart of the Balkans, they'll interview hockey players both young and old, amateur and professional, all with an eye to learning: Why do they play?

Photographer and London, Ontario native Richard Adkin (Radkin Photography) is himself a mediocre hockey player, but ask him why he plays and he'll have a ready answer: it's in his blood. Wistful memories of frozen ponds and pucks lost in snow banks never fail to bring a tear to his eye, and living in Hungary has done little to dampen his enthusiasm for the sport. His Texan pal Josey Walker (Budapest Weekends) can't skate himself, but as a fanatical Auburn Tigers fan -- college football being to Americans what hockey is to Canadians -- Josey knows full well what a sport can mean to a community: getting friends and family together to talk about the big game, reminiscing about afternoons in the backyard and the neighbourhood kids from long, long ago.

The Odyssey

The 4,200km trip begins on Wednesday, March 9 in Budapest, driving north to Bratislava, Brno, Krakow, Warsaw, Vilnius, and Riga, culminating in a local game in Tallinn on Saturday (Think "Hockey Night in Estonia.") After that it's a long haul back to Budapest, and then on to Belgrade to participate in a hockey tournament as part of the Warszawa Canadians, which itself comprises Polish and expat Canadian players scattered across Central and Eastern Europe. Some true diehards will even be flying in all the way from the Great White North just to partake in the friendly 4-team tournament, all organised by Donald McLennan, Canadian Ambassador to Serbia & Montenegro.

The Belgrade Tournament

No slap shots, no body contact -- just a bunch of guys of varying levels of fitness chasing after pucks just for the sake of chasing after pucks. This is what hockey is all about, folks!

- Sean Jordan

The Radkin Team

Josey Walker - Guy 01
Me (Radkin) - Guy 02
Michele Vernet - Webmaster for Daily Postings
Trisha Adkin' - Radkin Representative in Canada
Melinda Hawkins - Radkin PR in Canada

Thank you for your support!

First and foremost, thank you to those who love the sport of hockey and to those who are dedicating their precious time to our hockey photo sessions and interviews.

Canadian Embassy in Serbia & Montenegro - Ambassador Donald McLennan
Drvene Nogice 2005 Hockey Tournament Organisers
B92 Television - Belgrade
Wade Penner - Get your Canadian flags here
Sean Jordan - Budapest
Tara Bedard - Budapest
Kitija Krumina - Riga
Canadian Embassy in Estonia - Evelin Kask
Canadian Embassy in Lithuania - Egle Aurkeviciene
Canadian Embassy in Hungary - Ambassador Robert Hage

Contact Us

Radkin - Radkin Photography
Josey Walker - Budapest Weekends