This Canadian ice hockey import was swept off his feet more than once in Canberra

It was clear early on to Cameron Marks that ice hockey would help shape his future in a big way – he just didn’t expect some of the most life-changing turns to come while playing for the Caribou Canberra Brave.

Like so many citizens of Canada, where the sport is ubiquitous, the professional Canadian defenceman has been in ice skates almost as long as he’s been walking. While the game had taken him across Canada, the United States and Europe, he had no inkling of what it would be like to play in the sun-baked Downunder.

Cameron played 25 games for the Caribou Canberra Brave in his 2023 debut season. In the crowds at one of those games was a woman named Ash.

“I guess the AIHL (Australian Ice Hockey League) does a great job of getting the word out because Ash was not a die-hard hockey fan to start with. She had just come across some videos of games and decided to come down for a weekend to see the sport up close and personal,” he says.

“I’m pretty grateful to the AIHL for that.”

After the game, Ash approached Cameron for a picture and an autograph on her jersey.

“I never in my wildest dreams could have imagined this is how our story would play out,” she says.

The two struck up a conversation and amid sparks, exchanged numbers. Soon, they were talking daily, and Ash started regularly attending Cameron’s games.

During the AIHL’s off-season, Cameron returned to France to compete in his third season for Corsaires de Nantes in the French Ice Hockey Federation’s Division 1. During that time, Ash visited him twice, the pair travelled together, and the relationship deepened.

“I think we knew pretty early on that we had something pretty special forming between us. We knew that if we could make it through our time apart whilst he was in France, we could make it through anything,” Ash says.

“I told him before he left Australia at the end of last season that if he took a chance on me and fought for us with me, I’d spend every day making sure it was a decision he’d never regret.”

Cameron has returned to Canberra for the 2024 season – and to “build a life with Ash”. It means a reunion with the other love he formed last year – the nation’s capital itself.

Cameron attributes that whirlwind romance to the city’s balance between cosmopolitan offering and laidback vibes – a combination he says often seems mutually exclusive outside the nation’s capital and its ice hockey culture.

“I was struck. Usually when I think of a capital city, I think bustling downtown metropolis. Canberra isn’t that,” he says.

“This city is beautiful – it’s not jammed up with traffic but at the same time there’s a lot going on, so many places to walk, beautiful scenery, abundant wildlife.

“There are die-hard ice hockey fans here, too. It’s impressive. My first home games, we’d go to the rink two hours early for warm-ups and there’d be fans already lining up at the door.

“Whenever we play at ‘The Brave Cave’ [Phillip Swimming & Ice Skating Centre], the fans pack out every inch. When we score a goal, they go bananas.

“The atmosphere is electric, and second to none.”

That vibe will be full throttle at the next home game on Saturday 22 June when the Caribou Canberra Brave faces off with the Perth Thunder.

“Aussie ice hockey is similar in style to North America. It’s a lot more physical and aggressive compared to Europe. And when you’re playing in a rink like ours in Canberra, where it’s smaller than the norm, the game comes at you a lot quicker,” Cameron says.

“Perth will be a tough test. They have a very solid team this year from top to bottom, with some very good imports from across the globe.

“It’s going to be a great test to see how we’ll compete going into the grand finale in late August.”

The next Caribou Canberra Brave home game takes place on Saturday, 22 June, at Phillip Swimming and Ice Skating Centre, 1 Irving Street, Phillip. To get your tickets, visit Caribou Canberra Brave.

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