Read below for an excerpt from the Athletic’s Scott Wheeler and his story on alum Semyon Der-Arguchintsev.
More than 300 kilometres east of Peterborough, the Canadian International Hockey Academy (CIHA) sits on the banks of the Ottawa River dividing Ontario from Quebec.Its three buildings — a residence, a cafeteria and a two-pad arena — sit between a storage facility just off of Highway 17 on the outskirts of Rockland, a town of 11,000 people.It’s here, after prompting from a friend who doesn’t play hockey anymore, where Der-Arguchintsev first made the 10-hour trip from Moscow to Canada to pursue his dream.It was just before his 14th birthday when he decided to take the plunge. At the time, CIHA was in its infancy and had little-to-no track record for developing talent. Today, its program is a cross between a Canadian private school (an international boarding student pays $44,900 in tuition) and an AAA program. CIHA plays out of Eastern Ontario’s top Bantam and Midget minor hockey league rather than in a traditional prep school circuit. After eliminating its girl’s program a few years ago, the school now welcomes between 75 and 100 student-athletes per year.Read the full story here (subscription needed)