A THREE Towns lad’s ice hockey goal has seen him glide to Stateside sporting success.

Aiden Wilson, 15, netted the puck twice for his team in last year’s under 14s Scottish Cup Final.

A video of the former Ardrossan Academy’s pupil’s goals was picked up by the NHL (National Hockey League) in America.

Aiden told the Herald: “It was a shock. I was shooting pucks and my team group chat was going crazy.

“It was a mental feeling, I rushed inside and told my mum and dad.”

Aiden’s dad, Alan Wilson, said since then one thing has led to another, with the teen first being asked to come and play in Canada.

The 15-year-old moved out to Toronto and attended Blythe Academy, an athletics school, where he would study and train for nine months.

He said: “It was just amazing. Honestly, I was too busy being excited to have worries.”

Returning just two weeks before lockdown, Aiden was welcomed back on to the rink at Kilmarnock Juniors Ice Hockey before the coronavirus put a halt to sports.

But now he is waiting for his next big move, having been signed to the Utica Comets Juniors, an affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks, who he will be playing AAA Tier One for next season.

He said: “I had had about 12 offers from all over the world.

“I was just amazed another team was interested in me.”

Alan said: “Those nine months in Canada were like three or four years worth of life experience crushed in.

“He is dedicated, he constantly works and he’s always training.”

Even during lockdown, Aiden has been keeping fit with long-distance runs, home work-outs, sprints and jumps on the beach and, of course, shooting hundreds of pucks in the garden.

But, he said, he cannot wait to get back on the ice, having been playing since he was seven years old and having been on a rink each day for the past nine months.

He said: “I don’t know why I wanted to play ice hockey.

“I woke up one morning and instantly wanted to watch it and run round the living room with golf clubs hitting balls thinking I was in the NHL.”

Within six months of joining the club in Kilmarnock, Aiden was selected for their team.

The last year has been a whirlwind, and with him set to move to New York state in August, there is no stopping Aiden.

But he is grateful to his former coach, Andy Anderson, and his parents for all their help and support.

He said: “They keep me grounded, and pushing every day.

“Andy has been amazing coach, I couldn’t have asked for better.”