The Transformers: The Movie brings out families

Saskatoon’s Landmark Cinemas increased showings

A VHS re-release of The Transformers: The Movie from 1995.

Sunday became my “Transformers Day” in Saskatoon.

Going by the show times that were originally announced for the 40^th anniversary showing for The Transformers: The Movie and juggling my work schedule, my plan was to see it today (Sunday). At first, the only Sunday showing was set for 10:20 a.m. at the Landmark Cinemas on the far east edge of the city. I live on the west side of Saskatoon, so the theatre that was showing the Transformers movie was one of the longest cross-city trips I could do.

Late Saturday night, I double checked the show times and noticed the Landmark Cinemas added more showings on Sunday including at 12:10 p.m. and 7:20 p.m. I saw in social media reaction from Transformers fans online that they were pleasantly surprised to be watching this movie in full theatres in various other communities.

In the local mainstream media outlets in Saskatoon and in numerous centres in Canada, there are pretty much no entertainment reporters or movie reviewers left. I had no idea what I would experience when I would head out to see this movie again in the theatre for the first time in 40 years.

For a quick history lesson about The Transformers: The Movie, it was produced with the budget of US$6-million, and it brought in US$5.9-million in its original 1986 box office run domestically to be considered a bomb. The Transformers: The Movie didn’t have many folks coming out for a repeat viewing due to the death of Optimus Prime, who was the heroic leader of the Autobots voiced by the late, great Peter Cullen - a product of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

A ticket for The Transformers: The Movie.

Back in 1986, it was not common to kill off main characters in animated series, and Optimus Prime is often remembered as the shocking first time this happened.

As the decades have gone on, The Transformers: The Movie developed a cult following with numerous physical media releases and various returns to theatres. The 40^th anniversary return has been dubbed “The Apology Tour” by Hasbro for killing off Optimus Prime in 1986.

It is followed by a 12-minute animated short called Optimus Prime: Awakening. That is the final time Cullen reprises his role as Optimus Prime.

The 40^th anniversary showing hit theatres this past Thursday with Cullen’s recent passing coming this past August 26 adding a new dimension to the experience. The voice acting great was the first and is destined to go down as the definitive voice of Optimus Prime.

When I arrived at the Landmark Cinemas at 12:05 p.m., I was surprised to see the parking lot in front of the theatre was pretty much full. The Transformers: The Movie was the only thing showing at the 10:20 a.m. and 12:10 p.m. time slots at that location.

The Landmark Cinemas in Saskatoon.

The people I saw at the theatre were like 95 per cent families. Lots of dads were coming with their kid or teenage sons, and lots of dads were coming with their kid or teenage daughters.

After I got out of my car in front of the parking lot at the Landmark Cinemas, I saw a dad getting out of a big pickup truck with two teenage daughters. By their appearance, they came from the rural area and likely came some distance as the daughters were putting comforter blankets away. The daughters gave off the vibes they were there doing something special with their dad.

When I walked into the theatre, the concession line was really long. It was filled with families hanging together in their family groups. There were a handful of geek/nerd types in the concession, but they were a really small minority.

I went to purchase my ticket to get into the showing, and I realized there were both a premier seat and a standard seat showing. The premier seat showing was sold out, so I got into the standard seat showing.

Classic animated Optimus Prime.

The theatre room I went into was packed. With family turnout, the majority of the folks in the standard seat room were young kids.

Right there, I was having flashbacks of seeing The Transformers: The Movie back in 1986. Back in 1986, I saw that film on the last day it was in theatres in Winnipeg thanks to my oldest sister taking me. While the repeat viewings weren’t happening at that time, the theatre had a decent crowd with a lot of kids in attendance when I went.

During the showing I went to at the Landmark Cinemas, you got the feeling everyone in the room had seen this movie at least two or three times. It did hit differently watching The Transformers: The Movie on the big screen, because you realized this was how this film was meant to be seen.

As the movie advanced on, there were a lot of times a voice in my head was mouthing all the characters’ lines. In my life, the only two movies I have likely seen more than The Transformers: The Movie are another 1986 release in Top Gun and Major League from 1989. At times, the lines from those flicks feel like they are burned into the memory.

Another thing it felt like I noticed watching The Transformers: The Movie this time around was how smoothly the film ran. The flow was noticeably better from my view compared to movies I have seen in theatre in recent years.

I was impressed to see most of the kids in the theatre were locked in watching the film from their seats. It kind of went against the preconceived notion that kids today have attention spans that are super short.

A promo photo of the late Peter Cullen.

I enjoyed the Optimus Prime: Awakening short. To me, the whole short was about Optimus Prime making his journey into the afterlife after dying in the 1986 movie.

On the crazy timing front, I thought it worked as a beautiful tribute to Cullen playing Optimus Prime and closing the book on that part of the history of the Transformers franchise. When Cullen was recording the lines for this short, I don’t think it was going through anyone’s mind that he would pass away shortly before this hit theatres. When the short ended, a tribute dedication was shown for Cullen.

I came away feeling good enough from this experience that I went down to 8^th Street Quentin’s Comics and Toys on 8^th Street in Saskatoon and picked up a couple of Transformers figures from the Studio 86 Series Line that is dedicated to The Transformers: The Movie.

I also attended the 7:20 p.m. showing in the premier seat theatre with my mom. She actually enjoyed the experience.

This time there were only about 50 per cent families in the crowd and a larger turnout from the geek/nerd crowd. It was still a great time.

This anniversary run for The Transformers: The Movie was originally supposed to wrap up on Monday in North America. The run at the Landmark Cinemas is running through to Wednesday.

An Optimus Prime from 1984.

At the moment, the film is set to show at 12:20 p.m. on Monday, at noon and 7:20 p.m. on Tuesday and at noon and 6:50 p.m. on Wednesday.

In my life, I was born eight years before Transformers made its debut in 1984 and most of my knowledge of the franchise’s story arc comes from the original Generation One line. 

It is pretty rudimentary of all the different iterations and story tellings that have occurred around the decades.

Thanks to life being busy, I am not able to consume and follow all the interpretations of Transformers as they come out. 

I have been able to see all the Michael Bay live action Transformers films along with the Transformers One animated picture.

When I went to the 40^th anniversary showing of The Transformers: The Movie, I realized there were a lot of folks similar to me in that way, and a number of people in my age group still have a fond place in their heart for the original 1986 animated movie. 

Yours truly at the Landmark Cinemas in Saskatoon.

To be able to share watching it in theatre with family was a priceless moment that was never conceived for the bucket list.

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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Hoping hockey executive Anholt avoids being cancelled

Politics of extreme right and left cast shadow on sports

Peter Anholt, left, watches the Hurricanes play in December 2015.

Being genuine and who you are might be the easiest way to get yourself cancelled in today’s world.

Actually, I saw an interview from veteran country singer Gretchen Wilson that was posted to YouTube on August 1, 2024 where she said it is difficult to be anything in the current day. We live in the age of Donald Trump holding the role of President of the United States of America for the second time, and in this age, society is more filled with division and hatred than ever before casting a shadow over all parts of life.

The extreme right and left wings in politics are locked in a cultural war, and in my mind, both of those extreme sides believe total victory will be achieved when the other side gets obliterated.

Unfortunately, the influence of the political world does cast a shadow on the sports world. In this backdrop, people in the sports world are going to take a fall, when they shouldn’t take a fall. There are problems in the sports world like any walk of life that are always in the process of being worked out, but when a bazooka is being used to take out a mosquito, people that should be in the sports world will ultimately no longer be in the sports world.

That brings us to this past January 9 in the WHL when the Lethbridge Hurricanes announced Peter Anholt, who is 65-years-old, had resigned as the club’s general manager effective immediately. Hurricanes senior advisor Barclay Parneta assumed the duties as Hurricanes general manager on that same day on an interim basis for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign.

Last season, the Hurricanes finished sixth overall in the WHL with a 42-21-3-2 mark. Lethbridge loaded up to make a deep run in the post-season. The Hurricanes advanced to the WHL’s Eastern Conference Championship Series where they were swept away by the eventual WHL champion Medicine Hat Tigers 4-0 in a best-of-seven set.

This season, the Hurricanes found themselves at the start of a rebuild and were 12-27-0-1 at the time Anholt resigned. Lethbridge is currently second last in the 23-team circuit with a 12-32-0-1 record.

A WHL release from January 9 regarding Anholt’s resignation stated his departure follows the investigation of a historical personal conduct matter. The alleged matter, dating to 2015, involved a verbal interaction with a player that, as described, falls outside of the WHL’s Standards of Conduct with respect to threatening and intimidating language.

This follows WHL disciplinary action levied against Anholt and the Hurricanes this past November. On November 14, 2025, the WHL announced Anholt had been suspended for five games and the Hurricanes were fined $10,000.

The sanctions came following a WHL investigation that found Anholt breached the WHL Standards of Conduct through the use of intimidating behavior and language during a post-game address to players in the dressing room following the team’s 8-6 home ice loss to the Edmonton Oil Kings on October 29, 2025.

In a release on November 14, 2025, Anholt said, “My behavior and language in addressing our team did not meet expectations. The Lethbridge Hurricanes have always believed in providing a positive environment for our players. I accept the discipline issued by the WHL and will be committed to a higher standard moving forward.”

At that time, the WHL had imposed remedial measures that included supplementary education and support, enhanced monitoring and preventative steps to ensure there is no recurrence of similar conduct.

This past January 9, the WHL said in a release that the circuit was not aware of the historical allegation at the time the matter from November 2025 was handled. Both claims were filed via the league’s anonymous 1-800 WHL Respect hotline, which provides players, staff and others associated with the WHL with a confidential avenue to report concerns or incidents that may violate WHL standards.

The historical claim was investigated by the WHL Security Department.

The WHL also announced that along with his departure, Anholt has agreed to participate in counselling in the spirit of personal betterment. Anholt’s counselling will be sponsored by the Hurricanes and the WHL.

Before I go on, I just want to say that “Peter Anholt is a good man.”

Let me repeat myself.

Before I go on, I just want to say that “Peter Anholt is a good man.”

I have known Anholt since late 2002, and I consider him a good friend. I will always consider him one of my guys. We met when he came back to Prince Albert to once again become the head coach of the Raiders, and I was working full time as the sports reporter for the Prince Albert Daily Herald.

Anholt built a reputation as a Raiders hero as a defenceman from 1978 to 1981 when the team was still in the junior A ranks. He played on national championship winners in 1979 and 1981. When the club moved to the WHL before the start of the 1982-83 campaign, Anholt worked on the Raiders coaching staff as an assistant coach from 1986 to 1988 and was the head coach and director of hockey operations for the 1988-89 season.

I have always and still see Anholt as someone who is respected, accountable and personable. One of my best memories of Anholt for myself came when the Raiders were eliminated from the first round of the 2004 WHL Playoffs in Game 6 against the Brandon Wheat Kings in a contest played at the Winnipeg Arena in Winnipeg. The Wheat Kings were forced out of their rink due to the annual Royal Manitoba Winter Fair in Brandon.

I was riding the bus with the Raiders at that time, and I had an important blood family issue to look after when we arrived in Winnipeg. Everyone on the team knew about the issue, and Anholt was a big pillar of support for myself.

When the bus arrived in Winnipeg the day before the game, I left to address the issue, and I didn’t see everyone again until Game 6 versus the Wheat Kings was played the next day.

After dropping a 4-1 decision to the Wheat Kings in Game 6, I interviewed Anholt after that contest. When the interview was done, he asked how things went on the blood family front. I said they went well.

Anholt smiled and said, “That’s good. Family is important.”

Before the start of the 2014-15 campaign, Anholt joined the Hurricanes as an assistant general manager. In case anyone forgot, it seemed like there was a death watch surrounding the Hurricanes when Anholt joined the team.

At the completion of the 2013-14 campaign, the Hurricanes posted a 12-55-2-3 record and missed the WHL Playoffs for a fifth straight season. Things were so bad at times during the playoff drought that the Hurricanes were having trouble securing a radio broadcast deal at one point, which is highly unusual for a WHL franchise. There were also times the Hurricanes existence in Lethbridge was also called into question.

In December of 2014, the Hurricanes named Anholt the team’s head coach and general manager as he worked to get the team turned around. Before the start of the 2015-16 campaign, Anholt hired Brent Kisio to be the Hurricanes head coach, while Anholt focused on the role as general manager.

The Hurricanes turned around on and off the ice and made the Eastern Conference Championship Series in 2017 and 2018. Lethbridge fell in six games to the Regina Pats in 2017 and the eventual WHL champion Swift Current Broncos in six games in 2018.

While the Hurricanes are in a rebuild in the current campaign, they are still a respected franchise, and they are expected to be part of the Lethbridge community long into the foreseeable future. Anholt played a major role in getting that franchise to that point.

Since 2022, hockey in Canada has been under a microscope since the legal issues came up regarding Canada’s entry that won gold at world juniors during the 2017-18 campaign. That saw five players be charged with sexual assault and then be acquitted. All sorts of fallout and all sorts of other issues came to the surface as a spinoff of the legal issues that came to the surface for those five members of Canada’s world junior team from the 2017-18 campaign.

To me, there has been more of a heightened pressure from the Government of Canada on sports bodies and organizations to create codes of conduct and make sure they are followed. There is also a push for sports organizations to have 1-800 hotlines where people can make anonymous tips about misconduct that are investigated by an objective third party, but I would say about 80 per cent of sports organizations in Canada don’t have the funding for an oversight body like that.

For a lot of sports organizations including national sports bodies, funding for an oversight body would take up their entire budget.

As for Anholt, he is personable, but he also wears his heart on his sleeve. He is genuine and honest, and if he thinks someone isn’t a good person or a team isn’t giving a good effort, he calls it as he sees it. Most of the time, his observations are correct.

I did worry that something like the post-game address on October 29, 2025 after the Hurricanes loss to the Oil Kings and the fallout afterwards could happen. I also should note that isn’t an everyday thing with Anholt, and it didn’t surprise me he owned that situation.

The historical matter from 2015 concerns me from the aspect of how skeletons in the closet from the past get treated. Of course, some skeletons are worse than others and is a bazooka going to be used to take out all skeletons.

Reflecting back to when Anholt came on board with the Hurricanes and his first couple of seasons on the job, there were players on that team that could be deemed as cancers and having attitudes. Anholt was trying to weed those types off the team. I also know if you are a cancer that Anholt will bluntly tell you that to your face.

Because Anholt is genuine, I know lots of people who have worked under him as a manager in hockey and manager in the working world outside of hockey who say he was the best boss they ever worked for.

I know countless players who say he is the best coach they have played for and the best general manager they have played for. Whenever Anholt’s travels take him, it is common for him to have former players come visit him. I know of players who after they have gotten married would visit Anholt after games and brought their baby children to meet him.

I will say for sure that everyone who played for the Raiders from 2003 to 2005 loved playing for Anholt as a coach.

When Anholt goes to Prince Albert, he knows he has to leave his work behind. If he is at a WHL game at the storied and historic Art Hauser Centre, he knows he will barely see the game with all the people who want to come and visit him.

I could go on and on saying good things about Anholt and there are a lot more to share. I also know with the way things are politically with the extreme left and the extreme right in the current day that those who have their mind made up that Anholt is bad won’t be persuaded otherwise.

I’ve already seen some of that chatter on social media. It feels like those aren’t people who follow hockey normally, and are in this case extreme left wingers who want to jump in with rage to put on a show and like to talk down to others.

Folks in Prince Albert have seen lots of those when the Raiders have faced criticism when they have used their traditional Arab on skates logo for throwback usage. The online criticism and criticism overall comes from people who do not reside in Prince Albert and seem to reside in Toronto or Vancouver. Those people want to talk down and tell the folks in Prince Albert how they should live their lives.

In the current world, I believe Anholt’s biggest challenge is that he is too genuine, and he isn’t the ultimate example in being politically correct. For myself, I have found those that focus on being the ultimate example of being politically correct are often people I find I distrust, are not credible and are not genuine.

I just hope Anholt avoids getting cancelled and does return to hockey one day. With the Hurricanes and WHL sponsoring his counselling, I think that is a path he is heading towards.

If Anholt does get cancelled, I fear there are a lot of other good people in the sports world that could end up in that same predicament as well.

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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Huskies face next task – prove Hardy Cup win wasn’t a one off

LT Noah Zerr locks up RE Riley Pickett (#91).

    Are the University of Saskatchewan Huskies really the top dogs of the Canada West Conference with regards to football?

    Or, does the conference still belong to the U of Calgary Dinos or the Blake Nill coached University of British Columbia Thunderbirds.

    A year ago, the Huskies had a magical campaign going places they hadn’t gone in a long time. They finished third in the Canada West Conference with a 5-3, slipped past the Thunderbirds 31-28 in overtime in a Canada West semifinal and dumped the Dinos 43-18 in the Canada West final to capture the Hardy Cup as conference champions.

    The Huskies proceeded to travel to London, Ont., for a U Sports semifinal bowl game falling 47-24 to the U of Western Ontario Mustangs in the Mitchell Bowl.

Highly touted Mason Nyhus leads the Huskies at quarterback.

    U of S ended a one year absence from the post season, won a playoff game for the first time since 2009 and captured a conference title for the first time since 2006. The 2018 season was a resounding success for the Huskies.

    Now, they are faced with the challenge of trying to make these runs through the post-season more of a habit.

    Before last year’s playoff run, the Huskies had lost eight straight post-season games, and that skid is now an afterthought.

    Still, the Dinos have played in the last 11 Canada West title games and won eight of those contests. For three straight years from 2015 to 2017, the Dinos faced the Thunderbirds in the conference title game.

    The Thunderbirds took the 2015 Canada West championship and marched on to win the Vanier Cup as U Sports national champions.

    Since the start of the 2008 season, the Thunderbirds in 2015 are the only team in Canada West that has captured a national title.
    In the initial U Sports Top 10 rankings released on Tuesday, the Huskies were rated fourth, and they were the highest ranked team from Canada West. 

Carter Dahl, right, makes a touchdown grab for the Huskies.

    The Dinos were rated fifth and the Thunderbirds were 10^th.

    In the Canada West football pre-season coaches poll released on Wednesday, the Dinos were rated first, the Huskies second, the U of Manitoba Bisons third, the Thunderbirds fourth, the U of Alberta Golden Bears fifth and the U of Regina Rams sixth.

    Nationally, it seems the Huskies have a touch more respect compared to how their conference rivals believe they will stand up. That should seem natural as the Huskies are a long way from matching the Dinos in consistently qualifying for the Canada West final.

    Also, the Dinos return star quarterback Adam Sinagra, who won the Hec Crighton trophy as the most valuable player in U Sports football and was a first team U Sports all-Canadian all-star.
    With all that said, the Huskies have the pieces to duplication and potentially go further than they did last season. They return 10 starters on offence and 10 starts on defence from last year’s squad.

RB Adam Machart is looking to have a big year as a starter.

    Mason Nyhus, who is in his third year of eligibility, takes over as the starting quarterback from Kyle Siemens, who has exhausted his U Sports eligibility. Nyhus is a highly touted recruit who has been waiting in the wings as a backup the past two seasons and as a redshirt in 2016.

    The Huskies still have star offensive utility player Colton Klassen in the fold, and he led the team last year in receiving yards (676) and all-purpose yards (981). They have other playmakers at receiver in Jesse Kuntz, Yol Piok and Carter Dahl.

    The running back position is in the sure hands of two former stars with the CJFL’s Saskatoon Hilltops in Adam Machart and Josh Ewanchyna along with first-year runner Keagan White.
    As has been the tradition with the Huskies, their strength on offence likely runs through the offensive line. The Huskies have one of their best offensive lines in recent years return all five starters from a season ago in left tackle Noah Zerr, left guard Mattland Riley, centre Connor Berglof, right guard Tanner Secord and right tackle Nick Summach.

DT Evan Machibroda was a first team all-Canadian last year.

    Riley was a Canada West all-star and a second team U Sports all-Canadian a year ago.

    The defence is anchored by fifth-year defensive tackle Evan Machibroda, who had 14 total tackles and three sacks last season. Machibroda was a Canada West all-star and a first team all-Canadian all-star.

    He was selected in the fifth round and 41^st overall in the CFL Draft held last May by the Edmonton Eskimos.

    Riley Pickett and Nicholas Dheilly can cause all sorts of havoc off the defensive end.
    Brothers Tom and Ben Whiting anchor the linebacking corps, while rookie Ramsey Derbas could be inserted to make big plays. Ben Whiting topped the Huskies with 44 tackles last season and was selected in the seventh round and 57^th overall in the CFL Draft by the Montreal Alouettes last May.

    David Solie returns to the Huskies after helping the Hilltops win their 21^st CJFL title last season, and he will likely take over the place kicking and punting duties.

HC Scott Flory and his staff give the Huskies strong guidance.

    Scott Flory, who is in his third year as head coach, has kept his solid staff intact.

    The Huskies are taking the right approach just worrying about getting better each day in the present and each game as it comes. They believe and live that approach too for real.

    This is a team that can take another step building off what happened last season. Off the field, they are a good group of respectable young men. They have a team you can rally around.

    The Huskies open the regular season on Friday in Winnipeg against the Bisons. U of S then returns home to host the Thunderbirds on Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. at Griffiths Stadium.

    A new golden age for Huskies football could very well be at hand.

Rattlers end first storybook season in style as CEBL champs

CHAMPIONS. #RattleTheRim pic.twitter.com/WdgU3bnA9v

— Saskatchewan Rattlers (@SASK_Rattlers) August 26, 2019

    It looks like the Saskatchewan Rattlers are carving their niche in the province’s sports scene.

    On Sunday at the SaskTel Centre, the Rattlers downed the Hamilton Honey Badgers 94-83 in the inaugural title game of the Canadian Elite Basketball League. The Rattlers finished third in the regular season standings of the six-team circuit with an 11-9 record and were the host team of the CEBL’s final four championship tournament at the SaskTel Centre.

    The Rattlers slipped past the second place Edmonton Stingers 85-83 in one of two semifinal games on Saturday. The Stingers had a 14-6 record in the regular season.

    The Honey Badgers, who finished fourth in the regular season at 10-10, upset the first place Niagara River Lions 104-103 in Saturday’s other semifinal. The River Lions had a 15-5 mark during the regular season.

    In the CEBL title game, the Rattlers jumped out to a 48-41 lead at halftime ultimate coming away with an 11-point win before 3,119 spectators. Guard Alex Campbell topped the Rattlers in scoring with 20 points.

    Saskatoon has seen its share of fly-by-night professional basketball leagues, and in the immediate aftermath of one season, it feels like the CEBL will be around for the longer term.

    The Rattlers gained instant credibility by bringing on Greg Jockims as head coach and general manager. Jockims rebuilt the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s basketball team into one of the strongest programs in U Sports as the squad’s head coach from 1998 to 2011.

    He guided the Huskies Canada West conference and U Sports national championships in the 2009-10 campaign.

    Jockims is well-respected in Saskatchewan’s basketball community and can coach the game in top form at any level.

    The Rattlers benefitted from having Lee Genier as team president. Genier also doubles as the president and chief operation officer, western operation for the CEBL.

    He is veteran sports management executive having stints with the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders, Bobsleigh Canada Skelton and the NLL’s Saskatchewan Rush. Genier seems to collect championship rings wherever he goes.

    Sunday’s title game was also the last competitive game played by hometown hero in 36-year-old guard Michael Linklater. Linklater has been a star and ambassador on Saskatchewan basketball scene for years. He was a member of the Huskies U Sports national championship team in 2009-10.

    Before the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters stop held this past July, Linklater said he would be retiring from competitive basketball after the Rattlers season ended.

    He scored four points and had one rebound and one assist seeing six minutes and 10 seconds of court time on Sunday.

    For this season, it is cheers to the Rattlers on a successful campaign. Hopefully this is the start of bigger things.

Thom Trojans football takes leave, stirs up media attention

I am saddened to hear of the Thom Football program shutting down. One of the strongest Alumni and traditions in the city. This hurts the kids in that school the most. Many young men that need the discipline and leadership will no longer receive that. #BleedBlack #BlackGhosts pic.twitter.com/gAzYCuXSoG

— Deke (@DekeJunior) August 28, 2019

    The Trojans football program at Regina’s Thom Collegiate hasn’t stirred up this much media attention since the heyday of Gerry Thompson’s era as head coach.

    On Tuesday, the Regina High Schools Athletic Association and Regina Public Schools announced Thom Collegiate will not be fielding its Trojans football team this season. The release said not enough students showed interest in playing football in the spring of the 2018-19 school year and in the fall of the current school year that is about to begin.

    Football Canada recommends high schools have at least 24 players to ensure player safety.

    Thom has taken a one-year leave of absence from the Regina Intercollegiate Football League.

    The Trojans football program has produced a number of players that have gone on to play with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders including Jim Hopson, Neal Hughes, Stu Foord, Kennedy Nkeyasen and Dan Clark.

    Thom students who wish to play football this season will be able to join the Winston Knoll Collegiate Wolverines. As of Tuesday, three students had decided to play with Regina Minor Football.

    While the development at Thom is disappointing, it has been crazy how much media coverage it has received from mainstream outlets.

    Arguably, the Trojans taking a leave of absence from the Regina high school league has received more coverage than the powerhouse Holy Cross High School Crusaders football team in Saskatoon has received combined in the past two years.

    While a number of reasons likely cause low registration for football at Thom, you could argue the Trojans would still be playing if high school football in Saskatchewan as a whole received the coverage that the Trojans received for taking a year leave of absence.

    There was a time mainstream media outlets had much larger sports staffs. In those days, the Regina Leader-Post and Saskatoon StarPhoenix had sports staffers dedicated to covering high school sports and produced high school sports pages.

    It should be noted the high school beat traditionally results in the most sports coverage complaints usually revolving around one school, which is always winning, receiving more coverage than other schools. The top bosses at mainstream media outlets prefer to not spend any time dealing with those types of complaints and that is usually achieved by not covering high school sports.

    Of course when a football team stops playing due to low numbers, the spectre of fear involving concussion injuries often comes up. Because of the concussion fears, any time it is decided a football program stops operating becomes a story mainstream media outlets flock to. That is just the way it is.

    Add on top of that, North America is a changed world where people of all ages spend countless hours on mobile phones and social media.

    Hopefully, Thom’s football program, which is full of tradition, returns a year from now.

The great NFL Winnipeg ripoff, other notes

Announced crowd of 21,992 for Packers vs Raiders in Winnipeg tonight. #Preseason #NFL (last two: https://t.co/jio9BOfDtp + https://t.co/GmK58tBbaK) pic.twitter.com/w781r0qYmg

— Empty Seats Galore (@EmptySeatsPics) August 23, 2019

    I know this is beating a dead horse, but the NFL exhibition game held in Winnipeg, Man., between the Green Bay Packers and Oakland Raiders was a joke.

    Last Thursday, the Raiders beat the Packers 22-21 before 21,992 spectators at IG Field, which is home to the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

    The field was shrunk from 100 to 80 yards due to concerns on the part of the field where the CFL uprights are located for Bombers games. End zones were marked at the 10 yard line, and there were no kickoffs in the game.

    The Packers proceeded to announce they would not dress 33 players including two-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl XLV MVP Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers alone was the marquee draw for this game.

    The Raiders sat out starting quarterback Derek Carr and receiver Antonio Brown.

    The biggest lesson to come out of this game is that any event will flop, if it is overpriced. This one was priced to the point it was reasonable to ask ticket buyers, if they were out of their mind.

    A day before the game, mountains of tickets were available, but you had to shell out to get them.

    You could sit in Section 108P, row 12, seat 10, which was at midfield, but you had to pay $439.25 including fees and taxes for that seat.

    How about near midfield in the upper deck of the east side in Section 209, row 26, seat 22? That seat way up there would set you back $243.75 including fees and taxes.

    You could sit in the corner of one end zone in Section 143, row 4, seat 3. That ticket would cost you $266.75 including fees and taxes.

    In that same section, you could sit in the back in row 23, seat 15, and that seat would cost you $94.25 including fees and taxes.

    The $94.25 price point was the lowest I could find the day before the game. Most tickets were over $240.

    Winnipeg is known as a frugal town, and most football followers there know you could travel to Minneapolis, Minn., and see a Minnesota Vikings NFL regular season game for $240 including travel expenses. There have been tour companies offering that type of package for years.

    The Packers also play in Minneapolis once every season, so you could see Rodgers play for four quarters in a game that counts for the price you paid to see the Winnipeg pre-season game.

    The Winnipeg NFL pre-season game was a dud, and those that paid money to see it received the lemon they deserved. When you saw the inflated ticket prices, that already stamped bad vibes on the game.

• The Saskatoon Blades opened camp this week, and star centre Kirby Dach wasn’t there. The 18-year-old was selected in the first round and third overall in the NHL Entry Draft last June and has a signed NHL entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blades and their fans have to figure that this might be a bigger sign that Dach will likely make the Blackhawks and not be rejoining the Blades this season.
• The Blades signed their two picks from last June’s CHL Import Draft in Czech defencemen Libor Zabransky and Radek Kucerik before training camp started on Sunday. Both are expected to play key minutes this season.
• Feisty forward Riley McKay has looking outstanding in a series of team scrimmages on Monday and Tuesday played in a tournament format called the Kirkness Cup. McKay, who is a 20-year-old left-winger, took part in the tournament final with Team Holtby. McKay, who arguably the WHL’s best agitator, had a pair of goals, including the double overtime winner, and an assist to power Team Holtby past Team McLellan 4-3. Could McKay be the Blades version of Derek Dorsett, when Dorsett played for the Medicine Hat Tigers?
• On Monday, the defending WHL champion Prince Albert Raiders signed 17-year-old forward Ivan Kechkin to a WHL standard player agreement. The Raiders selected the Russian in last June’s CHL Import Draft. Raiders training camp opens on Friday at the Art Hauser Centre.
• Saskatoon hockey fans will get to see former Blades in centre Josh Paterson and offensive defenceman Dawson Davidson pass through town in enemy colours in the U Sports ranks. Both have signed on to play with the University of Alberta Golden Bears men’s hockey team. Paterson finished last season as a member of the Portland Winterhawks after being dealt there before the WHL trade deadline on Jan. 10.
• Former U of Regina Rams linebacker Jon Cormier passed away over the weekend suddenly from natural causes. Cormier was from Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, and he played for the Rams in 2000, when they appeared in the U Sport national title game the Vanier Cup, through to 2003. He was a popular player amongst his teammates during his time with the Rams. The 40-year-old was a police officer with the RCMP.

    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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Finland’s Hovi will always cherish Winnipeg and Bisons

Finland star Venla Hovi will always have a hockey home in Winnipeg.

    Venla Hovi isn’t quite sure why hockey players from Finland and the city of Winnipeg make a great mix, but she appreciates that intangible is there.

    The star left-winger from Finland’s senior national women’s hockey team admitted she was at a point in her life a year after the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, where she thought her playing days were done. She expected to move on to whatever the next stage of her life would be.

    Hovi talked to a couple of teams and chatted with some different coaches and schools where she wanted to pursue post-secondary studies.

    At that moment, the University of Manitoba Bisons women’s hockey team came calling. All of a sudden, Hovi was recharged to be back playing the sport once again.

Venla Hovi starred for three seasons with the Manitoba Bisons.

    “It is such a nice team,” said Hovi, who stands 5-foot-7. “I’ve never honestly played on team like that before, where everybody just gets along so well and supports each other.

    “It was really a blessing for me to experience that too.”

    The 31-year-old is in Saskatoon this week playing with Finland at the 4 Nations Cup women’s hockey tournament currently running at the SaskTel Centre. 
    Finland takes part in Friday’s feature game at 7:30 p.m. against Canada, which will be shown live on TSN. The winner qualifies for Saturday’s gold medal game against the United States. 

    Besides playing for Finland’s senior national women’s team, Hovi is currently an assistant coach with the Bisons and a forward with the Calgary Inferno of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League.

    When she arrived in the Manitoba capital back in 2015, Hovi said she grew fond of the city quickly.

Venla Hovi helped Finland win two bronze medals at the Winter Olympics.

    “I actually lived in Kitchener (Ontario) when I was 16 for 10 months, so I kind of knew Canada,” said Hovi, who has a goal in two games at the 4 Nations Cup. “I’m an outgoing personality, so it is easy to come here.

    “People are friendly, and it is really not bad. I like different types of people, and it wasn’t that big of a change for me.”

    Little did Hovi know, the first good vibes she felt foreshadowed some special experiences that were to come.

    Hovi starred with the Bisons for three seasons appearing 51 regular season games collecting 21 goals and 29 assists.

    During her rookie season, Hovi had a memorable moment at the ancient Rutherford Rink at the University of Saskatchewan back in February of 2016, when the Bisons faced the host Huskies in a best-of-three first round Canada West playoff series. 

Venla Hovi celebrates a playoff series OT winning goal in 2016.

    In a series deciding Game 3, Hovi scored the winner at the 9:02 mark of a fifth overtime period to deliver the Bisons to a 2-1 victory.

    That contest, which started on Feb. 21, 2016 at 7 p.m. and ended at 12:01 a.m. on Feb. 22, 2016, is still the longest game ever played in Canada West women’s hockey lasting 139 minutes and two seconds.

    The Bisons advanced to the Canada West championship series falling to the University of British Columbia 2-1 in series deciding Game 3.

    After posting career highs with 10 goals and 15 assists playing 22 regular season games with the Bisons in 2016-17, Hovi had a campaign that came out of a dream last season.

Venla Hovi focuses for overtime action last season.

    She helped Finland win a bronze medal at the Winter Olympics held last February in PyeongChang, South Korea.

    Following the Winter Olympics, Hovi rejoined the Bisons in time for their playoff run that ended with a U Sports national championship win last March.

    On the way to winning the national crown, Hovi and the Bisons swept the University of Saskatchewan Huskies 2-0 in the best-of-three Canada West championship series.

    In the elite-eight style U Sports national championship tournament held in London, Ont., the Bisons blanked the host University of Western Ontario Mustangs 2-0 in the tournament’s final game.

    “Any kind of thoughts whenever I look back, it was just amazing,” said Hovi. “Especially the last year how I ended it there, it was just a dream come true with the Olympics and the Bisons. I was really happy to experience that.”

    During the playoff run, the Wayne Fleming Arena on the University of Manitoba campus was packed with big crowds. Often, Hovi would take to the ice for a shift, and the crowd would chant her name.

Venla Hovi, right, drives a shot on goal in the Canada West final in March.

    When the Bisons won the national title, they were honoured before a Winnipeg Jets NHL game, visited City Hall and were given Outstanding Achievement Award Medals from the City of Winnipeg and were on the cover of various local publications.

    “It was really fun to see the support,” said Hovi, who helped Finland win bronze at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, B.C. “Obviously, hockey is really big there and people are crazy about it.

    “The support for the Jets and the (AHL’s Manitoba) Moose and now they join the women’s team too, so it was obviously fun to have that. Going to the NHL game and getting to be on the ice, just having that recognition was huge for us for sure.”

Venla Hovi (#9) enjoys the spoils of a Canada West title win by the Bisons.

    In the process, Hovi became another hockey player from Finland that became entrenched into the fabric of the community in Winnipeg like Teemu Selanne of the original Jets in the 1990s and Patrik Laine of the current Jets.

    Hovi appreciates the special bond that seems to be created between hockey players from Finland and Winnipeg. She said she still can’t totally put her finger on why that magic is there.

    “I don’t know what it is,” said Hovi. “I feel like there is something Finnish there.

    “People are humble, ready to work hard and it is easy to play there. Everybody loves hockey, so it is kind of like the atmosphere is positive and very supportive. Going there and having that support, it is really easy to get better too.”

Venla Hovi had 50 points in 51 regular season games with the Bisons.

    Following the Bisons playoff run, Hovi was again looking to ride into the sunset as far as her playing career was concerned.
    When the opportunity to play for the Inferno unfolded, Hovi jumped at it.

    Playing in a women’s professional league that is filled with top players from around the world, Hovi has two goals and four assists in her first six games with the Inferno. 
    She has enjoyed the chance to play alongside United States senior national team members in Brianna Decker, Kacey Bellamy and Alex Rigsby along with Canadian senior national team members in Blayre Turnbull, Brianne Jenner, Rebecca Johnston, Katelyn Gosling and Halli Krzyzaniak.

    “I actually think the chance of me not playing might have been even greater than playing,” said Hovi. “I started thinking about it that I’ve never played in a league where you play that hard and play with other U.S. and Team Canada players.

Venla Hovi, left, and Kacey Bellamy are Calgary Inferno teammates.

    “I thought I still have a chance to get better. I feel like that motivated me to still try it out and see how I was going to do there and maybe get a little bit better and help this team out when we play at the worlds in Finland.

    “It is exactly the type of hockey that I love playing. It is very similar to here, where the pace is fast and just going forth and back 100 miles an hour.”

    The next women’s world hockey championship tournament is slated to run April 4 to 14, 2019 in Espoo, Finland. 
    When that event concludes, Hovi isn’t sure what her future will be playing the game at that point.

    She could potentially play for Finland again at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, but she admits she has definitely not looked that far ahead.

    “I’m going day by day,” said Hovi. “This season I basically just thought about enjoying every single day and not worrying about what is going to happen.

Venla Hovi plans on enjoying everything about her current hockey season.

    “I’m definitely at the end of my career, which everybody can, you know, tell. All I am going to do is just enjoy and have fun playing and challenge myself.”

    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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    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.