Gordie Howe Sports Complex revamp in home stretch

Premier Scott Moe speaks at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex.

    Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe hopes the revamp of the Gordie Howe Sports Complex will clean up an oversight.

    The 46-year-old product of Shellbrook was speaking at a press conference at the Saskatoon sports facility on Wednesday, and he told a story about playing in a fastball provincials at the complex, when he was growing up.

    Moe’s team was down by one in the bottom of the seventh inning with two runners on and two outs. One run was need to force and extra inning and two runs were needed to win.  If his team won, the squad would go to nationals.

    “A pitch came in, and I got a hold of it,” said Moe. “It was going out to right field and went to the warning track, and it was just five feet short from clearing the fence and us going on to nationals.

    “I think it is quite obvious this being Phase 3 of the renos at Gordie Howe Bowl that I hope that if it wasn’t fixed in Phase 1 or Phase 2 that the right field fence on Diamond 1 is obviously 10-feet too far. I would hope in Phase 3 that would certainly be rectified.”

    Politicians from the federal, provincial and municipal levels of government were on hand to confirm funding that will help finish the massive renovations going on at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex in Saskatoon’s Holiday Park neighbourhood. The complex is in a final Phase 3 of a master plan.

    The federal government will be contributing just over $8.352-million, the provincial government $6.959-million and municipal contribution is slated for $5.568-million. The Friends of the Bowl Foundation will be fundraising the municipal contribution with the goal of hitting $6-million to cover any unforeseen expenses.

Federal minister Jonathan Wilkinson speaks at Wednesday’s presser.

     Friends of the Bowl, which is a not-for-profit corporation with initial roots dating back to 2011, was formed for the purpose of advocating and raising funds for the sports facility and has done just that.

    “The expansion involves adding a new multi-sport complex, an outdoor artificial turf field, an outdoor baseball training and practice complex, Nordic ski trails, as well as a new ticket booth and bleachers,” said former Saskatoon resident Jonathan Wilkinson, who is the minister of fisheries, oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard. “This project will have far reaching impacts not only for residents who will benefit from these modern sport and fitness facilities, but also for the city as a whole.

    “These new spaces will provide new opportunities to host a wide variety of events, which will help promote tourism in the area and events and services available to families in this community.”

    The announcement on Wednesday officially gave funding to 12 different infrastructure projects across Saskatchewan including the Gordie Howe Sports Complex through the Integrated Bilateral Agreement. Dignitaries were on hand representing various communities that will benefit from these projects.

Bryan Kosteroski gets set to speak at Wednesday’s presser.

    Overall, Wednesday’s announcement provided a function where members of all three levels of government could bask in the spotlight with positive news. It marked a short and happy time for celebration.

    For those that have overseen the developments at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex over the long haul like Friends of the Bowl chairperson Bryan Kosteroski and board member Johnny Marciniuk, Wednesday’s announcement was a big reward for countless hours of hard work. Kosteroski reflected on part of that journey during his speech at the presser.

    “Going back eight years to now, this project has been in our hearts,” said Kosteroski. “The partnerships and the collaborations we have seen and the growth of partnerships and people working together in Saskatoon has been tremendous.

    “There are nine sporting organizations working together right now. That is unheard of. If you would have said eight-and-a-half years ago that softball would be talking to baseball or football would be talking with lacrosse, that is unheard of.

    “Now, it is a common thing. It is like we are family. Everybody works together.”

Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark speaks at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex.

    Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark recalls getting constant comments that dumped on the facility eight years ago, when he sitting with the Saskatoon city government as a city councillor.

    “We had delegation after delegation come to the city and say the field sucks, the dressing rooms suck (and) the stands suck,” said Clark. “Basically, it was getting beat down, because there was so much football being played at this facility, and players are getting injured and we’re embarrassed.

    “To be honest, it took a few starts to even get things going.”

    Clark enjoys seeing the progress that has been made since that time.

    “It is an incredible thing for kids to be able to have access to this,” said Clark. “We look forward to hosting kids from across the province and across the country and top class athletes to put on great performances and to help inspire the next generation and to build sport in our community.”

    Moe touted that the provincial government was pleased to play a part in revamping the Gordie Howe Sports Complex.

    “The Government of Saskatchewan is proud to be on the funding team alongside the Government of Canada and alongside the local community,” said Moe. “When completed, this project will surely live up to the Howe’s namesake, whose iconic #9 has been memorialized in the logo of the Gordie Howe Sports Complex.”

Greg Yuel speaks at Wednesday’s press conference.

    Originally when the revamp got rolling in 2011, the hope was to refurbish Gordie Howe Bowl, which was an eyesore. The refurbishment began on that facility in 2014, and it was renamed Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

    The success on that front created momentum to get the wheel in motion on improving the rest of the Gordie Howe Sports Complex.

    When the master plan of the complex in complete, a total of $62-million will have been put into renovating and improving the complex. As of July of last year, $42-million was raised towards that goal.

    Greg Yuel, who is the chairperson of the fundraising committee for Friends of the Bowl, was pumped at how close Wednesday’s funding announcement gets the project into the home stretch.

    “It is a game changer for all youth and athletes across Canada,” said Yuel. “This is huge milestone in our campaign.

    “It isn’t done yet. We have a few more million to go before we finish it off and put a ribbon on it. Please don’t hesitate to tell your family and friends and reach into your own pockets and help us finish this off.”

Various dignitaries pose for a photo at Wednesday’s press conference.

    If anyone wants to still get in with a donation to refurbish the Gordie Howe Sports Complex, they can do so by clicking right here.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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King to add Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame to accolades

Dave King is a coaching legend in hockey.

    He is already a member of the Order of Canada and the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame, so it would stand to reason Dave King would one day become a member of the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame.

    On Wednesday at a media conference at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex, King was announced as a member of the 2019 class that will head to the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame as a builder. The 34^th annual induction ceremonies will be held Nov. 2 at TCU Place.

    King heads a class that includes five builders, four athletes and two teams, while the 1989 Jeux Canada Games Foundation is honoured as the Sports Organization of the Year.

    King has built a legendary career as a hockey head coach that has spanned decades. He has already been inducted to a number of sports hall of fames.

    Still, King always get humbled by these types of accolades, and it was special to learn he would be going into the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame.

    “I’ve been a citizen of Saskatoon for a long time, although I haven’t lived here for a long time,” said King. “It is a real honour.

    “When I was given the word that this was going to happen, my first thoughts were for all the minor coaches when I was playing minor football and hockey and basketball and baseball, all those guys that created that interest in sport. I’m a pretty lucky guy.”

    The 71-year-old got his start in coaching way back in the 1960s, when he helped his father, Robert, coach the Greystone Heights community hockey team.

Dana Kidd, left, shakes hands with Dave King.

    From that start, Kings coaching career has taken him through the Saskatoon Minor Hockey ranks, the WHL, U Sports, the Canadian national team system, the NHL, the Olympics, Japan, Germany, Sweden and the Russian Super League.
    Most recently, he was one of the co-chairs of the Home Ice Campaign that raised funds to get the new Merlis Belsher Place twin pad hockey rink built on the U of Saskatchewan campus. The 2018-19 hockey campaign marked the first season Merlis Belsher Place was in operation.

    Overall in Saskatoon, King is best remembered for his work from two specific seasons. The first was the 1981-82 campaign, when he took on the role of head coach of Canada’s national junior team along with his duties as head coach of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team.

    That season marked the first campaign of Hockey Canada’s program of excellence, where the national junior team would be made up a junior aged all-star players from across the country.

    Before that, the defending Memorial Cup championship team represented Canada at world juniors.

Guiding a team that included a star centre from the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades named Marc Habscheid, King oversaw Canada’s first gold medal victory at the tournament.

The Huskies 1982-83 national championship team picture.

    In the 1982-83 campaign, King guided the Huskies to a first place finish in the Canada West Conference with a 16-8 record and a third straight Canada West title. At the University Cup national championship tournament in Moncton, N.B., the Huskies won the U Sports national title with a 6-2 victory in the event’s title game over the Concordia University Stingers.

    At that time, U Sports was known as the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union.

    Before winning the national title in 1983, the Huskies fell in the University Cup title game in 1981 and 1982.

    During King’s time as Huskies head coach from 1979 to 1983, the terms “Hustlin’ Huskie” and “no one outworks the Dogs” became synonymous with the program.

    “That team, the majority of those guys I would say over 90 per cent of those guys played together for three years or four years, and we got to the national finals three times in a row,” said King. “Finally, the third time we won it.

A Dave King picture on display at Merlis Belsher Place.

    “We were a close group. We’ve all stuck together. We started alumni association with the University of Saskatchewan Hockey program, and all of us have stayed really in touch with it.”

    King said the bonds have never faded that everyone has from those Huskies years. When the 1982-83 national championship team had a reunion in the mid to late 2000s, almost everyone made it back.

    “When we had our reunion, we all showed up all but a couple of guys,” said King. “It was wonderful.

    “That team won, and when I look at the team picture, they won because they were a group of high achieves. What those guys have done with their careers since that time has been amazing.”

    A number of Kings former players from his time with the Huskies have gone on to successful coaching careers.

Dave King has a few pictures displayed at Merlis Belsher Place.

    The list includes Mike Babcock, who is the head coach of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, Willie Desjardins, who is the head coach and general manager of the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, Peter Anholt, who is the general manager of the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes, Marc Chartier, who is the head coach of the midget AAA Saskatoon Contacts and current Huskies men’s hockey team head coach Dave Adolph.

    Desjardins was the captain of the 1982-83 championship team.

    On the international level, King guided Canada’s senior national team for a number of years, and Habscheid played for him on a number of those teams. Habscheid went on to an extremely successful coaching career, and he guided the Prince Albert Raiders to their second WHL championship this past season.

    “When you coach guys that go on to coach, that is the biggest compliment you will get out of coaching,” said King. “You might win a championship and you might not.

    “When the guys you coach, your athletes go back in and coach themselves, that is a terrific thing, and they are all such great coaches. I’ve been lucky Mike Babcock and Willie Desjardins, guys like that who played for us at the university, they’ve all gone into coaching and been very successful.”

Dave King, right, meets an Optimist Twirling Connection member.

    Also going into the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame in the builders category is Gordie Howe Sports Complex operations manager Johnny Marciniuk.

    Marciniuk has been a consultant and co-ordinator with elementary and high school sports for more than 30 years, and he has had a hand in many sport endeavors.

    In recent years, he is best known for being one of the founding members of the Friends of the Bowl Foundation, which formed with the goal to raise funds to refurbish what is now known as Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

    Once that football stadium was refurbished, that initial project expanded to refurbishing on the sports facilities in what was formerly known as the Holiday Park sports park to become what is now known as the Gordie Howe Sports Complex.

    Being inducted to the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame didn’t cross Marciniuk’s mind as he has overseen the ongoing construction at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex.

Dana Kidd, left, shakes Johnny Marciniuk’s hand.

    “It is an incredible honour for me,” said Marciniuk. “There are between two to three thousand members when you look at the individual members and the teams and the members of those teams.

    “To be a part of that is breathtaking for me. I always say that I am a grunt, and I like to make things happen behind the scenes and those type of things. To be even considered with that group is an honour for me.”

    While construction is still ongoing, Marciniuk marvels at what has already been completed.

    “It has been a labour of love here for us and whole Friends of the Bowl committee,” said Marciniuk. “We’re a little over halfway there, and there is lots more to come.

    “I am very proud of what the community has provided here for us. All the people of the community own this facility, so we’re very proud to be a part of it.”

    Also entering the hall in the builders category are Lawrence Beatty in softball, Dale Clancy in wrestling and Al Mitchell in football.

Johnny Marciniuk, left, and Al Mitchell left marks as sports builders.

    The athletes being inducted in the Fiona Cribb in triathlon, Terry Lehne in football, Donna Saworski in fencing and Jake Wetzel in rowing.

    The teams heading to the hall include the 2012 and 2014 Merle Kopach masters women’s curling teams and the 2005 Optimist Twirling Connection baton twirling team.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Impressive facelift for Gordie Howe Sports Complex continues

Kelsey Murphy (#85) jets upfield at SMF Field in 2017.

    The Gordie Howe Sports Complex seems to be busy at all hours these days.

    While athletes and sports groups utilized the facilities in the evenings and nights from Monday to Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday, construction crews are busy working on numerous improvements during the day from Monday to Friday.

    The most noticeable site on the complex is the rise of a new multi-sport indoor athletic performance and training centre that neighbors Gordie Howe Kinsmen Arena. The walls are up on the building, and workers will likely be working on the inside of the structure during winter.

    The press boxes for Saskatoon Minor Football Field are near completion as the football season approaches for the Saskatoon Hilltops, who have won the last four straight Canadian Junior Football League titles.

    The stands at Cairns Field have been demolished. In their place, the base structure is currently being set up for a new multi-sport centre.

    You can also see the outlines of the new track being built at the new track and field facility. The long and triple jump pits have been completed.

    Another outdoor a field turf field is being constructed for football, two infields for baseball and an overflow parking lot, which will be located west of SMF Field.

The new training centre being built at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex.

    It is amazing to see all the improvements that are being made to Saskatoon’s long time sports park. It almost becomes a challenge to keep track of them all.

    The improvements have been overseen by the Friends of the Bowl Foundation, which is a not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to improve the facilities and amenities at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. The Friends of the Bowl Foundation has initial roots dating back to 2011 when discussions were held about improving what was then known as the Gordie Howe Bowl football facility.

    The first focus was refurbishing Gordie Howe Bowl, which was an eyesore. The refurbishment began on that facility in 2014, and it was renamed Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

The Gordie Howe Softball Diamond sees a lot of use.

    If the renovation and improvements happened just to SMF Field, the work of the Friends of the Bowl Foundation could be deemed a success. That fundraising entity had built such momentum that wheels went into motion on improving the rest of the Gordie Howe Sports Complex.

    When the master plan for the complex is complete, a total of $62-million will be put into renovating and improving the complex. The fundraising efforts have been ongoing since Friends of the Bowl started and $42-million has been raised towards the ultimate final goal.

    Positive momentum keeps building as improvements and renovations quickly occur after large chunks of funds are raised. Saskatoon is going to end up with a sports complex that could end up being the envy of Western Canada.

    Chairperson Bryan Kosteroski and board member Johnny Marciniuk have been the faces of the volunteer board of directors for the Friends of the Bowl Foundation, and they have played a huge part in providing leadership to this big picture project.

A sign touting the work at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex.

    In the end, all the volunteers and everyone who has donated and will donate to make the final vision of the Gordie Howe Sports Complex a reality can take a bow and be owed a big thanks from the rest of the citizens of Saskatoon. There might not be a way to show gratitude for what has taken place.

    If you want to contribute a donation to continue the efforts to refurbish the Gordie Howe Sports Complex, you can do so by clicking here.

Saskatoon falls to champ Novi Sad in 3x3 semis, other notes

Team Saskatoon guard Steve Sir gives a thumbs up to the hometown crowd.

    It seemed like Team Saskatoon was going to ride the hometown crowd to victory against a tougher field at this year’s FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters tournament stop in “the Bridge City.”

    On Saturday, Team Saskatoon posted a 2-0 record in pool play before a jam packed and vocal group of home supporters on an outdoor court set up at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and 21^st Street entering Sunday’s playoff round.

    In Sunday’s playoff round, Team Saskatoon downed Minnesota 3Ball 14-12 to set up a date with powerhouse Novi Sad from Serbia, who top the FIBA 3x3 World Tour rankings. During that semifinal encounter, Team Saskatoon put up a valiant fight, but Novi Sad was as good as advertised pulling out a 21-15 victory.

Michael Lieffers, middle, drives the lane for Team Saskatoon.

    Last year when Saskatoon hosted a FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters tournament for the first time, the local squad made the event’s championship game falling 21-14 to Team Ljubljana from Slovenia.

    Novi Sad proceeded to advance to the event’s championship game in an all-Serbian clash against Liman and prevailed 20-18. 

    Liman guard Aleksandar Ratkov fired up a two-point shot from behind the arch in the final seconds looking to force overtime, but the attempt was off target giving victory for Novi Sad.

    Both teams were back by sizable pro-Serbian contingents. Novi Sad took home US$30,000 for the win, while Liman took home US$20,000 for second place.

Team Saskatoon point guard Michael Linklater, left, sizes up a defender.

    While Team Saskatoon was unable to make the final like it did last year when a FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters tournament was held in town for the first time, they made their home supporters proud.   
    Made up of University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s basketball team grads Michael Linklater, Michael Lieffers and Nolan Brudehl and Edmonton, Alta., product Steve Sir, the Team Saskatoon foursome showed they will be a force once again on the FIBA 3x3 World Tour.

    They are pushing to represent Canada at the 2020 Olympics in Toyko, Japan, when 3x3 basketball will make its debut in the games.

    Linklater, Lieffers and Brudehl are best remembered locally for helping the Huskies win their first and to date only U Sports national men’s basketball title in 2010.

Novi Sad’s Dusan Bulut dishes off a pass in Sunday’s final.

    Even though Team Saskatoon wasn’t able to make the title came at their hometown FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters tournament stop, the event was a huge success. A large beer gardens were added to this year’s event, and they were packed on Saturday’s opening day of competition.

    The stands for the tournament’s championship game were packed, which was big considering the local squad was eliminated in the semifinal round.

    Saskatoon is schedule to host another FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters tournament next year, and it will be an event a large number of people in town will have circled on their calendar.

    With Sunday’s tournament win, Novi Sad has won 13 titles at FIBA 3x3 World Tour events. Dejan Majstorovic led Novi Sad with eight points in the championship final, and he was the tournament’s top scorer with 35 points.

Novi Sad enjoys the spoils of a tournament championship win.

    Majstorovic’s teammate Dusan Bulut had five points in the final and was voted the event’s MVP.

Kalamazoo, Mich., U.S.A., product Doug Anderson won the dunk contest and claimed US$2,500. Lazar Rasic claimed the shootout contest and took home US$500.

• On Sunday in Calgary, Team Saskatchewan won the gold medal game of the Football Canada Cup 31-26 against host Team Alberta. This marked the first time Saskatchewan has won the Football Canada Cup since it was established back in 1995.
• Saskatoon products in guard Kaitlin Jockims and forward Ashley de Sousa Martins are currently attending tryouts for Canada’s under-18 women’s basketball team at York University on Toronto, Ont. Jockims played out of Saskatoon’s Centennial Collegiate and de Sousa Martins suits up for Saskatoon’s Aden Bowman Collegiate. Jockims is a standout winger for the defending Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League champion Saskatoon Stars. The tryouts run through to Saturday. The players that make the team will represent Canada at the FIBA under-18 Women’s America Championship, which runs Aug. 1-7 in Mexico City, Mexico.
• Kaitlin Willoughby, who is an alumnae of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team, has been invited along with 19 other players to be part of the U Sports all-star team that will take part in Hockey Canada’s Summer Showcase, which runs Aug. 2-11 in Calgary, Alta. Last season in her final U Sports campaign, Willoughby led the Huskies in scoring with nine goals and 10 assists in 26 regular season games. She posted a career high a plus-10 in the plus-minus department. Willoughby is the second all-time leading scorer in the history of the Huskies women’s team with 111 points. The U Sports all-stars will play two games against Hockey Canada’s National Development women’s team and two games against Japan’s national women’s team. This marks the third straight summer Willoughby will be taking part in a camp run under Hockey Canada’s umbrella.
• On July 16, the family of Lethbridge Hurricanes forward Ryan Vandervlis, who was badly burned in a campfire accident on June 15, was moved from intensive care to the burn unit at Foothills Hospital in Calgary, Alta. Doctors are optimistic he will make a full recovery. Hurricanes captain Jordy Bellerive and Hurricanes alum Matt Alfaro, who plays for the University of Calgary Dinos, were also hurt in the accident. They were released from hospital before the end of June.
• Jim Pedersen, who was a long time scout with the NHL’s Dallas Stars, passed away on Saturday. The news of Pedersen’s passing was confirmed by his family on Sunday. Pedersen, who was 81-years-old, left a positive impact on Saskatchewan’s hockey scene. His funeral is set for Friday at 2 p.m. at the Milestone Memorial Centre.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Gordie Howe Sports Complex to get more needed upgrades

Friends of the Bowl leads new fundraising initiative

The Hilltops storm out on to the SMF Field turf  last September.

    There are times you almost forget how much actually happens at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex.

    The massive sports park named after hockey icon Gordie Howe and located in Saskatoon’s Holiday Park neighbourhood is best known as the home of the storied Saskatoon Hilltops of the Canadian Junior Football League and the legend building Saskatoon Valkyries of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League. Both teams play out of Saskatoon Minor Football Field, which was once known as Gordie Howe Bowl.

    If you visit the Gordie Howe Sports Complex on any week night during the spring, you will see football is just a part of all the action that goes on there.

    Besides the football stadium, the Gordie Howe Sports Complex is also home to eight softball diamonds including Gordie Howe Softball Diamond, five baseball diamonds including Cairns Field, the Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval and the Gordie Howe Kinsmen Arena.

    In order to keep all the facilities at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex going, you need to keep constantly maintaining and upgrading them. That is where the Friends of the Bowl Foundation not-for-profit group has stepped up so admirably.

    Formed in 2013, The Friends of the Bowl Foundation launched a forward-thinking initiative to raise the funds that were needed badly to refurbish the Complex’s aging football stadium.

The new clubhouse facility at SMF Field can serve numerous functions.

    That initial campaign raised over $11.6-million resulting in a new field turf playing surface, scoreboard, sound system, upgraded lighting, state of the art clubhouse complex, an enhanced entrance place and a new ticket booth.

    Numerous user groups have relished holding functions at the new clubhouse facility, which includes a huge and well used banquet space and patio on the second floor. The hours of play available on the field have increased from 300 hours a year to 1,200 hours a year.

    Now, the Friends of the Bowl are making a push for more upgrades. The current push is already seeing the installation of 5,000 seats and nine boxes at SMF Field. The seats and boxes were made available from the Grey Cup Legacy Project, and they come from old Mosaic Stadium in Regina.

    Under the Grey Cup Legacy Project, the Government of Saskatchewan partnered with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders to distribute the seats and boxes to communities throughout Saskatchewan. The contribution of the seats and the boxes is valued at $4.1-million.

The new ticket building can be used to see team merchandise.

    Friends of the Bowl is raising $5.9-million to transport and install the seats and boxes, upgrade the speed skating oval, replace the backstop at Gordie Howe Softball Diamond and enhance the parking lot and entrance plaza lighting.

    The upgrades at the Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval will include a new timing board, safety mats, new grading of the track and paving around the timing buildings. The upgrades at the Gordie Howe Softball Diamond will include a new backstop that meets national standards.

    With the upgrades that have already been made to the Gordie Howe Sports Complex, the current backstop’s lack of height is a bit of an issue considering how close the softball diamond is to the entrance plaza, parking lot and clubhouse building.

    The Friends of the Bowl should be applauded for their continuing push to constantly improve the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. The volunteer board of directors of a solid group of community leaders headed by chairperson Bryan Kosteroski. Kosteroski has played a large role in helping build minor softball in Saskatoon and is currently the president of the Saskatoon Amateur Softball Association.

The backstop at the Gordie Howe Softball Diamond is slated to be replaced.

    Another key member on the board has been Johnny Marciniuk, who is the operations manager for Saskatoon Football Incorporated and a vice-president with Football Saskatchewan. Marciniuk can seemingly always be found at SMF Field doing all sports of little work with the facility and its daily operations.

    The current fundraising campaign, which is called the Legacy Campaign, is being co-chaired by business leader Greg Yuel and former CFL player Quinn Magnuson. Both have made positive contributions to Saskatoon.

    During a Valkyries home game on May 13, Friends of the Bowl announced a roster of partners including the Saskatoon Baseball Council, Saskatoon Amateur Softball Association, Saskatoon Track and Field Club, Saskatoon Nordic Ski Club, Saskatoon Football Incorporated, Saskatoon Secondary Schools Athletic Directorate, Hilltops, Valkyries, Saskatoon Lions Speed Skating Club and the City of Saskatoon. All of those groups are impacted by what goes on at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex.

George Reed speaks at a function at the SMF Field clubhouse in 2016.

    The Gordie Howe Sports Complex holds countless practices, games and events each year involving over 25,000 local athletes and coaches. Currently, over 10 provincial, national and international events are held on average at the Complex each year. With upgrades, the Complex will likely hold more of these types of events.

    The best part about the Gordie Howe Sports Complex is it continues to be shaped and improved by the community for the community. Any efforts to raise funds to make improvements to it should always be welcomed.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com. If you want to contribute to the fundraising efforts for the next set of improvements to the Gordie Howe Sports Complex, you can do so by clicking here.

Final sprint starts for remaining SMF Field upgrades

The Saskatoon Hilltops in action at SMF Field in October of 2014.

    The money dried up when the turf went in, and now there a final fundraising push.
    Back in 2013, The Friends of the Bowl Foundation not-for-profit group launched a forward thinking initiative to make much needed upgrades to Gordie Howe Bowl here in Saskatoon. The hope was to raise just over $11-million to allow the renovations of the home field of the Canadian Junior Football League's Saskatoon Hilltops and the Western Women's Canadian Football League Saskatoon Valkyries to become a reality.
    In 2014, Gordie Howe Bowl was renamed Saskatoon Minor Football Field, and facility reopened with a new field turf, video scoreboard, sound system and upgraded lighting thanks to fact $7.6-million was raised for upgrades. With those improvements, the fundraising came to a bit of a standstill, because there was a perception everything was complete, when the new field turf field was put into use.
    On Tuesday at a press conference in Saskatoon, The Friends of the Bowl Foundation announced $10-million has been raised to date with private and public sector commitments, and a "Seal the Deal" campaign has been launched to secure the last $1.5-million to complete the upgrades. The money that still needs to be raised will be used to finish off the clubhouse complex going up on the south end of the stadium and to renovate the plaza entrance area to create new ticket booths.
    "We're not done yet," said Bryan Kosteroski, who is the chairman of the Friends of the Bowl Foundation. "We need a little bit more to finish this off.
    "The second floor is going up. The rafters will be going tomorrow. We will start some of the inner work. We still need some funds to finish off the second level off totally."
    Out the funds that still need to be raised, $1-million will be used to finish off the clubhouse and $500,000 will be used to renovate the plaza entrance area.
    Thanks to the upgrades that have already been completed, SMF Field has already had 1,000 hours of rentals booked at all levels of football, which equates to a 600 per cent increase in hours of usage from 2013 before any of the upgrades were started.
    "We have teams from Outlook and rural communities all over the place coming here," said Johnny Marciniuk, who is the operations manager for Saskatoon Football Incorporated. "They are all enjoying our turf here. Monday's are kind of a touch football day. We have our girls Rush program, our high school rush through Saskatoon Minor Football on Tuesdays.
    "Wednesdays is our adult flag (day). Thursdays is our six-on-six program. Fridays and Saturdays, we have had Eastside soccer here and Hollandia soccer that have used the facility.

The new clubhouse complex that is under construction at SMF Field.

    "We are really pleased about this, because this is multipurpose, and we want to make sure that everybody has access to this facility, and it is not just a football facility. That is one of the things that we are very proud of this year."
    When completed, the new 12,000 square foot clubhouse will have four main locker rooms, four softball locker rooms, a referees' training centre, film rooms, meeting rooms, offices, a softball umpires room, therapy room, equipment storage and a multi-purpose room with a viewing balcony.
    The SMF Field is part of the Gordie Howe Sports Complex in Saskatoon, which also includes eight softball diamonds, five baseball diamonds including Cairns Field, a speed skating oval and a hockey rink. Last Saturday, Kosteroski gained a new appreciation for how busy the facility can get with the upgraded SMF Field as the parking lot for the complex filled up.
    "We had a softball tournament, (and) there is football going on," said Kosteroski. "There are so many people coming out here and the awareness is growing. That is why we wanted to launch this next campaign was to seal the deal here. This will be one of the top facilities in Canada."
    Kosteroski said funds are needed as soon as possible to meet the construction timeline. Recognition opportunities are still available like field logos, naming of locker rooms and the multi-purpose room overlooking the field.
    Donations to the campaign can be made online at www.turfit.ca.

Saskatoon football community will miss McCrystal

Former Rams head coach Frank McCrystal.

    Face it Saskatoon football community, you are already missing Frank McCrystal.
    When the University of Regina Rams face the University of Saskatchewan Huskies on Sept. 18 at Griffiths Stadium, it will feel like something is missing, when McCrystal is not out there pacing the sidelines as the Rams head coach.
    McCrystal retired at the end of last season following 41 years of involvement with the Rams program including five years as a player, five years as an assistant coach, 15 years as head coach of the team in their Canadian Junior Football League days and 16 years in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport ranks.
    As Rams head coach, McCrystal was good at stirring the pot to elevate the rivalry between Regina and Saskatoon.
    During the Dogs' Breakfast fundraiser for the Huskies, a few McCrystal jokes flew through the air that one almost forgot he no longer coaches the Rams. When you head to a football activity in Saskatoon, it seems like someone brings up a memory of McCrystal, which included his vow to run for mayor of Saskatoon after the Rams upset the host Saskatoon Hilltops 46-27 in the 1997 Prairie Football Conference final.
    As it stands, the Rams will take the field under the guidance of new head coach Mike Gibson. The new head coach was also given the ability to form his coaching staff.
    So far, the Rams will return five coaches from last season and bring in four new coaches. Notable departures include offensive coordinator Bernie Schmidt and receivers coach Rick Seaman, who both had long tenures with the Rams.
    Even some of the support staff personnel won't be back for a season ago including video coordinator Kevin Baron, whose ties to the Rams date back to being a player starting in 1997 in their second last CJFL campaign.
    As far as stories are concerned coming out of the Regina media, Gibson is trying to put his stamp on the team, and it feels like there is an effort to create a distance from the old coaching regime.
    It also feels like the colourful interviews McCrystal gave will also disappear.
    As far as early impressions go, Gibson, who was an assistant coach in the CFL for the last 10 seasons, will likely be more sterile in his media interviews like Bill Belichick, who is the famed head coach of the NFL's New England Patriots.
    Expect the more colourful tell it like it is football interviews in Saskatchewan to be reserved for Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant and Huskies head coach Brian Towriss.
    A new era has arrived at the post-secondary level in the province. When the Rams and Huskies collide in the Bridge City, football fans in Saskatoon will realize things will be a little less colourful.

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