UTICA — Tyler Wotherspoon traveled thousands of miles recently and played hockey on three continents.

The rare opportunity happened for the steady and experienced Utica Comets defenseman and Burnaby, British Columbia, native after being named to Hockey Canada’s roster for the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing.

The 28-year-old Wotherspoon, who is in his ninth pro season, was one of four American Hockey League players to don Canada’s iconic Maple Leaf.

“It was a crazy experience to say the least,” Wotherspoon said Tuesday following Comets’ practice after returning to the Utica lineup last weekend during games at Syracuse and Hershey. “As a boy growing up In Canada playing hockey, it is a dream to (be part of the Olympic team). As your career goes on, you don’t think there’s ever an opportunity to do that. It is just a very cool experience.” 

Wotherspoon, who is on an AHL deal with Utica this season, said being on an initial list of players for Canada’s team was unexpected, but exciting. He received a phone call in January from longtime well-known NHL coach and Stanley Cup winner Claude Julien – “I was kind of starstruck,” Wotherspoon said – that he was on Canada’s team. 

He played for the Comets Jan. 22 before traveling with his Hockey Canada teammates to Switzerland for some training over a week and then headed to China for the Olympics in early February.

“It was that real-world experience to be in a different culture like that. Although we weren’t able to travel around and see a bunch of places (because of a bubble-style atmosphere), we got to drive through the city and see what it is like there,” said Wotherspoon, who had previously visited Japan. “It is always crazy to be part of a big village of Olympic athletes who are the best in the world at what they do.”

He said Canada’s group – which included some college players as well as others playing with teams in Europe – blended together in a short time. 

While the experience ended without an Olympic medal after Canada was eliminated in the quarterfinals with a setback against Sweden, Wotherspoon, who collected two assists in five games, appreciates the opportunity to play for his home country.

“Overall, it was a fun time to meet a lot of great people,” said Wotherspoon, who noted he was excited to see the speedskating events at the Olympics. “When I look back, I’ll be proud that I got to be part of it.”

He said the game at the Olympics was a little bit more polished compared to the American Hockey League. 

Wotherspoon returns to the Comets (31-11-5-0 overall), whose 0.713 points percentage remains second-best in the league. The team has a hold on the top spot in the seven-team North Division with 25 regular-season games remaining.

“There’s different things to take away from (the Olympics),” said Wotherspoon, who has played 463 AHL games with six teams. “Being in a tournament like that, it is like playoff hockey. So, from learning from that, you’re shoring up your own game and making sure you’re hard on pucks.”

He said playing in Utica this season has been special after being a visitor in the past.

“You don’t realize how much home-ice advantage there is here,” Wotherspoon said. “It is a hockey town. I think it shows in our play how much (fans) support us. We hope we can give back and have success moving forward.”