The sweetest of title sweeps

Huskies capture 17^th Canada West crown with emotional win

Marty Smuk, Matthew Spafford, Stephanie Vause and Darla Smuk all rock.

    To say the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team was playing with heart may be the biggest understatement ever.

    On Saturday night at the ancient Rutherford Rink, the Dogs weren’t going to be denied a Canada West title. Trailing their “Forever Rivals” the University of Alberta Golden Bears 1-0 entering the third period, the Huskies stormed out and scored three straight goals before a raucous sold out crowd of 1,066 spectators. U of A managed to pot one reply with seven seconds to play, but all that did was make the final on the scoreboard 3-2 in favour of the host Huskies.

    In the record books, the Huskies go down as sweeping the Golden Bears 2-0 in the best-of-three Canada West men’s hockey championship series. With their 17^th conference title win in team history, the Dogs will travel to Halifax for the University Cup, which is the Canadian Interuniversity Sport final eight championship tournament, along with the Golden Bears. That tourney runs from March 17 to 20.

    What the statistical sheet won’t show was that the Huskies were playing for something more. Besides playing for the logo on the front of the jersey and for the pride of the school and Saskatoon as a city, these Huskies were playing to honour the memory of a former teammate and alumnus.

Logan McVeigh, left, got the Ruthy jumping with a third period goal.

    After a battle with cancer that lasted over a year, Cody Smuk passed away in late June of 2015. The gritty forward, who played for the Huskies from 2010 to 2014, was known for his hard work and being the ultimate glue guy in the dressing room. Words can’t do justice to the impact he had on the Huskies athletic program and the community of Saskatoon.

    The Huskies men’s team retired Smuk’s #24 on Oct. 24, 2015. All season, they have warmed up with all players wearing his #24 jersey. Smuk’s father, Marty, mother, Darla, and fiancée, Stephanie Vause, have been to every home game.

    When it came time for the team picture with the Dr. W.G. Hardy Trophy and the championship banner, Huskies captain Kendall McFaull and third-year forward Josh Roach helped bring Marty, Darla and Vause on to the ice to be part the photograph. As the group approached the team, they received an ovation from the players, coaches and staff.

    Fifth-year forward Matthew Spafford teared up talking about his good friend and former teammate after the contest. His thoughts drifted to the 2014 University Cup championship tournament in Saskatoon, where Smuk played his final games with the Huskies. The Huskies made it to the championship game falling 3-1 to the Golden Bears at what is now known as the SaskTel Centre.

    “He (Smuk) is the driving force,” said Spafford. “I screwed up and didn’t get him one in my third year.

    “I know he is looking down on us right now, and he is helping us win, so it means everything.”

Levi Cable slips home the Huskies third goal of the night.

    Fifth-year defenceman Zak Stebner also couldn’t help but think his side might have had an extra boost. For Stebner, Smuk, who was nicknamed “Marty,” was a big part of the Huskies success in the 2015-16 campaign.

    “We are always playing for Marty,” said Stebner, “It is a big part of why we work so hard.

    “We try to work as Marty did, and he was a hard working dude. We figured if we could match just a fraction of how hard he works we will be successful, and I think that we exemplified that tonight.”

    At first, it looked like the Golden Bears were going to play spoilers. James Dobrowolski scored at the 3:31 of the first period to put U of A up 1-0. The goal only silenced the crowd for a short time, and it didn’t stall the Huskies.

    The Dogs responded with a big push back. Their efforts to net the equalizer also helped accidently create a pair of second period breakaways for Golden Bears forwards Brett Ferguson and Jordan Hickmott.

Zak Stebner hoists the Dr. W.G. Hardy Trophy.

    Huskie goaltender Jordon Cooke, who was named Canada West’s most outstanding player and goaltender of the year, stoned both chances. Cooke’s stop on Hickmott came late in the second and seemed to help add to the belief that the Huskies would rally.

    Early in the third, the Huskies push back resulted in the host side scoring two goals just 15 seconds apart from each other. Jesse Ross got the first tally, Logan McVeigh potted the second tally, and the Ruthy was rocking louder than it had at any point in the season.

    At the 11:57 mark, Levi Cable slipped home a low shot from a bad angle past Golden Bears goaltender Luke Siemens to increase the Huskies edge to 3-1.

    U of A rearguard Jordan Rowley, who was named Canada West’s top defenceman, netted the contest’s final goal with seven seconds to play.

    Cooke made 26 saves to earn the win in goal for the Huskies, who are rated third in the CIS top ten rankings. Siemens stopped 28 shots in net for the Golden Bears, who are rated fourth in the CIS top ten.

    While the Golden Bears played tough in both games of the series, the Huskies weren’t going to be denied in penning another cool chapter of a special season.

The Huskies are the 2016 Canada West champions.

    Even the rookies on the Huskies can feel something great has been happening. McVeigh, who is playing his first year with the Huskies after finishing his Western Hockey League career with the Kamloops Blazers, can feel the positive impact Smuk has had after his death.

    “It feels good just to get a win for him and his family,” said McVeigh. “It feels great to get them involved with our picture and come on the ice. It was great.”

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

Ervine is so fine for Huskies

Marley Ervine, right, celebrates scoring a goal for the Huskies.

    It seemed like everything Marley Ervine touched turned to gold for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team.

    The feisty fifth-year forward had a goal and three assists to power the Huskies to a 5-3 victory over the University of Regina Cougars on Friday night at the Rutherford Rink. The Kindersley product is well known for getting in the dirty areas and mixing things up physically against opponents, who are usually bigger than she is. Those battles have also included a little bit of trash talking.

    With the Huskies missing Kaitlin Willoughby, their leading scorer from last season, with an undisclosed injury, Ervine ended up being in the right place at the right time in what was a 1980s offensive style of game.

    In the opening 20 minutes, the Huskie jumped out to a 1-0 lead, when right-winger Hailey Tyndall fired home a shot that went between the legs of Cougars defender Jolene Kirkpatrick to bulge the twine. With the Huskies working on the power play later on in the frame, Ervine picked up her first helper, when rookie defender Leah Bohlken fired home a shot through a screen to net her first career Canadian Interuniversity Sport regular season goal.

    The hosts expanded their edge to 3-0 at the 6:12 mark of the second, when Ervine and rookie centre Elizabeth Salyn combined to set up Rachel Johnson for her third goal of the season.

    Just when it looked the Huskies were going to run away with things, the Cougars came to life scoring two goals 39 second apart just past the midway point of the second to cut the Huskies lead to 3-2. First, fourth-year veteran Meghan Sherven batted home a close in rebound chance on the power play and Bailey Braden quickly followed up with an even strength marker.

Marley Ervine speeds down the left wing for the Huskies.

    Working again on the power play, the Huskies jumped back ahead 4-2, when Ervine got the puck to the point to offensive defender Julia Flinton who slipped home a seeing-eye shot for her first goal of the season.

    A short time after that tally, the Cougars pulled staring rookie goalie Jane Kish, who turned away 16-of-20 shots fired her way. Toni Ross went in with 5:39 to play in the second, and she turned away 10-11 shots in relief.

    Just under a minute after entering the contest, Ross was beaten on a good individual effort by Ervine to give the Huskies a 5-2 edge.

    Before the second ended, the Cougars cut the gap to 5-3, when sophomore forward Caitlin Dempsey tucked a shot over the shoulder of Huskies goaltender Cassidy Hendricks on a penalty shot. Hendricks was solid overall on Friday making 33 saves to improve her Huskies career regular season wins record to 37.

    With the victory, the Huskies improved to 5-1-1, while the Cougars fell to 4-3.

    The two teams meet again on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Co-operators Centre in Regina.

    NOTES ­– Huskies third year veteran forward Kori Herner left Friday’s game in the second period with an injury. The injury bug has taken a big bite out of the Cougars in the early part of the season. They played with only 15 skaters on Friday, and among their missing was their leading scorer from a season ago in Kylie Gavelin and fourth year veteran defender Krista Metz.

    Huskies defender Alyssa Dobler played in her 105th consecutive career game for the Huskies including regular season, playoffs and the Canadian Interuniversity Sport championship tournament. The fourth-year veteran has never missed a game in her career. Dobler had received a major penalty and a game misconduct for a checking from behind infraction in Huskies 3-1 road victory over the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns last Saturday, but no suspension resulted from that play.

    The Huskies are rated 10^th in the CIS’s top ten rankings.

Smuk game up for Huskies men’s team

The Huskies men's hockey team take warm-ups wearing Cody Smuk jerseys.

    The late Cody Smuk exemplified the phrase, “No one outworks the Dogs,” and it is only fitting his memory will be front and centre for a pre-game tribute.

    On Saturday, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team will retire Smuk’s #24 jersey before their 7 p.m. clash with the University of Regina Cougars at the Rutherford Rink. This will mark the first time the Huskies have retired a number.

    Smuk played four seasons for the Huskies from 2010 to 2014 collecting six goals and 14 assists in 89 regular season games. He was best known for his gritty and hard-working style of play, as well as being the perfect glue guy teammate in the dressing room. The hard-hitting forward, who played in the WHL with the Chilliwack Bruins, Lethbridge Hurricanes and Moose Jaw Warriors, passed away after a battle with cancer that lasted over a year in June at the age of 26.

    One of the walls at the Rutherford Rink contains a big banner with Smuk’s picture that reads, “We all play the Cody Smuk way.”

    Before taking the ice for games, all the members of the Huskies men’s team have been wearing #24 Smuk jerseys during warm-ups in tribute of Smuk. That practice is expected to last for the whole season, and it will be repeated before Saturday’s game.
    Smuk's parents, father Marty and mother Darla, and his financee, Stephanie Vause, will take part in the pre-game ceremony.

The Cody Smuk banner that hangs at the Rutherford Rink.

    On the ice on Friday, the Huskies, who are rated fourth in the CIS’s top ten rankings, improved to 5-0 downing the Cougars in Regina 3-1.

    Sean Aschim, Zak Stebner and Logan McVeigh all netted singles for the Huskies. Trent Lofthouse replied for the Cougars, who fell to 1-4.

    Blake Voth made 36 saves to earn the win in goal in his first start of the season for the Huskies. Dawson MacAuley turned away 27 shots taking the loss in the Cougars net.

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

Smuk still brings everyone together

Stephanie Vause slips a shot past traffic at the Smuk Memorial tourney.

    Even after death, Cody Smuk is still the glue guy.

    In order to prove that observation, all one had to do was head out to the Sasktel Centre parking lot on Wednesday evening. A large number of Smuk’s friends and family were taking part in the Cody Smuk Memorial Road Hockey Tournament just over a month after the former heart and soul forward with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Men’s Hockey team passed away. Smuk succumbed in his battle with cancer that lasted over a year.

    The 16 teams that took part in the event also contained a healthy showing of people that didn’t know Smuk but wanted to take part in a fundraising effort for Choc ‘la Cure, which raises funds for equipment at the Saskatoon Cancer Centre. The night was one that Smuk would have loved to have been part of in person, but was likely there in spirit.

    People did reminisce about the hard working and gritty skater, and it was obvious everyone came with the focus of having a good time.

    Two little street courts were set up for 3-on-3 action. The games were pretty much pick-up road hockey games, where the purpose was having fun. You might be hard pressed to find a group of adults anywhere that shared so many laughs.

    Games included those that hadn’t played hockey a whole lot, to those that currently play in the CIS and WHL and a handful of players from the professional ranks.

    During the evening, you learned that Dalyce Emmerson, who is a star post player with the U of Saskatchewan Huskies Women’s Basketball team, can knock home goals from in front of the net as easily as she pours in points from the paint. Emmerson was playing on a squad mainly made up of her hoops teammates, who visibly enjoyed a different sporting venture.

    All the players frequently talked about the plays they made or didn’t make and chuckles always followed as they did. A few teams even came up with specially designed shirts to wear during games, which included the Get Smuk’d squad’s t-shirts that contained the Moose Jaw Warriors logo and the #10 Smuk wore for that WHL franchise.

Derek Hulak leads a rush at the Smuk Memorial tourney.

    For a few hours, everyone was a kid again just playing a game out in the street, and most arrived after toiling in a regular work day.

    It seemed amazing to think the tourney came together in about two weeks thanks mainly to the hard work of James Vause whose sister, Stephanie, was engaged to Smuk.

    The games were 16 minutes straight time in length. In the championship contest, team Get Smuk’d, which was made up of some of Smuk’s really good friends and former teammates, came up just short against a squad backstopped by Daniel Wapple, who is the star goalie for the WHL’s Regina Pats. Wapple’s team was believed to have gone by the name Battle Donkey’s.

    Overall, it was a night everyone will remember for fellowship and comradery. Somewhere, Smuk had to be grinning ear-to-ear seeing his pals have a good time.

Once Voice night spectacular

A One Voice fundraiser ticket.

    A week ago, Saskatoon’s TCU Place hosted a charity event that a unique and warm-feeling vibe.

    The One Voice fundraiser took place to raise money for the Neural Health Project at the U of Saskatchewan. The hope of the Neural Health Project is to develop a more complete approach to the treatment of mental illness through a combination of conventional and alternative therapies.

    The event was spearheaded by Mike Babcock, who is the head coach of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, and Dr. DeeDee Maltman, who is the medical director for the Centre of Integrative Medicine at the U of S. Usually any charity event that involves Babcock is expected to be at least good, and this one way exceeded those good expectations in a spectacular way.

    The One Voice fundraiser was a $1,000 a plate event, but the large turnout that came to TCU Place were some of the most down to earth people you would meet anywhere.

    The stars of the night were Michael Landsberg, who hosts TSN’s Off The Record, Clara Hughes, who is a six-time Olympic medalist for Canada, and Kaitlin Hrudey, who is the 22-year-old daughter of former NHL goaltender and current hockey broadcaster Kelly Hrudey. They talked about their battles with mental illness. Landsberg and Hughes both battled depression, and Kaitlin Hrudey has contended with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    The coolest thing about the night was the fact that mental health and mental illnesses were discussed normally in a big social setting.

    Unfortunately in today’s world that is still not the case. Often in the workplace, mental health is still the elephant in the room.

    As someone who has battled with issues regarding anxiety, the One Voice fundraiser was my best night in Saskatoon since I moved to the Bridge City in late July of last year. I admit I shed my share of tears that night, and I also had that warm and fuzzy feeling when Hughes, Kelly and Kaitlin Hrudey and Babcock, who has guided Canada’s Men’s Hockey team to two Olympic gold medal wins, all asked me how I was doing during various visits over the course of the night.

    It was also amazing to see people rally around Babcock, when he gets behind a cause. For anyone that has battled mental illness, it was inspiring to see someone of Babcock’s stature say what we are doing right now to deal with mental illnesses isn’t working, and we need to find a better way.

    Over $1-million was raised that night for the Neural Health Project.

    You almost wish you could bottle up the positive emotions from that event and carry them with you forever.

Hilltops back in action

The Hilltops celebrate their PFC title victory at SMF Field in 2014.

    On Monday, the venerable Saskatoon Hilltops will begin their quest in earnest for an 18^th national title.

    The defending Canadian Junior Football League champions open their main training camp on Monday with practices at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Hilltops clubhouse. Practices will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday at the team’s clubhouse leading to a game against the Hilltops alumni at 7 p.m. Thursday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

    “The Sarge,” head coach Tom Sargeant is expecting to have a veteran laden team going into the 2015 campaign. While the Hilltops have won four of the last five CJFL titles, they will be challenged by an ever improving Prairie Football Conference in 2015, which should lead to a number of compelling games. Saskatoon always seems to consistently rise to the occasion in big moments, and that will likely continue this season to make for some interesting storylines.

    The Hilltops open the regular season traveling to Calgary to take on the Colts on Aug. 16. Saskatoon’s home opener is slated for Aug. 30 against the Winnipeg Rifles at Saskatoon Minor Football Field with a start time still to be determined.

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

Smuk’s cancer battle brought out the best in Saskatoon

Cody Smuk 1989-2015

Cody Smuk at the Rutherford Rink on Jan. 30, 2015.

    If life success is determined by how many friends you have, Cody Smuk died a very rich young man.

    The hard-working, team-first former forward with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team succumbed to a battle with cancer that lasted over a year early Thursday morning. He just turned 26 back on May 11.

    Smuk was living proof about how much the glue guy matters.

    As news spread about his passing, those that knew him quickly flocked to social media to post tributes. Even those in Saskatoon that didn’t know Smuk personally or didn’t follow the Huskies knew Smuk’s story and were sad to hear about his death.

    He grew up playing minor hockey in Saskatoon and moved on to spend four seasons in the WHL with the Chilliwack Bruins, Lethbridge Hurricanes and Moose Jaw Warriors. No matter where the stop was, Smuk was always one of the most popular players on the team he suited up for.

    That didn’t change when he returned to Saskatoon to play four seasons with the Huskies. Smuk was never the offensive star. He netted six goals and 14 assists in 89 career regular season games with the Huskies.

    Due to the fact he was good natured, easy going and genuine, he easily became one of the most popular players on his own team and amongst all teams that are part of the Huskies program.

    The man who always had a smile on his face ended up dating Stephanie Vause from the Huskies track team and the two were engaged to be married at the time of Smuk’s death.

    Because of his strong qualities of character, Saskatoon as a city and the hockey community at large repeatedly rallied for Smuk, when his diagnosis of testicular and lung cancer came out about two months after he helped the Huskies win a silver medal at the University Cup national championship tournament in March of 2014.

Cody Smuk drops the puck for a ceremonial faceoff on Jan. 30, 2015.

    Over the past 12 months, just over $116,000 was raised to support Smuk on a GoFundMe.com website page. Whenever Smuk encountered a serious challenge, the community responded with a surge of donations, which started with a $20,000 gusher over three days after the page was established in June of 2014.

    All sorts of people started sporting “Get Smuk’d Cancer” bracelets in another show of support.

    On Jan. 30, Smuk received a standing ovation at a packed Rutherford Rink, when he dropped the puck for a ceremonial faceoff before a men’s hockey match between the Huskies and the rival U of Alberta Golden Bears. It was one of the most heartwarming moments to ever take place inside the 85-year-old rink. Just under $3,500 was raised for the Saskatchewan branch of the Canadian Cancer Society through a Marty’s Men fundraiser put on by the Huskies.

    When Smuk departed for Germany with Vause, his father Marty and mother Darla, to seek alternative treatment on April 26, about 100 people turned out on an early snowing Sunday morning to give the group a big send off at the John G. Diefenbaker International Airport. If you were there, you definitely could feel a great community vibe.

    That vibe returned at a steak night fundraiser that was held for Smuk at the Kinsmen/Henk Ruys Soccer Centre on June 4. This gathering included a number of current NHL players from the area in Luke and Brayden Schenn, Darcy Kuemper and Linden Vey. There were also a tonne of great characters that have character on hand who became friends with Smuk during his time in the WHL and the Huskies.

Cody Smuk and Stephanie Vause, centre, watch the Huskies in Nov. 2014.

    There was a huge and a very cool collection of silent auction items up for grabs including signed jerseys by Jonathan Toews, Tyler Ennis and George Reed. Washington Capitals goaltender and Saskatoon Blades graduate Braden Holtby contributed five big items including two signed game jerseys.

    Vause and Marty Smuk were in attendance and were visibly uplifted that night. Cody Smuk himself still hadn’t returned from Germany.

    Who knew this would be the last public gathering held to support Smuk, while he was still alive.

    After always approaching his cancer battle with an incredible upbeat attitude, Smuk’s condition deteriorated quickly this week leading up this his passing away on Thursday. On Friday, a tribute sign went up for Smuk in front of the Rutherford Rink reading “Rest easy Cody.” A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, June 30 at 2 p.m. at Elim Church.

    For one that always played with a huge heart on the ice, Smuk helped show how big of a community heart Saskatoon can have off the ice.

Valkyries and Riot near biggest clash ever

Marci Kiselyk zips downfield for the Valkyries.

    Believe it or not, the Saskatchewan Roughriders regular season opener at Mosaic Stadium isn’t the biggest football related thing on everyone’s mind in the wheat province.

    On Sunday at 2 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium, the Saskatoon Valkyries battle the host Regina Riot in what is to date the biggest clash between the Western Women’s Canadian Football League powerhouse clubs. For the fifth straight year, the two clubs are facing off in the Prairie Conference Final. While the Valkyries took the previous four meetings on their way to winning four straight league titles, this meeting might be the most up in the air head-to-head match between these two clubs.

    “We love to play Regina, and we love to play in good football games,” said veteran Valkyries receiver Marci Kiselyk. “We love playoff games. We’re really excited to get out there on Sunday and see what we can do.”

    The Valkyries and Riot each posted 3-1 regular season records and split their two head-to-head games. The Riot held the standings tiebreaker outscoring the Valkyries 68-37 in the two games.

    In the last meeting between these teams, the Riot bombed the Valkyries 49-9 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

    “We really want to redeem ourselves,” said Kiselyk. “We really want to play the way that we know that we can.

    “It stung for a while, and you have to move past it. Football is a game of ups and downs. If a play doesn’t go your way, you have to rebound and be ready go on the next one.”

    The WWCFL’s Western Conference Final will see the Calgary Rage travel to Edmonton to take on the Storm at Jasper Place. Both teams were 2-2 in the regular season.

    The league title game between the two conference winners is set for July 4 at Investors Group Field in Winnipeg.

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

People who rock

    Wherever my life travels have taken me, I have found outstanding individuals.

    For just a plain feel good exercise, I thought I would list a few people who are “beauties” and make life just so much better. By no means is this list complete or even in any sort of order. I am just hoping it creates some good, upbeat and positive energy.

Kabree Howard

Kabree Howard in action for the Huskies.

    The University of Saskatchewan Huskies are so going to miss her.

    For five seasons, Howard was more than just a point guard on the Huskies women’s basketball team. She just made life better for everyone at the U of Saskatchewan.

    The Regina product was the heart of the Huskies program, who was everyone’s best friend and always knew the right thing to say to pick up someone’s spirits and motivate them. She also seemed to get out to every community event the Huskies held, and volunteered to help out numerous other community projects.

    When her final season was complete, Howard won the Huskies team award as the program’s all-around female athlete of the year. The 23-year-old has also excelled in the classroom being constant academic all-Canadian.

    While she has exhausted her playing eligibility, the Huskies would be wise to find a permanent position for her within their athletic department. All Howard has done is make the Huskies look good, and you can’t put a price on that.

Bob Ridley

Bob Ridley calls a Tigers game at The Arena.

  Ridley has been the play-by-play voice of the Medicine Hat Tigers for all 45 seasons of their existence and drove the team bus for the majority of that time.

    Les Lazaruk, who is the play-by-play voice of the Saskatoon Blades, called Ridley the dean of all WHL broadcasters, and the label fits.

    Between the regular season and post-season, Ridley has called all but one of the Tigers games. He has worked 3,219 of the team’s 3,220 regular season contests, all 388 of the club’s contests in the WHL playoffs and all 20 games the team has played in at the Memorial Cup tournament for a total of 3,627 contests.

    Ridley, 70, is a WHL legend and icon. Back in 2006, he was the recipient of the WHL’s Distinguished Service Award. There is hope that one day he will find his way into the Hockey Hall of Fame, and he is deserving of a spot with the game’s all-time greats.

    The best part about Rids is he has always taken all the accolades that have come his way in a humble manner, and he has never made himself that big of a deal. The press box in the new Medicine Hat Regional Event Centre, which is nearing completion, will be named after Ridley.

    Last season was the first campaign Ridley wasn’t the full-time bus driver for the Tigers since the early 1970s. He does admit he is getting older, and he needed to depart from that role.

    Ridley has been blessed with great health for his whole life, and here is hoping he will still be calling Tigers for a few more season’s in the future. When the day comes you no longer get to hear “he scooorrrreeeesss” on the radio, it will feel like something is missing.

Cody Smuk and Stephanie Vause

Cody Smuk and Stephanie Vause watch a Huskies men's hockey game.

    The former U of Saskatchewan Huskies athletes, who are engaged to me married, never cease to be inspiring.

    When Smuk was diagnosed with cancer just over a year ago, the resolve this young couple has displayed has been breathtaking. Smuk, who was a forward with the Huskies men’s hockey team, has always been a hard-working and ultimate team guy. Vause, who was a member of the Huskies track and field team, never wavered as a source of outstanding support for Smuk.

    She started the Gofundme page to raise money to help Smuk in cancer battle. The funds have been used to send Smuk to Germany for an alternative vaccine treatment. The doctors took a sample from the cancerous tumour in Smuk’s chest and created a vaccine for it, and the initial news is that the treatment is working.

    Smuk proposed to Vause in late December of last year. In February, the couple won a Dream Wedding Contest, which was organized by Crystal MacLeod of RSVP Event Design.

    Smuk and Vause have impressed all of their supports throughout Smuk’s cancer battle. They deserve nothing but good things to keep coming their way.

Steve Hogle

Steve Hogle, right, works the card table at the Blades Vegas night.

    The president of the Saskatoon Blades has become the public face of the hockey club.

    Hogle arrived in Saskatoon in September of 2013 and became Blades president under the club’s new owner Mike Priestner. Since landing in the Bridge City, Hogle hit the ground running to do his best to become part of his new community.

    Any time the Blades are engaged in a community event, Hogle is front and centre ensuring that everything is organized. He has represented the team in all sorts of forums, and on game nights, he can always be found on the concourse level interacting with fans.

    He has developed a reputation for being fun and energetic, and he helps add a lot of spark to the club’s various nightly promotions. That includes have a very noticeable joy of being part of the hoopla during the club’s Las Vegas night, where Hogle can be found working a card table.

    Away from the Blades, Hogle can be found wandering Saskatoon doing various other activities like taking in other sporting events like the Canadian Interuniversity Sport Men’s Volleyball Championships at the U of Saskatchewan or checking out a Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan play performance.

    Once thought to be a lifer with CTV News in Edmonton, Hogle has found a home in Saskatoon.

Kandace Cook

Kandace Cook zips down the ice for the Huskies.

    The gritty and hard-working forward in hockey always finds a place in your heart, and no one in the Canada West women’s conference was a feisty as Kandace Cook.

    She stands only 5-foot-2 but played the game like she was 6-foot-2. The Lloydminster product was spectacular in her fifth and final season with the U of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team. For the third straight season, Cook appeared in all of the Huskies 28 regular season games, and she had career highs in goals (13) and points (22).

    For her efforts, Cook was named the most valuable player of the Huskies women’s hockey team.

    When she is on the ice, you can tell Cook loves the game. She is not afraid to go in front of the net or into the corners, where players do still take a physical beating in the women’s game. Away from the rink, she is energetic, outgoing and is very popular with the rest of her teammates.

    Now that she has exhausted her university eligibility, the Huskies will definitely miss Cook next season, and could only wish to find five more players just like her.

    Away from the rink, you don’t have to know Cook long to learn that her other big passion is farming, and she can usually be found helping out the family farm operation.

Peter Anholt

Peter Anholt.

    It was a big lift for the WHL, when Peter Anholt once again became employed with one of the league’s member teams in a role as a manager or coach.

    The Naicam, Sask., product was a respected, accountable and personable career coach in the WHL for much of his life. After guiding the Prince Albert Raiders to the playoffs in the 2006-07 campaign as head coach, Anholt parted ways with the club when his contract was allowed to expire in the off-season.

    Anholt had huge ties to the Raiders and to the Prince Albert community, and it was strange that he was no longer the team’s head coach. He was a defenceman on two national championship teams with the Raiders in 1979 and 1981, when the club was still a member of the junior A ranks. It seemed like he was meant to coach that team forever.

    The former defenceman with the U of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team 1983 University Cup national championship team was hired by the struggling Lethbridge Hurricanes as an assistant general manager in June of 2014. The Hurricanes last made the WHL playoffs in 2009. Anholt’s arrival was the first huge positive step forward the team took in some time.

    In December of last year, the Hurricanes cleaned house firing general manager Brad Robson and head coach Drake Berehowsky.

    Anholt became the club’s new head coach and general manager. For the rest of the 2014-15 regular season, the Hurricanes were no longer an easy win for every other team in the league. The Hurricanes played inspired hockey and started rolling off some winning streaks.

    The coaching veteran treated the players with respect but still held them accountable. His biggest strength is his ability to instill confidence, and that could be seen when the Hurricanes took the ice. They still finished second last in the league at 20-44-5-3, but hope had returned to Lethbridge.

    In May, the Hurricanes signed Anholt to a three-year extension as the team’s general manager. On Thursday, Anholt hired long time Calgary Hitmen assistant coach Brent Kisio as the Hurricanes new head coach. The hire was a forward thinking move by Anholt bringing in an eager 32-year-old bench boss, who had been part of a winning program.

    Not so long ago, the Hurricanes were a franchise players wanted to leave. Under Anholt, players are now excited about the prospect of joining the Hurricanes.

Kris Russell

A Kris Russell card from his Tigers days.

    The Caroline, Alta., product is living proof that talent, hard work and persistence can take you a long way.

    During his major junior days with the Medicine Hat Tigers, Russell was viewed as one of the most exciting players in the entire Canadian Hockey League helping Canada win gold at the world junior championships in 2006 and 2007 and being named the WHL’s MVP in the 2006-07 campaign. He also accumulated numerous other accolades in his four seasons with the Tigers from 2003 to 2007, and he was key in helping Medicine Hat win WHL championships in 2004 and 2007.

    Russell started his NHL career with an extended stay with the Columbus Blue Jackets before being dealt to the St. Louis Blues. The Blues built a deep back end, and traded Russell to the struggling Calgary Flames in July of 2013.

    With the Flames, the dynamic Russell was given a full out shot to excel, and he didn’t disappoint. This past season, Russell cemented a reputation for being a standout on the blue-line at the NHL level.

    In helping the Flames make the playoffs for the first time in six years, Russell established a new NHL record for most blocked shots in a season at 283, which broke the old mark of 274 set back Anton Volchenkov in the 2006-07 campaign with the Ottawa Senators.

    Russell, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 173 pounds, also set career highs in assists (30), points (34) and plus-minus rating (plus-18) playing 79 regular season games with the Flames. In the playoffs, Russell netted two goals, seven assists and blocked 54 shots in 11 games.

    Away from the rink, Russell has always been well mannered and has treated others with lots of respect. He is a good guy, and it is great to see success at the NHL level come to a good guy.

David Schlemko

David Schlemko back in 2007.

    During his whole professional hockey career, David Schlemko proved that you can make it into the NHL as an undrafted player.

    The Edmonton product was never selected in the NHL Entry Draft, but he made it to the professional ranks after signing an NHL entry-level contract with the Arizona Coyotes in 2007. An offensive defenceman in his major junior career with the Medicine Hat Tigers, Schlemko was being molded into a power-play specialist as a member of the Coyotes franchise.

    He started in the Central Hockey League ranks, worked his way up through the American Hockey League ranks and joined the Coyotes on a full-time basis for the 2010-11 campaign.

    For a time, it seemed like Schlemko would be a career member of the Coyotes franchise. That all changed this season, when the Coyotes decided to go in another direction dumping a number of veterans to get younger.

    With his contact set to expire at the end of the season, he was placed on waivers after playing 20 regular season games with the Coyotes and claimed by the Dallas Stars in January. He played five games with the Stars before again being placed of waivers, and he was claimed by the Calgary Flames in early March.

    Joining his third team in the final year of his contact, you had to wonder if Schlemko would be cycled out of the NHL. He turned 28 in May, but lots of players get cycled out of the league at that age to make room for younger prospects.

    Schlemko has a good understanding of the realities of the business side of hockey, but he showed he still has a lot to offer at the NHL level in his time with the Flames. He made an immediate impact in his first game with the Flames.

    Locked in a 2-2 draw against the Bruins in Boston on March 5, the Flames sent Schlemko on the ice to win the contest in the eighth round of a tiebreaking shootout.

    He scored on a sick move to give the Flames a 3-2 victory. He appeared in 19 regular season games with the Flames posting a plus-six rating helping the club earn a post-season berth for the first time in six years.

    With star defenceman and captain Mark Giordano gone for the season with a torn biceps tendon, Schlemko provided a calming influence on the Flames back end. He also suited up for all 11 of Calgary’s post-season games posting an assist and a plus-one rating.

    Between the Coyotes, Stars and Flames, Schlemko appeared in 44 regular season games last season posting one goal, three assists and a plus-one rating. He is reliable on the back end, and the Flames would be wise to resign him. If the Flames believe they will have depth on defence, they could convert Schlemko into a forward. He has play making skills that would allow his to flourish at that position.

    Schlemko can still contribute at the NHL level, and hopefully he will get another contract with some team in the show. If he does get cycled out, he would depart on a high note.

Valkyries eye up playoffs

Julene Friesen runs to daylight for the Valkyries

    The Saskatoon Valkyries are heading into the Western Women’s Canadian Football League playoffs on a high note.

    On Sunday in Winnipeg, the Valkyries closed the regular season dumping the Manitoba Fearless 36-15. Saskatoon finished at 3-1, while Manitoba closed out at 0-4. Valkyries running back Julene Friesen had one of the biggest plays of the contest scoring on a 49-yard romp.

    The Valkyries finished second in the WWCFL’s Prairie Conference to the 3-1 Regina Riot. The Valkyries and Riot split their two head-to-head meetings, but the Riot held the standings tiebreaker outscoring the Valkyries 68-37 in their two regular season tilts.

    Regina closed the regular season by dumping the Wolfpack in Winnipeg 47-3. The Wolfpack finished off at 2-2.

    After a bye week, the WWCFL Prairie Conference semifinal games are slated for June 21. The Valkyries will host the Wolfpack, while the Riot host the Fearless. The start times for those matches are still to be announced.

    On June 13 at 7 p.m., the Valkyries are hosting a fundraising cabaret at the #38 Anavets – Army, Navy and Airforce Veterans club. It is an 18+ event. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased from any Valkyries player.

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

Super send-off for Smuk

A Dodge Ram takes Cody Smuk and family to the airport in Saskatoon.

    It seemed like Cody Smuk's smile could be seen for miles, when he approached the Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport early Sunday morning.
    The former forward with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, his fiancée Stephanie Vause, his mother Darla and father Marty were on their way to begin their air journey to Germany. He is heading overseas to seek alternative treatment for cancer in his chest, which revolves around a tumour. Smuk has been battling cancer since May of last year.
    As the black Dodge Ram truck driven by Smuk's father Marty approached the airport, they encountered a large gathering of well wishers. A huge group of family and friends lined the snowy road leading to the entrance to the airport and cheered as the black Dodge drove past. Vause and Darla gave waves through the windows.
    The gathering included members of various Huskies teams including a large contingent of past and present players from the men's hockey team, who were Cody Smuk's former teammates.
    A number of people arrived at about 8:30 a.m., which was about 45 minutes before the 25-year-old arrived at the airport. The send-off occurred in spite of the fact the weather hadn't been the greatest.

Some of Cody Smuk's supporters came out with signs of support on Sunday.

    About 20 centimetres of snow fell on Saskatoon on Saturday, and a number of power outages in the city early Sunday morning likely made a few people late for the festivities, as alarm clocks lost power. The streets were mired in slush and huge puddles.
    Still, the obstacles didn't deter anyone. During his four seasons with the Huskies, Smuk built a reputation as a hard-working and team-first player. He was very good-natured, easy going and quickly became popular with large masses of the student body.

    Those in the community of Saskatoon had taken the local product into their hearts. During his hockey career, Smuk played four WHL seasons split between the Chilliwack Bruins, Lethbridge Hurricanes and Moose Jaw Warriors, and he developed lots of support in those centres.
    It didn't surprise anyone that a big group of people came out to wish him well.
    The gathering felt warm and full of hope. Just to be part of the group was uplifting in itself.
    A couple of crews came out from local television stations. Recent women's basketball grad Kabree Howard and men's hockey forward Matthew Spafford handled most of the interviews and said a lot of upbeat things.

Part of the gathering that came out to pass on good wishes to Cody Smuk.

    In Germany, Smuk will undergo a vaccine treatment. Doctors there plan to boost Smuk's immune system by taking a sample of the tumour in his chest and create a vaccine for it. Other treatments will be decided upon once Smuk arrives.
    When he returns, a steak night fundraiser is being planned for Thursday, June 4, at the Kinsmen/Henk Ruys Soccer Centre. The warm feeling that was present on Sunday morning will likely return for the June 4 fundraiser.
    All those that support Smuk hope that fate would allow that night to turn into a victory party.

    If you have any comments about this blog, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com. Smuk's family is still raising funds to pay for the trip to Germany. Those looking to help Smuk with his cancer battle can do so by clicking here.

Rally for Smuk gains momentum again

Cody Smuk gets set to drop the puck for a ceremonial faceoff.

    Losing is not an option for Cody Smuk and his family and friends.
    Since his Cancer diagnosis in May of last year, the former member of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men's hockey team and his supporters have put up a fight that has been worthy of winning the Stanley Cup. With the latest challenge in that battle, Smuk and his supporters are showing they will go beyond even that effort to win this fight.
    At first, Smuk was diagnosed with testicular cancer, and he had a tumour in his right lung that was causing concern. His friends and family rallied.
    Last June, his girlfriend and now fiancée Stephanie Vause and her sister, Leah (Vause) Lewis, set up a profile for Smuk on the GoFundMe.com website to raise funds to help with expenses during his cancer treatments. Over $20,000 was raised in a three-day period.
    The cancer battle took an upward swing. Smuk, who stands 5-foot-11, completed his original chemotherapy treatments on Aug. 11, 2014, and good news kept coming back from subsequent visits to the doctor for the man that played in the WHL with the Chilliwack Bruins, Lethbridge Hurricanes and Moose Jaw Warriors.
    Things were going so good that in November of 2014 Smuk donated $10,000 from the GoFundMe.com money to Choc 'la Cure, which raises fund for equipment for the Saskatoon Cancer Centre. He also had surgery to remove the tumour in his right lung that month and optimism was high that the cancer battle was about to be won.
    Then, the next setback came. Shortly before Christmas of last year, Smuk was informed the tumour that was removed had evidence of uniqueness to it. He discovered he was dealing with another type of cancer that was usually found in children, and there were signs that the tumour that used to be in his right lung was growing back.

Cody Smuk drops the puck for a ceremonial faceoff before a Huskies game.

    In response, both the men's and women's Huskies hockey teams held fundraising game nights in January for cancer fighting charities in Smuk's honour. He dropped the puck for a ceremonial faceoff before a men's hockey game between the Huskies and University of Alberta Golden Bears on Jan. 31.
    Last Sunday, more tough news followed. Smuk's family announced the treatment plan for the 25-year-old had changed. The hard working and team first forward on the ice found out the tumour in the right side of his chest was having a mixed response to three months of chemotherapy treatments.
    Doctors also said the tumour was inoperable because of its mass and location in Smuk's chest. As a result of this news, Smuk will seek alternative treatments in place of chemotherapy.
    Smuk and Vause are departing for Germany on Sunday, where Smuk will undergo a vaccine treatment. Doctors there plan to boost Smuk's immune system by taking a sample of the tumour in his chest and create a vaccine for it. Other treatments will be decided upon once Smuk arrives.
    The treatments and trips add up to an expensive cost, and Smuk's family was once again engaged with fundraising through the GoFundMe.com account hoping to hit a goal of raising $100,000.

Cody Smuk and Stephanie Vause watch a Huskies game.

    In November of 2014, the account sat at $33,000. Last Monday, the account sat with just over $40,000. On Friday as the lunch hour neared, the account had grown to just over $80,000.
    A large number of current and past members of various Huskies teams and the Warriors spread news of Smuk's situation through social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. A steak night fundraiser has been planned for 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 4, at the Kinsmen/Henk Ruys Soccer Centre for when Smuk returns to Saskatoon. Tickets will be $25 for adults and $15 for children, but a date for when ticket sales are to start is still to be determined.
    Smuk has always been a likable and community minded person. During his cancer battle, he has tried to spread the work about others who are also enduring their own fights with the disease.
    Through the journey, Smuk and Vause have remained positive and upbeat, which in itself has been inspiring for family and friends. Smuk won't quit and his supporters won't give in until this battle is won in spite of any obstacle that comes along the way. They want to ensure this heartwarming story has a positive and inspiring outcome.
    For those looking to donate to Smuk's GoFundMe.com account, they can do so by clicking here.

Stars stars capture Esso Cup awards

Sophie Shirley (#8) was named the MVP of the Esso Cup tournament.

    The accolades keep pouring in for Saskatoon Stars forwards Sophie Shirley and Nara Elia.
    The two standouts captured big honours at the Esso Cup female midget AAA national championship tournament taking place in Red Deer, Alta. On Friday, Shirley was named the tournament's most valuable player and won the top scorer award piling up seven goals and six assist in the preliminary round. Elia was named the most sportsmanlike player, while recording four goals and five assists.
    Karli Shell of the Sudbury Lady Wolves took home honours as the event's top forward, her teammate Danika Ranger was named the top goaltender and Tamara McVannel of the Central Plains Capitals, who are based out of Portage la Prairie, was named the top defensive player.

Nara Elia was name the Esso Cup's most sportsmanlike player.

    The Stars finished second after the round robin portion of the six-team tournament in second place with a 4-1 record. They opened the tournament last Sunday falling to the Lady Wolves 4-1, but proceeded to roll off four straight wins.
    During their current four-game winning streak, the Stars downed the Capitals 3-2 on Monday, the Edmonton Thunder 5-3 on Tuesday, the Red Deer Chiefs 3-2 on Wednesday and the Moncton Rockets 7-1 on Thursday.
    Saskatoon faces host Red Deer (2-2-1) in one semifinal tonight at 7 p.m. Saskatchewan time. The other semifinal, which is set for 3:30 p.m. Saskatchewan time, features the Lady Wolves (4-1) taking on the Capitals (2-1-0-2).
    The Esso Cup concludes on Saturday with a bronze medal game set for 12 p.m. Saskatchewan time and the gold medal final set for 3:30 p.m. Saskatchewan time. The gold final will be broadcast on TSN5.

Ferland's feel good story

Michael Ferland, centre, shown on TV on the Flames bench.

    It is safe to say that former Saskatoon Blades forward Michael Ferland has become one of the top feel good stories of the NHL playoffs.
    Now a member of the Calgary Flames, the 23-year-old product of Swan River, Man., celebrated his one-year sobriety anniversary on March 27. He opened up to the Calgary media about his journey to quit drinking on his sobriety anniversary day and big support poured in from Flames fans in Calgary ever since.
    During the playoffs, Ferland, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 215 pounds, has developed an even larger fan following after developing into a power forward that lays out all sorts of bone-crunching hits. As the Flames built a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven opening round series with the Vancouver Canucks, Ferland has talked often about his story to the media and continues to be a prime choice as a post-game interview candidate due to his play. The Flames will try to eliminate the Canucks in Game 6 on Saturday in Calgary.
    Ferland has recorded an assist, a plus-two rating in the plus-minus department and 21 penalty minutes in Calgary's five post-season games, but his impact on the forecheck has been huge. His physical play has become more pronounced than it was in his WHL days with the Blades and Brandon Wheat Kings, where he had 88 goals, 123 assists and 301 penalty minutes in 215 career regular season games.
    Ferland split time in the regular season between the NHL Flames and their American Hockey League affiliate in Adirondack. In total, he played 26 regular season games with the NHL Flames collecting two goals, three assists, a plus-one rating and 16 penalty minutes.
    He has received huge credit for his success in his quest to stay sober. The Flames organization itself should be given huge credit too.
    Shortly before he quit drinking, Ferland, who was selected in the fifth round and 133^rd overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by Calgary, broke down and opened up about his battles during a one-on-one meeting with Calgary head coach Bob Hartley. The Flames proceeded to give Ferland the help he needed. Since the Flames took that action, Ferland has taken off.
    It is safe to say there are still far too many professional sports teams that wouldn't have done what the Flames did, and it is conceivable to believe a number of other NHL teams would have released Ferland. That observation likely holds true with the everyday working world, which is also unfortunate.
    Hopefully one day what Ferland and Flames did will be the norm and not the exception.
    I was also able to interview Ferland for a story for the Saskatoon Express before the NHL playoffs started, and that piece can be found right here.

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

Huskies turning the corner?

An army of U of R Cougars try to stop Kandace Cook of the U of S Huskies.

    The smiles and the good-natured personalities were back.
    The players on the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women's hockey team are starting to look more and more like themselves. After starting the second semester with seven straight losses, the Huskies have won three of their final five regular season contests entering the Canada West Conference playoffs.
    The Huskies closed regular season splitting a home-and-home series with the U of Regina Cougars. The Cougars took Friday's encounter 5-4 after a tiebreaking shootout at the Co-operators Centre in Regina. The Huskies rebounded taking Saturday's encounter at the ancient Rutherford Rink on the U of Saskatchewan campus 2-1.
    After the contest, it was pretty obvious the defending Canada West champs had the spring back in their steps. To put things simply, they looked like themselves.
    The positive vibes on the weekend started during Friday's loss. While the Cougars took the win, the Huskies did a lot of good things and could have stolen a victory on the road.
    The Cougars jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals from Carleen Meszaros and Kylie Gavelin. From the point, the Kandace Cook show took over.
    Before the first period ended, Cook, who is playing with a broken finger, scored to pull the Huskies to within 2-1. The fifth-year forward scored twice on the power play in the second period to put the visitors up 3-2. Individually, she was putting on arguably the best individual performance seen by a player on the Huskies women's team this season.

The Huskies celebrate a Kaitlin Willoughby equalizer in Regina on Friday.

    While the Cougars were holding a 24-10 edge in the shots on goal department after 40 minutes, the Huskies didn't appear to be in trouble holding a one-goal edge. That changed in the third.
    The hosts pushed back in a huge way, and the Huskies were pinned in their own zone for large parts of the third. The Cougars outshot the Huskies 17-5 in the frame and went ahead 4-3 on goals by Stephanie Sawchuk and Gavelin's second tally of the contest.
    It didn't appear the Huskies would get a chance to pick up the equalizer until the Cougars made an error late in the third. With 3.5 seconds to play in the third, the hosts iced the puck at a point in time they didn't really need to.
    On the offensive zone faceoff, the Huskies perfectly executed a play they had been working on for some time. Cook won a draw back to second-year standout Kaitlin Willoughby, who blasted home the equalizer to tie things up 4-4.
    The Huskies controlled play for the majority of the four-on-four and three-on-three overtime periods. They had a number of chances to net the winning goal. The best one came when feisty forward Marley Ervine wasn't able to find defender Hanna McGillivray, who was open for a backdoor pass during the three-on-three session.
    Cougars forward Kylee Kupper scored the only goal in the tie-breaking shootout in session's seventh round to win the contest for the hosts.
    Cassidy Hendricks made 39 saves over 70 minutes for the Huskies. Toni Ross turned away 17 shots over 70 minutes in goal for the Cougars.
    On Saturday in Saskatoon, fifth-year forward Chelsey Sundby scored in the final seconds of the first to put the Huskies up 1-0. On a power play at the 4:52 mark of the second, Ervine knocked home a loose puck near the Cougars goal to put the Huskies up 2-0. Cook and Willoughby picked up assists on the play.
    Before the second ended, Meghan Sherven scored for the Cougars to cut the Huskies lead to 2-1, but that score would hold up as the final outcome.

Jerrica Waltz makes a save for the Huskies.

    In her second start, rookie Jerrica Waltz picked up her first career win for the Huskies making 28 saves in a solid performance. Jennifer Schmidt turned away 23 shots in goal for the Cougars.
    As far as team play and executing systems went, the Huskies had arguably their best outing in those departments on Saturday. Their forecheck proved to be really effect in the third.
    With a 14-10-4 record, the Huskies also edged the 15-11-2 Cougars for fifth overall in Canada West. The Huskies topped the Cougars by four points in the standings due to having a 10-6 edge in regulation wins. Regulations wins are worth three points as opposed to two points in the Canada West women's standings this season.
    After Saturday's victory over the Cougars, the Huskies began to turn their sights towards the Canada West playoffs. They will face the 14-9-5 U of Calgary Dinos in a best-of-three quarter-final series. Game 1 is set for this coming Saturday in Calgary.

Dream Wedding Contest goes to Smuk and Vause

Cody Smuk and Stephanie Vause, centre, watch a Huskies game.

    It might go down likely as a Valentine's Day that may never be topped for Cody Smuk and Stephanie Vause.
    On Saturday in Saskatoon, Smuk, a former member of the Huskies men's hockey team, and Vause, a former member of the Huskies track and field team, found out they won a Dream Wedding Contest, which was organized by Crystal MacLeod of RSVP Event Design. MacLeod started the contest after her fiancé died of cancer.
    Smuk has been battling cancer since May of last year. He is currently undergoing 43 weeks of chemotherapy treatment. He proposed to Vause in late December, and she said, "Yes."
    The total package won is valued at $28,000, and the value is going up as more companies add contributions.
    Global News in Saskatoon did a great story on this contest, which is right here.

Hockey Huskies capture Universiade medals

Craig McCallum in action for the Huskies.

    A few shiny medals might make their rounds at various practices at the Rutherford Rink this week.
    A total of five players and one coach from the Huskies hockey teams were part of the Canadian squads at the 2015 Winter Universiade held in Granada, Spain.
    Defender Julia Flinton was part of Canada's women's team that won a silver medal. On Thursday, Canada fell 3-0 in the gold medal game to Russia.
    On the men's side, goaltender Ryan Holfeld, forward Craig McCallum, and defencemen Matt Delahey and Kendall McFaull helped Canada win bronze. Canada's men's team was guided by Huskies men's head coach Dave Adolph. Canada dumped the Czech Republic 6-2 in Saturday's bronze medal contest.
    The women's team was made up of players throughout Canadian Interuniversity Sport. The men's team was made up of players just from the Canada West Conference.
    With players away in Spain, the regular season for the Canada West Conference in men's hockey concluded on Jan. 30.
    The Huskies return to action this coming Friday when they travel to Calgary to take on the Mount Royal Cougars in Game 1 of a best-of-three Canada West quarter-final playoff series.

Nogier homecoming on Wednesday

Nelson Nogier when he was with the Blades.

    The Saskatoon Blades are rolling out the red carpet for local product Nelson Nogier, who is a former member of the Blades.
    Nogier, who is an 18-year-old defenceman, spent two-and-a-half seasons with the Blades. Shortly before this season's Christmas break, the Blades dealt Nogier and 18-year-old right-winger Austin Adamson to the Red Deer Rebels in exchange for 17-year-old winger Mason McCarty, a first round selection in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft and a second round selection in the 2015 Bantam Draft.
    The Rebels visit Saskatoon on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. match against the Blades at the Sasktel Centre. The contest will mark Nogier's first game back in Saskatoon since the trade.
    In connection with the return, the Blades are giving away 2,500 Nelson Nogier bobblehead dolls to those in attendance. The doll shows Nogier in his old #55 Blades jersey.
    As a lot of people know, Nogier is one my young cousins, so I find the promotion cool. I never thought I would see the day a bobblehead doll would be made of a member of my family.

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