Making the jump across the pond isn’t an easy decision for an adult. It’s even more difficult for a 16-year-old, but it’s one Albert Lea Thunder forward Danny Wood felt necessary.

How a kid from England decides he wants to play hockey is a story in of itself, but Wood had a calling for the sport and now is trying to bring his skills to the Division I level by playing Junior A hockey for the Thunder. His determination has carried him a long way.

“None of my family members played, and I think that had an important role in my development as a player,” Wood said. “I had no one that was pushing me to play. It was me that wanted to play from the very first time I started playing hockey.”

Wood, now 19, grew up in Sheffield, England, and started playing hockey competitively at age 8, but when faced with the dilemma of post-graduation plans and his desire to play hockey, he opted to enroll at Shattuck-St. Mary’s, the renowned prep school in Faribault, to continue to play hockey and prepare for college.

Players who decide they want to pursue their dream of playing Division I college hockey are often confronted with loneliness, but not only was Wood lonely, he was isolated, having no family in the same continent as other players. His time with the Shattuck-St. Mary’s Sabres was a defining period for Wood. He also dealt with an injury that nearly derailed his playing career.

In his first season at Shattuck’s, he made the top squad, but in January of that season Wood tore his anterior cruicate ligament, ending his season.

“That took a lot out of me,” Wood said. “It really kind of knocked the wind out of my sails.”

His return was more challenging. In the next season with the Sabres he failed to make the top team.

“That was a real tough situation for me, especially after all the work I had put in during the summer,” Wood said. “It was a struggle every day. Obviously I wanted to be playing on the team I had been the year before but I had come off a serious injury. Once I figured that out, it was the right thing for me.”

After graduating from Shattuck in 2007, Wood spent a year in the Eastern Junior Hockey League with the Valley Junior Warriors. Now he’s with the Thunder — ready to make an impact.

Wood will center the top line in the Thunder’s home opener Saturday against the Owatonna Express at the City Arena. His line will be counted on to produce points and leadership on a team filled with youth.

He’s the captain of the Thunder and one of the few “veterans” on the team. His leadership has been an asset the coaching staff has appreciated.

“He is the perfect captain for a young team,” assistant head coach Brian Murphy said. “He’s got a will I haven’t seen before. He’s committed 100 percent to making this work and if it doesn’t he’ll take responsibility for it.”

Wood draws much of his strength and will from his family because they have been there throughout all the ups and downs despite the geographic distance.

“My mom and my dad are both amazing people,” Wood said. “They’ve pulled me out of a lot of tough situations mentally. They’ve always been right behind me to keep me going and keep me focused even though the last four years they’ve been quite a ways away from me.”

– Harmony Junction will sing the National Anthem, and there will be a “Chuck-A-Puck” during the first intermission.

– The Thunder are 0-3-1 after the Showcase and Owatonna is 1-3-0. The lone win for the Express was a 12-1 victory over Kenai River of Soldotna, Alaska.

– The Owatonna Express are also a new franchise this season after the Southern Minnesota Express moved to Detroit and became the Motor City Machine in the off-season.

– The two teams play in the Central Division and will face each 12 times this season. The Express are coached by Pat Cullen.

Wood is the leader the Thunder needs. The team has 14 players who were born in 1990, making them first-year players in junior hockey. His grit and determination will be instrumental to the team as the season goes on. He’s already showing why he was named the captain. After the NAHL Showcase where the team got off to a slow start he was already focused on the future.

“He’s attitude wasn’t to focus on the negative,” Murphy said. “He wants to focus on the next stage in the process. That was pretty mature for a kid after a loss.”

Wood and the Thunder will try to start the regular season out on the right foot. At the NAHL Showcase last week the team had trouble scoring, but played in three one-goal games. A good start against a division rival would give the team a big boost not only in the standings but with the confidence of the young players as well.

How the season will unfold remains to be seen, but the Thunder hope that Wood’s leadership will help carry the team through the ups and downs of the season. After all, he’s got a lot of experience in that area.