It was the moment when Nickerson, 15, realized he had joined an elite club, one every hockey player from his hometown of Cape Sable Island, Shelburne County, to boys and girls in Tofino, B.C., all dream about.

In an instant, images of Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby and Steve Yzerman — the who’s who of Canadian hockey — flashed across Nickerson’s mind.

"It was great. I just kind of sat . . . in my stall, looking down at the logo, looking at the crest, it was awesome," said Nickerson. "Gretzky, Sidney Crosby, big names in hockey. You watch them on television and you watch them in the Olympics and to have that jersey on and to sit in the stall . . . it was something else."

Nickerson, the son of a lobster fisherman, is Nova Scotia’s lone representative at the Innsbruck 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games, a multi-sport event that has drawn more than 1,000 athletes from 70 countries competing in the same sports as in the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.

The Games, which began on Friday and end on Jan. 22, serve as an introduction to Olympic values. While sport is the main focus, there is also an active culture and education program that encourages athletes to take a proactive stance on issues such as social media, sport-life balance and health and well-being.

Nickerson plays for the Canadian Tire Mustangs in the Nova Scotia Major Midget Hockey League. He was one of three Nova Scotians nominated for the Canadian hockey team. His selection has capped a whirlwind couple of years.

Nickerson played on the Nova Scotia men’s hockey team that competed in the Canada Winter Games in Halifax last February. He was also one of 42 bantam-age players invited to participate in the Allstate All-Canadians Mentorship Camp hosted by the National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA) in August.

Not bad for a NHL wannabe who didn’t take up hockey until he was 10.

"I just wasn’t into it really. I was a baseball guy," said Nickerson. "My buddies were after me to play and I . . . just took it up and stuck with it."

His mother, Candice, who is in Innsbruck watching her son, recalled when he had his change of heart.

"I said, ‘Well you played when you were five years old and you did not like it so please tell me I am not just going to go sit there and you will not like it again,’ " she recalled. "After that he loved it."

When Hockey Canada decided to send a team to the Youth Games, the national governing body elected to have its branch members nominate the players. That, in turn, produced a few issues for coach Curtis Hunt. With individual players located throughout Canada, Hunt relied on modern technology to build a strong spirit within his team.

Hunt used social media to get his players to interact as much as possible on the Internet. The players had one day of practices in Toronto before they flew to Innsbruck, which played host to the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympic Games.

Being from Nova Scotia made Nickerson more aware than most of how crucial social media was in team bonding.

"The Internet was just so important, especially for me, being so far away from everyone," he said.

Once Team Canada landed in breath-taking Innsbruck, the players realized they were going to be part of something special. The icing on the proverbial cake came when they walked into the dressing room to see their Team Canada jerseys hanging in the dressing room.

"It was a special moment," said Nickerson.

The Youth Games hockey tournament is competitive. Canada, the United States, Russia and Finland could each win Sunday’s gold medal game.

The Russian roster includes Maxim Tretiak, the grandson of legendary Russian goalie, Vladislav Tretiak, while Finland features Kasperi Kapanen, the son of former NHL player Sami Kapanen.

Then there is Ryan MacInnis, son of Cape Breton native and Hall of Famer Al MacInnis. Ryan was born in St. Louis when his father played for the Blues.

"Someone said there was a guy from Cape Breton," said Nickerson.

For a collection of teenagers who basically met on the flight to Europe, the Canadians have formed a cohesive unit in a short period of time.

"You have to come together as quickly as possible, especially when you have never played together before," said Nickerson. "You have to get to know what each other does, how they play, try to get to know them as fast as possible."

As part of the team-building plan, the Canadians have had a few activities in the majestic Alps that ring Innsbruck. It’s impossible to escape the snow-capped mountains and they are a sight that Nickerson will never forget.

"They are unreal, really, really spectacular."

Nickerson and his teammates are housed in the athletes village where the buildings are draped with flags from the 70 countries at the Youth Games.

Nickerson was asked who, besides the hockey gods, he thought about when he slipped Team Canada’s jersey over his shoulder.

"I have to say my grandfather," he said. "He taught me how to skate and got me into hockey, along with my mom and dad. The support kept me going.

"This is awesome," said Nickerson.