Cool things I saw in 2014

The Medicine Hat Tigers celebrate a goal in the 2014 WHL playoffs

            It still amazes me what all can happen in a year.

            As 2015 closes, a number of people are listing highlights from the year that was in 2014. For me, I wrapped up my time at the Medicine Hat News and made the move to Saskatoon for family reasons.

            Over the past year, I was able to witness a number of highlights. Actually, I can't believe how many different things I attended in so many different centres.

            It seemed like I was at everything from watching Olympic hockey with a big group, going to numerous WHL and CIS hockey games, hitting a number of CFL and CIS games, enjoying the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede and watching a talented music artist perform at home.

            Here is of a few of the highlights going from the start of the year to the end.

 

Watching gold medal win at the Buckle

You know you live in Canada, when you wake up at 5 a.m. on Sunday to watch Canada’s men’s hockey team win gold at the Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

After getting home from my Saturday work shift, I believe I slept two hours before waking up to watch the big hockey game. Turning on Facebook, I couldn’t believe how many other people were also up.

In the second intermission, I decided to motor down to the Buckle in the Hat to see the final period. The place was packed. Canada beat Sweden 3-0 in the final, and the place was rocking.

It was about 10 a.m., when I headed home for some real sleep. That was definitely a night I will never forget. Canada also swept the hockey gold at the Olympics with the women’s team also winning it all.

Huskies women’s hockey team win Canada West title

The Huskies celebrate celebrate a Canada West title

This was one of those unexpected highlights.

Thanks to having Sundays and Mondays off at the Medicine Hat News, I was able to make it to Game 3 of the Canada West Women’s Hockey Championship Series on March 2 at the Rutherford Rink in Saskatoon. I went because it was my only shot to see Huskies captain Cami Wooster play live with how busy my life was.

Following her and her team that season was great, because it was one of the few sports things I followed I didn’t cover. It got me back to just enjoying sports. Life was so busy in Medicine Hat, that there were actually times I didn’t enjoy sports anymore, so following Wooster and the Huskies was a nice change.

They beat the University of Regina Cougars 2-1 in double overtime in that deciding game to claim the Canada West title. Wooster had the Huskies first goal and the assist on Kaitlin Willoughby’s overtime winner. Captain Cami was so good, she was good.

They were all so happy that night. I had lots of energy for the game and seeing the celebrations. Looking back, it was a real good thing for me to make that game.

One final Tigers playoff run

Captain Curtis Valk in action for the Medicine Hat Tigers.

Going into the 2014 WHL playoffs, I knew in my heart this would be the last time I would be covering a Medicine Hat Tigers playoff run for the Medicine Hat News.

I tried to soak in every moment as much as I could. I was hoping the moment would last as long as it could. Time was really busy.

The run closed with the Tigers playing 13 games over 24 days with a lot of travel. I definitely enjoyed the playoffs. Tigers took out the Swift Current Broncos in six games in the first round of the playoffs.

In the second round, the Tigers trailed a best-of-seven series 3-1 to the Kootenay Ice before rallying for a 4-3 series victory. The run ended in the WHL Eastern Conference Championships with a 4-1 series loss to the eventual Memorial Cup champion Edmonton Oil Kings.

Watching the Tigers forward line of Trevor Cox, Curtis Valk and Cole Sanford was something else. That was the most exciting forward line I saw the Tigers put on the ice in the 10 seasons I covered them. Marek Langhamer was spectacular in goal.

It was still a strange feeling after I finished my stories after Game 5 of the series loss to the Oil Kings at Rexall Place in Edmonton. A tired Tigers team tried to pull out a win, but fell 4-3. After I finished writing, I went around shaking hands with the Edmonton sportwriters who were there and Oil Kings communications manager Paul Owen, who once worked as a sports reporter.

Walking out of there, I knew I had covered my last Medicine Hat Tigers hockey game. It was weird to comprehend then, and it still is now. It did feel in a way that I was able to go out on top, so that was a good thing.

The celebration of life for Crystal (Heisler) McGregor

Crystal (Heisler) McGregor circa 2001.

            A list from 2014 wouldn’t be complete without me remembering the passing of Crystal (Heisler) McGregor, who was a good friend to everyone.

            A point guard on the University of Regina Cougars Women’s Basketball team that won the 2001 CIAU title, McGregor passed after a lengthy battle with cancer in May. A big celebration of life was held for her at the Conexus Arts Centre in Regina.

            In the day before and the day of the celebration of life, I was able to reunite with the all the members of the Cougars team that McGregor played with. I went to school with all of them at the University of Regina.

            It was a great time to hang around with old friends. It is too bad it had to occur under such circumstances. It was also great to share memories of McGregor and of days that shouldn't feel so long ago.

            I think a few us are still waiting for her to approach us a say her typical, “Hey buddy.”

            RIP Crystal. You will be remembered forever.

Seeing MacKenzie Porter perform live

MacKenzie Porter at Kin Coulee Park.

I finally got to see MacKenzie Porter perform live on Canada Day at Kin Coulee Park in Medicine Hat, and she was so good.

It is very impressive to see how talented she is at making music. What is even better is the former Medicine Hat College Rattlers Women’s team soccer player is still the girl next door. 

She is still super sweet, and seems to remember everyone that passes through her life and treats them like gold.

My favourite part about seeing her perform in her hometown was saying in a break between songs, “There are like 50 people in this front row section I know personally. This is so great.”

There was a huge line of people to great her that night after she finished performing.
I still have her debut CD which is personalized autographed and also an autographed poster from that night. I enjoyed getting to see her again.

It is still very cool to hear her songs on the radio and see her music videos on television.

One last kick at the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede

Saddle bronc riding at the rodeo in Medicine Hat.

Before pulling the last of my things out of Medicine Hat, I got out to enjoy the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede one last time.

Usually, the 2007 WHL Champion Medicine Hat Tigers team makes it back that week for a reunion, but that reunion happened earlier in the summer to fit everyone’s schedules. With that said, I still ran into a few old Tigers that week.

It was also a fun time as friends that don’t normally go out anymore went out that week. 

It made for a great last run to see everybody before I left the Gas City for Saskatoon. I saw so many good friends. Party wise, it was a great Stampede week.

Calder Cup celebrations with Derek Hulak

Derek Hulak and the Huskies with the Calder Cup.

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies Men’s Hockey team was one of the first key things that got me back to enjoying sports again, when I was in a funk of not enjoy sports due to life in Medicine Hat being so busy.

A big thing that helped was I knew pretty much all the players through covering the WHL. After the University Cup ended, I was pumped to see Derek Hulak join the American Hockey League’s Texas Stars.

The Stars were under the guidance of head coach Willie Desjardins, who was the former head coach and general manager of the Medicine Hat Tigers. The Texas Stars won the Calder Cup, and Hulak got to have the trophy for a day in August in Saskatoon.

He brought the trophy to the University of Saskatchewan, to the Saskatoon Blades offices and to his mom’s gravesite. Alina died in 2007 of Cancer.

There was a big gathering with the Huskies men’s hockey team and a whole bunch of other friends during the night at Boston Pizza on 8^th Street. That was a great night out.

While deep in summer, I believe all the Huskies men’s players made it out that night. That was a great thing to see and shows how strong the friendships are on that team. They are one of the best groups to hang around and spend social time with.

Labour Day Classic weekend in Regina

The Roughriders celebrate an Anthony Allen touchdown.

This will make the list every year as long as I can keep making it to the Labour Day Classic weekend in Regina.

I was at my 14^th Labour Day Classic game, and the Saskatchewan Roughriders downed the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 35-30 thanks to a last-second touchdown by Anthony Allen. The Roughriders are 13-1 in the Labour Day Classic games I have attended.

The game was also Weston Dressler’s first game back with the Roughriders after being cut by the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL. He was signing autographs at the end of the game and just looked so tired after a whirlwind week.

Victory party in Regina was also so enjoyable, especially when it is the after party for the Roughriders cheerleaders. It was a fun overall party night.

Frank McCrystal’s last home game as Rams head coach

Frank McCrystal, right, answers questions in a post-game scrum.

      A Saturday in Regina that was a turn back the clock type day and night for me.

     The University of Regina Rams were closing out the regular season against the University of Alberta Golden Bears in what would be Frank McCrystal’s final home game as Rams head coach. The Rams pulled out a 35-31 victory to make the Canada West playoffs.

     The stands were filled with a whole pile of old friends from my old Rams days at the University of Regina. A number of people traveled in for the game from all different points on the map.

     There was an alumni gathering after the game, and it was so fun to see a whole bunch of old faces. Lots of old stories were told and a lot of catching up was done.

     It also felt like an end of an era. I am sure the Rams will have a bright future, but things won’t be like what they once were.

Reconnecting with the Saskatoon Hilltops

The Hilltops celebrate their PFC Championship victory.

One of the unexpected good things that happened in my move to Saskatoon was reconnected with the Saskatoon Hilltops.

Those involved with coaching and running the Canadian Junior Football League team are as classy as you will find anywhere. Until the 2014 CJFL season, it has been 12 years since I last talked to Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant.

It has been about four to six years since I last saw my old bud Sheldon Ball, who is the team’s offensive coordinator. It was cool to see how good of a coach Ball has become. We became friends when he was first the quarterback of the Hilltops and later the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.

The Hilltops started 1-2, but closed the campaign with eight straight wins. They improved a lot as the season went on. It was great to be at the Prairie Football Conference final, where they dumped the Calgary Colts 27-7.

Saskatoon then moved on to down the Rams in Langley, B.C., in the CJFL final 39-14. I really enjoyed visiting the team’s directors. If life allows it, I will try and make it more of a priority to be around their events next season.

Other good memories

Nelson Nogier gives his stick to a little Blades fan.

            Other highlights of the year include getting to watch my cousin, Nelson Nogier, played a lot more with the Saskatoon Blades before he was traded to the Red Deer Rebels.

            It has been good to get to know some of the new management with the Blades and reconnect with some long time staffers.

            I also enjoyed getting to see a number of the former Medicine Hat College Rattlers players, who now life in Saskatoon, again.

            It has also been cool to see how much of a life superstar University of Saskatchewan Huskies Women`s Basketball team point guard Kabree Howard is. It is cool to see her involved in so many community events. She does so much to give the Huskies a good name, and they will miss her when she graduates from their program later this year.

            Now, it is time to see what 2015 has in store for all of us.

If you have any feedback on this blog, feel free to email comments to stankssports@gmail.com.

A faded rivalry

Regina vs. Saskatoon clashes lack lustre of days gone by

The Rams and Huskies battle in the 2002 Canada West final.

            The fake kneel down play once symbolized all the animosity between Regina and Saskatoon.

            In the 1995 Prairie Football Conference final, the Regina Rams, who were still members of the Canadian Junior Football League, had a 19-8 victory sealed over the Saskatoon Hilltops. All the Rams offence had to do was kneel down on the last play to officially end the contest.

            Instead, Rams quarterback Darryl Leason started to go down on to one knee only to stand up quickly and throw a touchdown pass to a wide open Josh Shaw. The play was nullified by a penalty but tensions ran high over that play years later.

            Fans in Saskatoon deplored the attempt to run up the score in a decided contest. Those folks in Regina had no class.

            Fans in Regina loved the display as an attempt to stick it to what were viewed as the arrogant high on the horse citizens of Toontown. When you played road games in the Bridge City, you knew those people always tried to stack the odds in favour of their teams.

Heck, in one point in time it was joked a touch football game in Davidson between the staffs of the Regina Leader-Post and the Saskatoon StarPhoenix newspapers would break down into a brawl.

            The days of when the rivalry was that fiercely intense between Regina and Saskatoon are long faded away like the era when the horse and buggy was a common site on the street. The two biggest cities in Saskatchewan are no longer two city states that see their wars played out in an athletic arena.

            Part of the reason the rivalry has faded is because of the changing nature of the times. With the explosion of social media, especially Twitter, word and criticism spreads quickly when someone does something wrong. Often some small mistake because a much bigger deal than it really is.

            As a result, players, coaches and personnel on teams try not to say anything at all to stoke fires. The aim is act as respectively as possible in public.

            Currently in the CJFL, the Hilltops and the Regina Thunder have the classic modern day mutual respect rivalry. Over the past couple of seasons, they have staged a number of classic contests, and both sides talk about each other in very high praise terms.

            When the Rams left the CJFL for their first season in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport ranks in 1999, a new on field rivalry was born with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.

Darryl Leason gets steps up to throw for the Rams in 2001.

            The peak of that rivalry came during playoff encounters in 2001 and 2002 at Taylor Field. The Rams came away with 58-31 victory in a Canada West semifinal match in 2001, where Leason completed 20 passes for 418 yards and five touchdowns. Victory was made even sweeter for the Regina side when the “dirty” Huskies couldn’t put Leason out of the game by taking “cheap shots” at his injured knee.

            A year later, the Huskies claimed what to date is the only Canada West final encounter between the two teams storming out to a 28-0 lead and closing out a 44-28 victory. The game’s turning point came with the Huskies leading 28-14 and the Rams getting set to cut the gap to seven before halftime rolled around.

            Huskies cornerback Ryan Barnstable picked off Rams quarterback Mark Anderson and ran the ball back 92 yards for a U of S touchdown. No “cheap shots” were needed this day to ensure a convincing victory over a team that had “more bark than bite.”

            At that time, fans on both sides thought the two clubs would face each other in the Canada West final on a regular basis. That rivalry has faded with the University of Calgary Dinos rising to be the dominant power in Canada West having won the last six straight conference titles.

            When the Huskies beat the Rams 21-16 at Mosaic Stadium in the only regular season encounter between the two teams this season, it didn’t feel like a rivalry game. The Huskies played harder in their previous game falling 38-24 at home to the Dinos.

            On the pond, the WHL rivalry between the Regina Pats and Saskatoon Blades has been dormant for a lengthy time. Both have closer geographical rivals which their fans get heated for.

A fight from a game between the Blades and Pats in 2000.

The Pats have had the Trans-Canada Clash with the Moose Jaw Warriors, which is often viewed as the greatest rivalry in the major junior ranks. The Blades most heated battles are with the Prince Albert Raiders.

The last memorable encounters between the Pats and Blades occurred in the first round of the 2000 WHL playoffs, which saw the Blades claim a heated seven-game series that contained piles of penalty minutes. Blades enforcer Darcy Hordichuk was the most hated guy in Regina at that time, while Pats captain Barret Jackman was a favourite target for the heckles of Saskatoon fans.

On campus outside of the action on the football field, matches between the Huskies and the University of Regina Cougars teams have traditionally been touch and go on the rivalry front. Part of that reality comes from the fact most of those schools teams played for a long time without an interlocking regular season schedule until the 1999-2000 campaign.

Also, many players on both sides have usually been past teammates on various provincial teams. That also seems to lessen tensions.

Men’s hockey once had a big rivalry. With former major junior players dominating rosters on most CIS teams for over a decade, the men’s game is more of a skilled game. There are still big hits, but “the chip on the shoulder” mentality seems to be left more in the junior ranks.

One place were animosity did rise up was in the Canada West women’s hockey championship series last season. The best-of-three series went more than the distance with the Huskies and Cougars battling through 17 periods and 296 minutes of hockey due to the fact every contest went to overtime.

Game 3 on March 2 was particularly heated. There were a couple of scrums, a lot players jawing with each other after whistles and the play was pretty physical. At one point in the second period, Huskies captain Cami Wooster, who stands 5-foot-3, ducked out of an attempted head hit from a Cougars player behind the Regina net.

If Wooster had been eliminated at that point in the game due to a concussion or other injury, it is highly likely the Huskies would have lost that contest. She had her team’s goal in regulation coming in the third period and drew the assist on Kaitlin Willoughby’s double overtime winner in the 2-1 victory at the ancient Rutherford Rink.

            Time will tell if those tensions are isolated moments of that series.

            For now, Regina and Saskatoon are city states that co-exist peacefully. The rivalry appears limited to old athletes and coaches that like to tell stories about long ago.

If you have any feedback on this blog, feel free to email comments to stankssports@gmail.com.

Weekend will be jumping in Saskatoon

Setups in progress for the Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour stop.

              It seems like everything is running to Saskatoon this weekend.

            One can almost forget how busy life can get in a bigger city. When you leave Medicine Hat, Alta., which has a population of about 62,000, Towntown definitely feels like a big city with a population of about 261,000 calling it home.

            During a walk through downtown today, I immediately encountered crews setting up for the Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour stop. The tour is part of the promotional package Rogers put together in conjunction with its new broadcast deal with the NHL, which started this year.

            Crews were scattered along 21^st street extending for about two blocks from the front of the Delta Bessborough hotel already starting to set everything up. Equipment was scattered everywhere.

            Activities with the tour stop start at 12 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. There will be a meet and greet with NHL alumni, local hockey heroes and celebrities, a market showcasing local culinary and hometown food trucks, local bands and entertainment, and a kids zone filled with hockey themed games.

            There will also be a viewing party for the broadcast of Sunday’s NHL contest between the Ottawa Senators and Chicago Blackhawks. Of course, long time hockey broadcaster Ron MacLean will be in town as part of all the festivities.

Items wait to be placed for the Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour stop.

            Besides that toured in function, the local sports scene is frantic. The Saskatoon Blades host a pair of WHL games, The University of Saskatchewan campus is packed full of varsity athletics activities including basketball, football, soccer and hockey, and the Saskatoon Hilltops host the Calgary Colts in the Prairie Football Conference championship game on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

            That is just a quick rundown of what is happening as far as sports is concerned, and I am not even close to knowing what is going on as far as the arts scene or anything else that might be happening.

            The rebuilding Blades are starting to frequent the win column on a more regular basis lately. They are 4-1 in their last five games and sit 4-7 overall.

On Friday, the Blades tangle with the Lethbridge Hurricanes (2-8-0-1), and on Saturday, they face the Portland Winterhawks (3-9-0-2). Game time is 7:05 p.m. on both nights at the SaskTel Centre.

Blades rookie goaltender Nik Amundrud picked up his first career WHL victory on Wednesday night making 31 stops in a 5-2 victory at home over the Kootenay Ice. Before that contest, Ice left-winger Tim Bozon, who is out with a lower body injury, dropped the puck for a ceremonial faceoff before a standing ovation from the 3,498 spectators on hand. He spent 27 days at Royal University Hospital last March while battling Neisseria meningitis.

            On campus, the men’s basketball team is hosting the Graham Shootout pre-season tournament, which started on Thursday. The Huskies faced the Edmonton based MacEwan Griffins on Thursday night, were to battle the Nipissing Lakers from North Bay, Ont., at 7 p.m. on Friday and the University of Victoria Vikes at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

            The Huskies women’s hockey team has a two-game set against the University of Calgary Dinos at 7 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday night at the ancient Rutherford Rink. The Huskies football team battles the University of Alberta Golden Bears at 1:30 p.m. at Griffiths Stadium.

            The Huskies soccer team are both hosting Canada West single elimination quarter-final games on Sunday at PotashCorp Park. The women’s team faces the MacEwan Griffins at 12 p.m. and the men’s team battles the University of Winnipeg Wesmen at 2:15 p.m.

            The Hilltops battle the Colts in Sunday’s PFC final for the right to go to the Canadian Junior Football League championship game, the Canadian Bowl, which will be hosted by the British Columbia Football Conference winner.

            Saskatoon topped the PFC with a 6-2 record in the regular season, while the Colts were third in the six-team league with a 4-4 mark. The Hilltops thumped the Colts in Calgary 47-19 in the only regular season meeting between the two clubs on Sept. 21. Calgary turned the ball over five times in that contest, while Saskatoon avoided any giveaways.

            The Colts outgained the Hilltops in total offensive yards 404-340. If the visiting Colts clean up the turnovers, this contest could be closer than a lot of people anticipate. I still expect the Hilltops to prevail.

            With all that is going on, this will definitely not be a weekend in Saskatoon, where you want to stay home. 

 

Safety a state of mind

            It still seems hard to believe two Canadian soldiers died this week in two suspected home-grown terror attacks on home soil.

            It feels like no words would ever be able to comfort the families of Corporal Nathan Cirillo, who was shot guarding the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Wednesday, and Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent, who was run down by a car in a community just south of Montreal on Monday. I do offer condolences to both families on deaths that were tragic and needless.

            When I was in downtown Saskatoon on Thursday at about 1 p.m., I ran into a curious situation. I saw a radio reporter interviewing two separate individuals on the street asking them if they felt more fearful about their safety after the two attacks.

            The reporter and the interview subjects were just a short distance away from three different street creatures situated in three different spots. The three street creatures turned out to be fine, as they did talk in a friendly manner to me, when I walked past. I could also envision a different scenario, where you are mugged for the possessions on your person.

            Living in a city like Saskatoon, you can face dangers on the street every day. While Saskatoon is a beautiful centre, it isn’t immune to the crime problems that plague a big city, and anyone who lives here can honestly tell you that.

            If  you are hanging around 20^th Street or 22^nd Street during a night hour or at times during the day, you likely have a better chance of something bad happen to you than being the victim of a terror attack.

            In February of 2010, one of my old buds Bob Florence, who is now a former desker and sportswriter for the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, was knocked out heading home from work, and he spent two weeks in intensive care, in an induced coma, and required two months of hospitalization. Charles Ellwood was convicted for assaulting Florence, who has no memory about what happened that night because of his injuries.

            In all reality, you will only feel as safe as you want to feel safe. I feel if you let a terror attack convince you not to go somewhere, you have allowed the terror attacker to win at some level.

If you have any feedback on this blog, feel free to email comments to stankssports@gmail.com.