MARYSVILLE — Kellogg Marsh Elementary was treated to a visit by a pair of Everett Silvertips players Dec. 17, which included a chance for a few students to try out their own hockey skills, but more importantly, the Silvertips were there to impart the importance of education.

Silvertips players Tyler Maxwell and Paul Sohor were accompanied by Silvertips Broadcasting and Public Relations Director Jon Rosen, who explained that both players are a long way from home — Maxwell came up from California to play hockey, while Sohor hails from 1,000 miles away in Manitoba — and both are also students first and players second.

Maxwell was named the Western Conference Scholar of the Year, and he and Sohor agreed that reading is an essential and enjoyable part of their lives.

“It can be tough to balance studying with sports, especially when you’re on the road and doing homework in the bus, but school comes first,” Maxwell said.

“Books really intrigue me,” Sohor said. “I like them better than TV because they really stimulate your mind.”

Rosen explained to students that there are books about any subject they might be interested in, from wild animals to sports and music. He then had the players explain some of the sacrifices they’ve made to become Silvertips.

“I was the hockey kid back home, since nobody else played it where I lived,” Maxwell said. “I’ve been practicing for 14 years.”

“It’s tough to pack up your things and say goodbye to everything yo know, but I’m chasing my dream,” Sohor said. “My family supports me going for it and when I come home, I know they’ll be there for me.”

The players then invited groups of students and teachers to take part in the “Goalie Challenge,” by trying to get their pucks past two comically clad goalies, before they took questions from the audience. When asked if they’d ever gotten into fights on the ice, both players admitted they had, but emphasized that it’s something they try to avoid. Rosen added that, while fights do happen in hockey, they should never happen in school.