WHITEFISH — It's hard to get 11-year-old Myles Ridgway off the ice as he is one of the best young hockey players in the Flathead area.
After scoring 60 goals and dishing out 25 assists last season with the FPP Hockey Club, Kalispell's Ridgway was selected to play in the upcoming World Selects Invitational tournament in Italy.
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“Well, it will be a fun experience just getting to go to new places,” Ridgway said. “You get to meet a lot of new teammates and players and people that you like to hang out with.”
Ridgway’s journey began early with his dad teaching him how to play hockey.
From there, he found a special love for the game, which he continues to build on and off the ice.
“My dad helped me skate when I was younger, and I've had a backyard rink in my house, and I've started practicing,” Ridgway said.
The WSI has selected many elite hockey players over the years, including 656 players who were drafted into the NHL.
His coach, Steve Fox, says Ridgway is one of the most skilled players he has coached and has the talent to go far in the sport.
“His skill level stands out immensely compared to a lot of the other teams that we play,” Fox said. “His hockey IQ, his sense of what to do with the puck, his team play. Just his strive and desire for that is far beyond many of the kids.”
While Ridgway hopes to make an impression on the coaches and representatives in Italy, the thing he is looking forward to the most is the experience he will gain from playing across the world.
“Sometimes it's not always about the hockey,” Ridgway said. “You get to experience the place and the culture, and you get to go to museums and experience what the city or the town is all about.”
Ridgway will play his first game of the WSI tournament on May 5 in Bolzano, Italy.
