A "sellout" crowd of students at Royal Vale welcomed back an alumnus over the lunch hour Friday -- Marco Scandella, a defenceman on the Minnesota Wild who graduated from the school in 2007, came to pay his alma mater a visit.
Scandella, who uncle is none other than Sergio Momesso, the former Habs defenceman turned CJAD colour commentator, was named the honourary ambassador for Royal Vale's new elite hockey program.
“I lived a lot of great times here, this is my family at Royal Vale and I'm really honoured to be named ambassador of the hockey program here,” Scandella said.
The program is the first of several concentrations the school will roll out over the next two years, including drama, music, other sports and a new French program that less intense than French immersion.
The school hopes attaching a role model to the program will help boost enrolment.
“We hope that this will be helpful for students who train because we know how difficult it is for families to go to the arena, driving their kids around. This program will be before school and after school,” said Principal Natalie Lacroix-Maillette, adding there will also be off-ice training as part of the program.
The students presented Scandella with some of their art and a Royal Vale jersey. Some were lucky enough to meet him face-to-face.
“Seeing someone who's gone, worked hard and done such amazing things, that's inspiring for me,” said student Rahul Patel.
It wasn't just the students who got a thrill from the visit -- Scandella’s former teachers were happy to see him return successful.
“He was always saying from a young student ‘One day Mr. Lagakos I will be a hockey player,’ and here he is coming back to our school as a great role model,” said teacher Chris Lagakos.
But will another hockey star be born within these walls? Scandella seems to think so.
“I definitely think there's a future Marco Scandella - If I can make it there's definitely some kids out here that can make it as well,” he said.
