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| Back in Medicine Hat, I had to stop and visit The Arena. |
On Saturday at 7 p.m. at Co-op Place, the Tigers will open a best-of-seven WHL Eastern Conference semifinal series against another legacy junior hockey franchise – the Prince Albert Raiders. In my 26 seasons covering the WHL, the Tigers and Raiders are the two teams I am linked to the strongest.
To be honest, the Tigers and Raiders are family. I’ve got so many great links with both teams that I am truly blessed on that front.
Now comes the challenging and heavy part. I miss my buds from the Hat who are no longer with us in this world.
The last time I was in the Hat was back in July in 2019 to take care of a personal matter. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic ruined a return planned for March 14, 2020 to take part in the celebrations of the iconic Bob Ridley calling his 4,000th game as the Tigers play-by-play voice. I wasn’t able to get back to Hat until today.
The summer of 2020 during all the restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic is known as the summer of the suicides in Medicine Hat, which made the national news. I remember seeing names of six to seven men come up who took their lives, and I pretty much knew them all.
A lot were alums of the Medicine Hat Junior B Cubs Hockey Team. The pressures of that time in the pandemic played a part in what happened.
Out of the suicides in 2020 in Medicine Hat, Mitch Serr and Mike Engel were two that I built tight friendships with when I lived in the Hat from 2004 to 2014. We shared lots about our personal lives with each other.
When the Raiders blanked the Edmonton Oil Kings 5-0 on Tuesday at the storied and historic Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert in Game 7 to conclude a first round series, I was happy the Raiders were advancing to play the Tigers. Following post-game interviews, I went up to the Ches Leach Lounge to visit some friends before writing my game story for this blog and editing pictures.
On one of the big screens, the two teams’ logos popped up to tease the Eastern Conference semifinal matchup. All of a sudden, I froze. The memories of the men who passed away in 2020 came back to me.
When I got back to Coronet Hotel, I started to tear up. I had talked with Nathan Reiter, who is the sports reporter for the Prince Albert Daily Herald, after the Raiders win at the Hauser about seeing if I could drive him out to the Hat with me.
After the tears came in the hotel room, I messaged Reiter and let him know what the deal was. I said in the message I believe I better head to Medicine Hat solo to be able to deal with emotionally what I needed to deal with.
I felt bad about doing that, because I believe he has developed a best friend type bond with James Tubb, who is the sportswriter for the Medicine Hat News. I believe it would be special, if they could work this series together.
Before I sent Reiter that message, I was checking out a CBC documentary from 2020 that I had seen before on the suicide deaths of Brandon Niwa and Ryan Pancoast. The stories of Niwa and Pancoast led off the documentary about the multiple suicide deaths. Even now, it was gut wrenching to see interviews from people I knew in the Hat talking about all the suicide deaths.
I had dread of what it would be like to arrive in Medicine Hat physically for the first time knowing those buds are no longer with us. A scenario ran through my head where I imagined myself freezing up while covering the games.
On Thursday afternoon or two days after the Raiders first round series win, I messaged the Tigers that I would be in the Hat two work Games 1 and 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinal. Normally, I would have sent a message the next day.
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| CDs that helped me on the drive to Medicine Hat. |
At a gas stop in Oyen, I got a message that one of my old friends from Winnipeg passed away in his sleep of natural causes.
That was a gut punch, but on that front, good memories went through my mind of how that friend in Winnipeg lived life pretty much on his own terms, which at the end of the day is all any of us want. I might have compartmentalized that passing too quickly, so it might still hit me more later on. It also went through my mind on the drive it 11 years to the day my uncle Art Steinke passed away.
With the passings of my friends in 2020 in the Hat, I remember Serr and Engel really loved the Tigers. There is a story on each front there that is a good memory I feel like I can share.
First, I will start with Serr. This one makes me chuckle now.
This memory happened after the Tigers blanked the Red Deer Rebels 5-0 at The Arena in Game 2 of a first round series in the 2007 WHL Playoffs. The win evened the series at 1-1.
That series was really rough and the Tigers had taken some hits from Rebels players that were borderline. Actually, Tigers star right-winger and agitator Derek Dorsett said some of the hits were cheap looking back in recollection.
Serr was still playing for the Cubs at that time, and I saw him at one of the Hat’s night spots following Game 2. Serr was mad at hits the Tigers players were taking. He told me he wanted me to tell Tigers head coach and general manager Willie Desjardins that he wanted to gather a couple of his toughest buds from the Cubs and wanted to be dressed as a line to go send a message to the Rebels.
Serr said they would all be junior B guys, so it didn’t matter if they got suspended. Serr said he knows the Tigers players, who were his friends too, could handle anything that was thrown at them, but he said they shouldn’t have to deal with what they had been dealing with from the Rebels.
I chuckle every time I think of that moment. The passion was priceless.
Engel, who was also a Cubs alum, would come up and visit me from time to time in the press box at The Arena. At Tigers games, he was always into what was happening on the ice. He always had really good observations about the game and thought Desjardins was the best.
One time at his house, we were having a few pops, and I am hoping I remember this right. I remember him telling me he got invited to Tigers training camp, and he was so pumped for that opportunity.
At camp, he said he knew playing hockey in the WHL wasn’t going to work out for him, but he said the team still treated him really well through that process. He said he was thankful for that chance.
I think a short time after that visit was when Engel gave up drinking. I support all my friends who made that choice.
He did it cold turkey and stuck with it. I will always be proud he was able to do that.
Another thing that crossed my mind on the drive down was what was I was going to do for the upcoming playoff games between the Tigers and Raiders as far as suit and tie combos go. Of course, one of my favourite looks is wearing an orange dress shirt with a black tie. I copied that look after I saw Desjardins wear it one game, and I thought it looked super cool.
I often wear that look when I am covering big WHL games and especially games in the Memorial Cup tournament as a call back to remembering all the big Tigers regular season and post-season games I covered during my time at the Medicine Hat News from 2004 to 2014. I’ve worn that suit and tie combination for a number of big Raiders victories including their WHL title win in 2019 even though their colours are green, white, gold and black.
The players on both the Tigers and Raiders truly believe they have the best fans in the WHL. The fans of both teams are extremely passionate, and they do let you know if they don’t agree with something you have written and are protective of anyone being biased against their squads. It is all in a good way on that front too.
Out of respect for my friends who are no longer here, I feel like I have to wear the orange shirt and black tie combination for Game 1 here in the Hat. I hope my buds enjoy the series up there.
Rest easy guys and remember you are missed.
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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