Tel Aviv, June 19, 2025 — Timothy Payne, a 29‑year‑old Canadian defenseman playing for the Jerusalem Capitals in Israel’s Elite Hockey League, is now navigating life in a warzone following the outbreak of conflict between Israel and Iran.
Payne arrived in Israel just days before the crisis erupted. Since then, his routine has transformed dramatically no longer confined to the ice, his days now involve running between makeshift bomb shelters amid frequent air-raid sirens and rocket strikes. “It’s scary as all hell,” he told CTV News. “You hear the sirens. You hear the rockets.”
He described nighttime routines where he and fellow players rush to shelters scattered throughout Tel Aviv:
“11 p.m., 12 a.m. sirens start… I’ve been sprinting down the street and hearing rockets go overhead.”
Payne’s mental strain is evident. His family in Toronto lives in constant worry, and he laments feeling like “just sitting ducks… night after night, bombing after bombing.” Windows at his residence were shattered by nearby explosions, prompting urgent repairs and relocation to shelters .
Canadians attempting to leave Israel have been explicitly advised not to rely on government evacuation assistance. A Canadian government WhatsApp alert stated that “the Government of Canada is not facilitating any assisted departures,” urging citizens to seek private evacuation routes via land into Jordan or by sea to Cyprus, though options remain limited and costly.
Payne is now appealing publicly for Canadian authorities to offer support. He expressed urgent hope for extraction, telling CTV: “I’m just here to play hockey… now I’m caught in the midst of war. I’ve got to get back to [my family].”
