Venezuela is among the countries that will be represented at the sixth edition of the LATAM Cup, later this month at the Florida Panthers IceDen in Coral Springs, Florida.
“It’s something I have in mind,” Montes says. “If the opportunity ever comes, I’ll definitely do it. A year or two ago, I remember seeing the logo of the Venezuelan national team and thinking, ‘Wow, that’s so cool. They actually have a national team. What if I play that day, in front of my dad? ’ I can’t even put into words what that would mean to my family and me. It’s something really cool that I hope happens one day.”
Cesar grew up playing baseball in Venezuela, but his sport of choice changed the day he took his kids to a Milwaukee Admirals game when Max was still in preschool.
“He had never seen a hockey game in his life,” Max says. “I was like, ‘Wow, this is the sport I should have played all my life. This is the sport I want my kids to play. ’ Since then, he has immersed us in the world of hockey.”
Cesar and Amy signed their kids up for a learn-to-skate program at Milwaukee’s Wilson Park Recreation Center. At first, Max needed some encouragement.
“I would cry on the ice, wanting my mom and dad to hold my hand,” he recalls. “From then on, I fell in love with the sport. I can’t imagine my life without hockey. I’m very grateful that my parents got me involved in the sport at a young age.”
Max also tried basketball, football, golf and even lacrosse. But nothing compared to hockey. He began idolizing players like Jonathan Toews and Sidney Crosby and tried to keep up with Franklin and his friends on the ice. Max credits his older brother, a senior at the University of Wisconsin, for helping him improve and adapt to higher levels of competition.
By the time his career with the Milwaukee Jr. Admirals ended, Max had become the club’s all-time leading point-scorer at the Under-16 level.
“Max is one of my favorite players I’ve ever coached,” said Matt Murray, Jr. Admirals president of hockey operations. “He was a young kid in 2003 [su año de nacimiento] and played with his brother at the U-16 level. Still, he led our team in scoring. He was a smart player for us, a smaller kid who could make plays against the juniors in high school.”
