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Words like heart, determination and desire are often used to describe hockey players, but in Alex McFarlane’s case, that just gets him to the rink.

The 16-year-old Ross Sheppard High School honours student has gone way above and beyond the norm to play organized hockey for the first time in his life.

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“This is the best winter I’ve ever had,” he said. “I’ve always loved hockey, but our family could never afford it before. I understood the financial situation our family was in, but I never gave up. I kept saying to myself, ‘Maybe next year?’ ”

McFarlane finally made “next year” happen last fall. He started working at McDonald’s and saved his money all summer to cover the $700 registration fee while his uncle gave him some old hockey equipment from the 1990s.

“In my mind, you’re never too old to start playing and I was growing tired of being alone on the outdoor rink or some nights getting to play with a few guys in the community,” he said. “I wanted that challenge of playing against people my own age and that feeling of playing in an actual game, hear the sounds of the crowd and feel that emotion.