Think it’s been a cold winter in New England? Here’s what the typical early morning temperature was this time of year in Iroquois Falls, Ontario:

“Oh, about 40 below,” Hudson’s Phil Sweeney said. “It’s another world up here. Just wear a lot of coats.”

Since that conversation, Sweeney, the former Alvirne High School standout, felt a different chill, his season in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League coming to a sudden end. He was recently released by the Abitibi Eskimos, his second team this season, as he was traded to the Eskimos a couple of months earlier by a team in Manitoba.

Yes, in Canada, Junior Hockey is a business, as Sweeney has painfully discovered, and an upheaval with the Eskimos lopped off a couple of players, Sweeney included. But the experience was something he would never trade for anything and made the experience worth all the instability.

“It’s a whole different side of the world,” he said. “It’s helped me grow up a little bit. It (Junior Hockey) forces you to get better.

“Sure, I missed seeing my family and friends, but this is what I want to do with my life. I love hockey every day. … It feels like a business, kind of cool. It’s been great. I’ve seen seven provinces.”

But the Canadian junior adjustment, plus living away from home, eventually took its toll on Sweeney. But that’s what learning experiences are for.

“This year he learned a lot,” said Eskimos head coach Paul Gagne, who made the difficult decision to let Sweeney and another player go. “He’s got skills. He’s not the greatest skater, but he gets around.

“He learned about positional hockey, defensive zone coverage. He was progressing. He does have a passion for the game.”

Sweeney makes no bones about it, he wants to play college hockey. Sweeney was playing in a tournament in Canada over the summer for a New England All-Star team when he got the opportunity to play there in the fall. He had been planning on playing junior hockey in this area, possibly for the Cyclones organization, but an all-expense-paid season across the border was too good to pass up.

“It came on so suddenly,” he said. “I went to this tournament, and I was planning to play juniors in Hudson. I had two weeks to decide. But I wanted to go away, see that whole different side of the world.”

What Sweeney discovered as well was a whole different side of hockey. It was an eye-opener, levels above what he’s used to.

“When I first got to Manitoba for training camp, I could see it,” Sweeney said. “It was really fast, I had to adjust. It took me about a month or so.”

Sweeney showed some skill. He had 10 points in Manitoba before the trade and had five goals with seven assists with the Eskimos, moving up as a second line, sometimes top line, center. He had played, since the fall, about 30 games out of what potentially was a 50-60 game schedule.

“I’ve seen my game change,” Sweeney said. “Everything has to be quick.”

The days he enjoyed started early, perhaps solo or workouts with teammates at a local rink. Then it would be off to the gym. Then practice or a game at the town’s 2,000-seat arena, usually in front of 600-700 fans.

“It’s pretty cool,” Sweeney said. “They came out and supported us, asked for autographs. They love it, especially when we’re winning.”

Road trips? They were as long as two hours. “A whole new world,” Sweeney said again.

To fill up more time, the Eskimos would be part of an athletics volunteer effort. They worked with a local girls gymnastics program, setting up and taking down and maintaining the equipment.

Hockey all day suited Sweeney. The upside of his release is he did miss his family and friends, but the season was supposed to end in a couple of weeks from now anyway.

“I love hockey every day,” he said. “I realize this is what I want to do with my life. … My dream is to play college hockey.”

And Phil Sweeney will continue to pursue that dream, wherever it takes him, even out into the cold.