Fighting Muskies get hooked in semifinal

The North Bay Fighting Muskies bowed out in the semifinals of the Land of Smiles International Hockey tournament that wrapped up in Bangkok, Thailand last weekend.

The North Bay team which included the likes of North Bay city councilor Dave Mendicino, former European hockey pro Mark Kosturik, and former NHL heavyweight Troy Crowder were eventually eliminated by a high-scoring United Arab Emirates team stacked with Belorussians, which eventually went on to win the competition.

The local team was organized by Brent Bywater, who spends nearly half the year in Asia as part of his importing business.

While ice sport and the balmy Thai climate may seem an unlikely combination, hockey has blossomed in this steamy Southeast Asian nation.

"When I first heard about the tournament, I didn't even think Bangkok had an arena," Crowder told NHL.com.

"The ice is really soft and it took some time to get used to, but it's been a lot of fun playing here,” added the 39-year-old, who was recruited by former junior teammate Brent Bywater to play for the North Bay Fighting Muskies.

Thirty teams from North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia participated in the tournament, organized by local company Jamcomb Sports from Oct. 24-27.

The former North Bay Centennial didn't disappoint after assuming the goal scorer's role.

The six-foot-four, 240-pounder Crowder showed off his soft hands by scoring two shootout goals to lead the Fighting Muskies to the semifinals.

The Fighting Muskies are now finishing off the second leg of this international hockey journey. The players along with some of their wives are currently vacationing on the Thai Island of Ko Samui before heading back to North Bay early next week.

With files from NHL.com