A Japanese young ice hockey goalie plays in Melbourne to expand his possibilities

Tatsunoshin Ishida (centre), a Japanese Ice hockey goalie, joined Melbourne Ice in April 2024. Credit: The Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL)

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Tatsunoshin (Tatsu) Ishida joined Melbourne Ice this April, after playing for Yokohama GRITS in Japan for two years. Mr Ishida made his childhood dream of becoming a professional ice hockey player come true, but admitted the journey hasn't been as smooth as he hoped.

Japanese ice hockey goalie Tatsunoshin Ishida (centre) joined Melbourne Ice in April 2024. Credit: Tatsunoshin Ishida

The Australian ice hockey season starts from April to August, which is off-season in the Northern Hemisphere. Mr Ishii hopes that he could have more opportunities to play all year around to improve himself as a professional player.

In the audio, Mr Ishida talks about his passion for the sport and tells us what makes a good goalkeeper. He is also thankful for the warm welcome from the team, teammates, and Australia.

Melbourne Ice will play in Sydney on June 1 and June 9. On June 9, Melbourne Ice will play against Sydney Bears which recently signed a Japanese professional player Kenta Matsukane.