When Ian Perrier skates up to the crease this season, his head will be in the game, but his heart may be in Yukon.

The 26-year-old Whitehorse native is skating in his sophomore season with Åmåls SK, a Division 2 Swedish hockey team in Åmåls, a city of 9,000 in southern Sweden.

At the start of the season, Perrier’s grandfather died and he said he will be playing this season in honour of his memory.

“After all the miles I’ve logged on the road, and the minutes played I’ve accumulated over the season, I’ll be dedicating every moment of action on the ice to my grandfather and his memory,” said Perrier in an email to the Star.

On his stick will be his grandfather, Marcel Perrier’s initials “as a reminder to work hard and to put the team before myself,” and on his helmet, a poppy flower with “M” and “P” on either side of the symbol.

“All the members of my family affectionately called my grandfather ‘Poppy,’” said Perrier. “It’s a very modest and very respectful memorial commemorating his life in our family and his role in the military years ago.

This is Perrier’s second season playing professional hockey in Europe with Åmåls SK. Before that he was in net for the Westfield University Owls in Massachusetts.

Perrier got his start playing in the Whitehorse Minor Hockey League. He progressed up the leagues and has been playing hockey outside the Yukon for a decade.

When he signed with Swedish team last year, he told the Star, “It’s definitely a stepping stone. ... I’ve never been to Europe and see it as a semester abroad. I feel like I’m very prepared for it. Every time I’ve gotten an opportunity to play, I’ve risen to the occasion.”

Last season with Åmåls SK, Perrier was named the team’s MVP. According to eliteprospects.com, he had a .902 save percentage and a 3.5 GAA.

But Perrier isn’t satisfied.

“Receiving MVP last year was a big honour, but with a new season and a new coach, it’s yesterday’s news,” he said. “I didn’t meet my personal goals last season, and there is no such thing as ‘too good’ in the game of hockey.”

With hockey season taking place in the winter, Perrier finds he misses many traditional holidays that see his family gather. He said the main thing he misses about Whitehorse is his family.

“They’ve all been extremely supportive of my endeavours, especially my parents and stepmom Lynda Campbell,” said Perrier. “My mom and dad have given me everything I have. Without their unwavering support, I don’t know where I’d be, but it definitely wouldn’t be across the pond doing what I love every single day.”

Off the ice, Perrier is staying busy as the team’s director of marketing, putting his business marketing degree to use.

“That tends to take up a lot of my time,” he said. “But it’s a good way to put my marketing education to use, and will hopefully open doors in the future when I’m ready to move on from the sport.”

On the ice this season, Perrier hopes for even more improvement. He said his goals are pretty simple. He wants to help his team win more than half this season’s games and to help Åmåls SK to its first playoff berth in six years.

“I’m going to have to be on top of my game every night,” he said.

Åmåls SK has played five games so far in the regular season. They are 3-2, with their biggest win coming at home on Oct. 15, 6-1.

Perrier currently has a save percentage of .913 and a GAA of 2.61.

Åmåls SK plays their next game on Oct. 30.