齊雪婷（中）曾參加過九屆女子冰球世錦賽，她希望能再參加2022年的北京冬奧會。圖：照片:MATTHEW MANOR
Canadian fans still smile nostalgically whenever their nation's double gold-medal performance in men's and women's hockey at the 2010 Olympics on home ice comes up. Even though China finished seventh out of eight women's teams in Vancouver, defender Xueting Qi has her own fond memories of her first and only Olympics.
每當加拿大球迷想起他們國家在2010年溫哥華冬奧會主場上贏得男子和女子冰球雙料冠軍時，他們都面帶微笑，回味不已。而儘管中國隊在溫哥華冬奧會八支女子冰球決賽隊伍裡最終排名第七，其後衛齊雪婷卻仍對這次奧運參賽經歷有著美好回憶，這是她生平第一次也是目前唯一一次參加奧運會。
冰球知識點1：2010年溫哥華冬奧會女子冰球項目最終排名如下：第一名加拿大，第二名美國，第三名芬蘭，第四名瑞典，第五名瑞士，第六名俄羅斯，第七名中國，第八名斯洛伐克。中國男子冰球隊未獲參賽資格。
冰球知識點2：中國女子冰球隊曾經是世界女子冰壇的一支強隊，最好成績的記錄如下：1998年長野冬奧會獲得女子冰球項目第四名，1994年和1997年兩次女子冰球世錦賽第四名，1996年和1999年兩次亞冬會女子冰球項目冠軍。
“Wow, that was a really big party for me!” Qi, 33, told IIHF.com. “When I came to the Olympic Village, every day I would go out for a walk. The fans were really passionate. Whenever we walked on the streets, some people would come to us and say: ‘Are you athletes?' We'd say, ‘Yes.' ‘What sport?' When we said, ‘Ice hockey,' then they really, really loved it! Also, when we played games, most of the fans cheered for us. Everything for me was new. It was the first time. So I really enjoyed that.”
“哇哦，對我來說那真是一場盛宴！”33歲的齊雪婷在接受國際冰聯官網採訪時說道：“到奧運村之後，我每天都會出去散步。那裡的體育迷都非常熱情，無論什麼時候我們走上街頭，都會有人過來問：“你們是運動員嗎?”我們說是的。“哪項運動？”當我們回答說‘冰球’時，他們真的都高興壞了！而且，當我們打比賽時，絕大多數球迷都會為我們歡呼。對我來說這一切都是新鮮的，那是我人生的第一次，我真的很享受。”
Daily star sightings were also on the menu in British Columbia's biggest city for Qi.
在這個加拿大不列顛哥倫比亞省最大的城市溫哥華，每日見到冰球明星也是齊雪婷的日常。
“When we ate together, I was really close to some NHL stars like Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin. That was the first time we were really close to them. To see them, we felt really good. Also, we traded a lot of pins!”
“當我們聚餐時，我曾非常靠近一些NHL明星，比如希尼·克羅斯比和亞歷山大·奧維奇金，那是我們頭一次真正近距離接觸到。能見到他們感覺特別棒，而且我們還交換了很多別針紀念章!”
More than 10 years later, Qi has pinned her hopes on making the Olympic team again so that she can compete on home ice in Beijing in 2022. Nicknamed “Snow” by her international pro teammates with the Shenzhen KRS Vanke Rays, the Harbin native is one of several 2010 alumni who made a comeback last season to chase her Winter Games dreams.
十年之後，齊雪婷期待再次入選中國奧運代表隊，這樣她就可以在2022年北京冬奧會上打主場比賽。為了追逐她的奧運夢想，這位哈爾濱姑娘隨著當年國家隊同僚的腳步，加盟深圳崑崙鴻星萬科陽光女子冰球隊，從上一賽季重返賽場。在同一職業隊效力的外國隊友都親切地稱呼她為“雪”。
冰球知識點3：從2017年開始，深圳崑崙鴻星隊和萬科陽光隊這兩支中國俱樂部隊伍開始征戰加拿大女子冰球聯賽（CWHL），隊員由中國國家女子冰球隊隊員與高水平外籍球員組成。2018年，兩支俱樂部隊合併為深圳崑崙鴻星萬科陽光隊。
Qi hadn't played since the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship Division I Group B tournament, where the hosts came third in Beijing. However, she didn't miss a beat after spending the previous two seasons as an assistant coach with the women's U18 program.
齊雪婷自從在2015年女子冰球世錦賽B組比賽之後就再也沒有打過比賽，當時她所在的中國隊在主場北京獲得了第三名。然而她並沒有遠離賽場，而是在女冰U18青年隊中做了兩個賽季的助理教練。
齊雪婷(左二)最後一次代表中國隊出戰是在2015年世界女子冰球世界錦標賽B組的北京主場上
The right-shooting blueliner, who wears #55, earned a goal and 12 assists in 27 regular season games with the star-studded Rays. The club, based in Shenzhen in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, was competing in its first season in the Russian Women's Hockey League (WHL) under new coach Brian Idalski (ex-University of North Dakota).
在眾星雲集的陽光隊中，這位身著55號球衣的左手杆後衛在27場常規賽中獲得了一個進球，12次助攻。該隊所屬俱樂部位於廣東深圳。她們在新任教練布萊恩•伊達爾斯基的指導下參加了俄羅斯女子冰球聯盟（WHL）第一個賽季的比賽。伊達爾斯基曾執教於北達科他州大學。
“I think after my coaching experience, I'm more clear in my head,” Qi said. “I can read the situation better. Before I was a coach, I always thought about myself – my position, my situation. But after coaching, I can think about the whole team, the whole situation. It's easier to understand what the coach says, and I can help the coach help the players.”
“當我有教練經驗之後，我感覺自己的頭腦更清晰了，”齊雪婷說：“我能更好地理解形勢。在當教練之前，我總是隻考慮自己——我的位置、我的處境。但執教之後，我考慮的是整個團隊、整體情況。這樣更容易理解教練所說的話，我還能協助教練去幫助球員。”
Impressively, “Snow” captained her team to the WHL championship. Despite spending weeks on the road due to the COVID-19 outbreak that hit China earlier than Russia, the Rays swept host Agidel Ufa in three straight games in the final in March. It was an upgrade over the club's experience in the now-defunct Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL), where they lost the 2018 final in overtime to the Markham Thunder on Laura Stacey's goal.
令人印象深刻的是，身為隊長的“雪”帶領她的隊伍獲得了WHL冠軍。儘管崑崙鴻星萬科陽光隊由於中國比俄羅斯更早爆發新冠疫情而一直漂泊在客場，但在三月份的決賽中連續三場橫掃東道主俄羅斯烏法隊，贏得了聯盟冠軍。這是對該俱樂部的加拿大女子冰球聯賽（CWHL）征程的一次升級——在2018年CWHL決賽的加時賽中，由於勞拉·斯泰茜的一粒進球，崑崙鴻星隊最終惜敗加拿大萬錦迅雷隊。
冰球知識點4：加拿大女子冰球聯賽（Canadian Women's Hockey League，簡稱CWHL）成立於2007年，曾為北美兩個頂級女子冰球聯賽之一。另一個是美國國家女子冰球聯盟（National Women's Hockey League，簡稱NWHL）。中國曾組隊參加了2017年、2018年最後兩個賽季。但由於財務問題，CWHL方面表示這種商業模式在經濟上並沒有可持續性，無法維持聯盟正常運作，已在2019年5月1日起停止運營。
獲得俄羅斯女子冰球聯賽冠軍後，齊雪婷和隊友們在更衣室裡慶祝勝利 圖：SVETLANA SADYKOVA / WHL
“For me, it's amazing memories and a really great experience,” Qi said. “Before, we didn't have a professional league like this. This year, we became champions and we celebrated in the dressing room. Also, during the season, we had the All-Star Game [in Moscow on 12 January]. All those things for me were really awesome. I felt the system in this league is really good. You can play younger players against more experienced players. In China, we don't have that. It was really excellent.”
“對我而言，這是一段美妙的回憶，也是一次很棒的經歷，”齊雪婷說：“我們以前沒有這樣的職業聯賽，今年我們成了這個聯賽冠軍，在更衣室裡慶祝勝利。在這個賽季我們還有全明星賽(1月12日在莫斯科舉行)。所有這些對我來說都非常棒。我覺得這個聯盟的體系真的不錯，能夠讓年輕球員去和有經驗的球員打比賽，在中國還沒有這個。這真是太棒了。”
On 19 September, the new WHL season kicks off with a rematch between Agidel Ufa and the Rays, who will be based in the Moscow area this season same as the men's team in the KHL. Naturally, the coronavirus situation injects uncertainty into everyone's plans. For Qi, relying on her mother's strength and wisdom is particularly valuable in these strange times.
9月19日，新的WHL賽季將在烏法隊和陽光隊的比賽中開始，陽光隊本賽季將和大陸冰球聯盟（KHL）的男子冰球隊一樣在莫斯科地區進行比賽。自然，新冠病毒疫情給每個人的計劃帶來了不確定性。對於齊雪婷來說，在這樣不尋常的日子裡，來自母親的力量和智慧顯得尤為珍貴。
“My mom always supports me,” Qi said. “At the beginning, she didn't really like me playing ice hockey. But when I played sports in school, she was just 100 percent for me. In China, she's always with me, watching me play games, even in different cities. Sometimes when I was confused or something came up that I couldn't handle, she always stood on my side and communicated with me. She always gave me advice and helped me to make some great decisions.”
“我媽媽永遠支持我。”齊雪婷說：“最初她並不想我打冰球，但當我在學校開始打球后，她卻百分之百做我後盾；在國內時，即使是在不同的城市，她也總是陪伴著我，看我打球；當我感到困惑或者有什麼事情處理不了時，她總是站在我的角度同我溝通；面對重大決定時，她總是會給我建議和幫助。”
Qi also appreciates the professionalism of Rays teammates like Finnish goalie Noora Raty, a four-time Olympian, and 2020 WHL scoring champion Alex Carpenter, who signed a one-year deal in early August to return to the KRS organization for a fourth straight season. And Qi doesn't hesitate when asked to name her Chinese hockey role models.
齊雪婷也很欣賞隊友們的專業度，比如參加過四次奧運會的芬蘭守門員諾拉·拉蒂，以及WHL2020年度得分冠軍阿歷克斯·卡彭特。卡彭特在8月初簽了一年的合同，將開始她在崑崙鴻星的第四個賽季。當問及她在中國的冰球榜樣名字時，齊雪婷毫不猶豫地說：
“My former captain [Linuo Wang]. She's seven years older than me. She wore number 19 when she played on the national team. She played at the 2002 Olympic Games and the 2010 Olympic Games. And number 14 [Rui Sun]. When she retired, she also became one of my coaches.”
“我的前任隊長（王莉諾），比我大七歲，在國家隊時穿19號球衣。她參加了2002年和2010年奧運會。還有14號（孫銳），退役後她也成了我的教練之一。”
Qi gained valuable experience from her five top-level Women's Worlds between 2004 and 2009. Interestingly, her tournament debut came in 2004 in Halifax. The hockey-crazed Nova Scotia capital will co-host the 2021 Women's Worlds with Truro. Those two cities were originally supposed to host this year's tournament, but the pandemic unfortunately led to its cancellation.
從2004年到2009年，齊雪婷在五屆女冰世錦賽中獲得了寶貴的經驗。有趣的是，她的首次世錦賽亮相是2004年在哈利法克斯市。而作為對冰球狂熱的加拿大新斯科舍省的首府，哈利法克斯將與其同省的特魯羅市共同舉辦2021年冰球世錦賽女子頂級組比賽。這兩個城市原本應該今年舉辦世錦賽，但因疫情影響而取消了比賽。
Hockey has helped Qi hone her English language skills: “I learned mainly just from coaches. We've had maybe more than 10 foreign coaches.” With the national team, she got opportunities to practice English while travelling and competing in Finland and Canada in the mid-2000s.
冰球幫助齊雪婷磨鍊了她的英語技能：“我主要是從教練那兒學英語，我們有10多位外國教練。”2000至2010年中期她進國家隊在芬蘭和加拿大打巡迴賽，有不少機會練習英語。
Last season in Shenzhen, the Rays frequently attracted home crowds of more than 3,000. The Chinese Olympic team will hope to attract even bigger audiences to Beijing's renovated Wukesong Arena during the 2022 Olympics.
上個賽季，陽光隊在深圳經常能吸引到超過3000名以上的主場觀眾。中國奧運代表隊有望在2022年奧運會期間吸引到更多的觀眾，前來翻新過的五棵松體育館觀看比賽。
The whole world has a lot of work to do before China can host its first Winter Games. Qi doesn't know whether she'll get to see Crosby and Ovechkin again in person. The final makeup of the Chinese Olympic team – which will include naturalized North American players of Chinese heritage as well as domestic-born and trained talent – remains unclear.
在中國舉辦其第一屆冬奧會之前，全世界還有很多工作要做。齊雪婷不知道她是否還能再親眼見到克羅斯比和奧維奇金。中國奧運代表隊的最終陣容——據說將包括歸化的北美華裔球員和本土出身的球員——還未確定。
So “Snow” will simply train hard and play hard as the countdown continues. She always reminds herself about the three reasons behind her comeback as a player.
所以“雪”只是在冬奧倒計時中刻苦訓練、奮力比賽。她總在提醒著自己，為什麼要以運動員身份復出，有以下這三點原因。
“First, I love hockey. It doesn't matter how old I am. I really like to play during the games. So I can feel the passion. I enjoy being with my teammates, playing together. Second, in China, we have more younger players now. I want to show them:'If you love hockey, you have to play.' Some of them think about other things. Third, I think if I can play, maybe it's more helpful. I can teach other players when I'm a coach, but sometimes, maybe it's better to teach as a player. That's why I came back.”
“首先，我熱愛冰球。這跟我的年齡多大沒關係，我真的很喜歡上場打比賽。所以我能感受到那種激情，很享受跟隊友們一起打球。其次，我們中國現在有越來越多的年輕球員，我想告訴他們：‘如果你熱愛冰球，就得去打比賽。’他們中有些人想的是別的事情。第三，我覺得如果我能上場比賽，也許幫助會更大，因為在當教練時，我是可以教其他球員，但某些情況下也許以球員的身份去教更好。這就是我為什麼要返回賽場。”
作者:Lucas Aykroyd
編譯：冰球世界
