Olympic champion Clark soaks in hero’s homecoming

Emily Clark is pictured with a young Saskatoon Comets player.

Emily Clark is living a whirlwind reality that is turning out better than her gold medal winning Olympic dream.

In the early morning hours in Saskatchewan time on February 17, Clark helped Canada’s Senior National Women’s Hockey team down the United States 3-2 in the gold medal game held at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. Growing up playing hockey in Saskatoon, Clark dreamed of winning a gold medal for Canada and realized her dream with that win over the U.S. at the Wukesong Arena.

Since the on ice celebrations of that victory, Clark keeps encountering happy surreal experiences.

Emily Clark arrives home at the airport in Saskatoon.

One of the biggest surprises came when the 26-year-old centre arrived home at the Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport during the 10 p.m. hour on Tuesday. She was greeted by a healthy gathering of supporters that included family and friends, players from local area hockey teams and fans.

“There are so many emotions going through my mind,” said Clark, who stands 5-foot-7. “It is hard to put words to.

“Honestly, I think this is the first time it has felt real getting to be back in Saskatoon and see some friends and family and share it with them. It feels real now, and it is just super special.”

The alum of the Flyers minor hockey zone in Saskatoon and the Saskatoon Stars Female Under-18 AAA team first hugged her father, Del, and mother, Tracy, upon her arrival.

Emily Clark, left, hugs her father, Del Clark.

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world, Emily Clark and her teammates playing in a bubble environment at the Winter Olympics and have basically been living in a bubble environment for about the last eight months.

The challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic prevented Clark’s family members from making it to the Winter Olympics.

She had family and friends in attendance at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. Canada took home the silver medal at those games falling 3-2 after a tiebreaking shootout to the United States in the gold medal final.

A couple of young Comets players display signs for Emily Clark.

After family and friends were there to pick her up emotionally after the disappointment of falling in the gold medal game in PyeongChang, South Korea, in 2018, Clark couldn’t wait to share a golden moment with her family and friends returning home with a gold medal from the 2022 Winter Olympics starting with her parents.

“I remember in 2018 I didn’t get to see them (Del and Tracy) until a little bit after the game at the Canada House,” said Clark. “As soon as I saw them, just getting to share it with them right away it was water works.

“It is super emotional. Everyone that is here still, my siblings, my sister-in-law, even my training partner and one of my best friends for a long time (University of Saskatchewan Huskies Men’s Hockey team defenceman) Evan Fiala is here. They’ve all had such a huge impact on getting me here.

Emily Clark gets up in a group hug with the Saskatoon Stars.

“To get to share it with them, that is why I think I said that is when it feels real, because they are the people I love the most. It feels good to share it with the people that got me here that is for sure.”

Clark received another surprise at her homecoming arrival in the fact the current Stars squad made it to the airport. The Stars had beaten the Prince Albert Northern Bears 5-4 in overtime earlier that night at Merlis Belsher Place.

Stars head coach Robin Ulrich had a bus waiting in front of Merlis for the team to board right after their game to make it to the airport for Clark’s arrival.

Emily Clark is pictured with another young Comets player.

Clark and the Stars had a big group hug. Following the hug, Clark took part in a team picture with the Stars and selfie photos with the individual players, coaches and support staffers.

Clark said she knew a number of the players since the last Olympic cycle and knows the families of Stars forwards Avery Bairos and Sage Babey well.

“It is so cool to watch them grow up and follow in my footsteps,” said Clark, who won an NCAA championship with the University of Wisconsin Badgers Women’s Hockey team in 2018-19. “Now, they are on the Stars.

Emily Clark has some fun with the Stars players.

“Now, they are hoping to get university scholarships. I know they are fans of me, but it is pretty cool to watch them grow up. To see the (Saskatoon) Comets jerseys, to see some young youth hockey boys as well be just as excited as the young girl athletes, it is so special.

“It means the world. I love home. I love being from here. To share those moments with them it does mean a lot to me.”

The Stars contingent included assistant coach Kori Herner, who played with Clark on the Stars during the 2011-12 campaign. Herner held up a sign that said, “Miss Team Canada! Welcome home!”

Emily Clark, left, is pictured with former Stars teammate Kori Herner.

During the 2011-12 season, Clark set the Stars record for most points in one regular season at 60 coming on 26 goals and 34 assists in 26 regular season contests. That record was equaled by Mackenna Parker in the 2017-18 campaign.

Clark said she used to be called “Miss Team Canada” by her Stars teammates. She was happy to see how much of an impact Herner, who played five seasons with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Women’s Hockey team from 2013 to 2018, is having on the provincial coaching ranks.

“She (Herner) was a great teammate,” said Clark. “She was one of my best friends when I played for the Stars.

Emily Clark hugs Stars head coach Robin Ulrich.

“To see her still be involved with female hockey, Team Sask and the Stars, I do enjoy when I get to come home and see her and we get to reminisce.”

In the grand scheme things, Clark has had a busy hockey season. She helped Canada win gold at the 2021 women’s worlds played this past August in a bubble environment in Calgary, Alta.

Canada won the gold medal game 3-2 in overtime over United States in that event on August 31, 2021 at WinSport Arena.

Tracy Clark, in white, and Del Clark, on right, are proud parents.

On the day of the gold medal game for the 2022 Winter Olympics, Clark said she had a surreal feeling that something special was going to happen.

“The whole day was a dream honestly,” said Clark, who had two goals, one assist and a plus-four rating in the plus-minus department in seven games with Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics. “Waking up, I had a really good feeling.

“Obviously, there was a lot of belief on the team, but I’ve never felt that way on a championship game day. The whole day just felt like a dream. I just had to keep reminding myself it is breakfast time, it is warm up time just taking things one step at a time and not thinking about the result and definitely be in the moment.

Emily Clark visits with members of the Fiala family.

“I was still in the moment that when the game ended I realized that we won, but I don’t really think it hit me that we won an Olympic gold medal.”

After arriving home in Saskatoon, Clark visited various family and friends celebrating the gold medal victory from the Winter Olympics. Having basically trained for the most part in bubble conditions since March of 2020, Clark and a number of her Team Canada teammates departed for a vacation to Mexico on Saturday.

It was the type of change up Clark was looking forward to and admitted she hasn’t done a whole lot of in the past.

Emily Clark poses for a team picture with the Stars.

“I honestly haven’t been on too many vacations,” said Clark. “I think if there is a time to go on one it might be it.”

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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Clark’s Olympic gold a sweet Sask. feel good sports moment

Emily Clark, centre, pictured with some of her former Stars teammates.

The underage player from the Saskatoon Stars became gold medal winner at the Olympics.

Way back in September of 2009, Emily Clark joined the Stars female under-18 AAA hockey team as an underage forward at age 13. As the youngest player on the Stars, she had the last pick of jersey numbers and selected number 13 as a reminder of her age when she first started skating with the team.

On September 9, 2009, she scored a goal skating in her first game with the Stars in a 3-2 exhibition win at the Gemini Arena over the Prince Albert A & W Bears, who are now known as the Prince Albert Northern Bears.

Clark would turn 14-years-old in late November of 2009, and she played in all of the Stars 28 regular season games collecting two goals and two assists. Before joining the Stars, Clark played on boys teams in Saskatoon in the Flyers Zone.

Her father, Del, was a long time coach and executive with the Flyer program.

Actually, Emily Clark first began playing the game at age three at a University of Saskatchewan Huskies kids camp run by legendary Huskies men’s hockey head coach Dave Adolph.

An Olympic champion was born from that modest start.

An Emily Clark hockey card.

Fast forward to the early morning hours last Thursday in Saskatchewan time. Many in province were awake to watch Clark and her teammates on Canada’s Senior National Women’s Hockey team capture the gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, China.

Canada downed their forever rivals in the United States 3-2 in the gold medal final held at the Wukesong Arena.

At age 26, Clark has realized her ultimate hockey dream. The power forward picked up two goals and an assist appearing in six of Canada’s seven games.

Clark missed one preliminary round contest against the Russian Olympic Committee due to an inconclusive coronavirus (COVID-19) test. That goes down as a forever side note reminder that the 2022 Winter Olympics were played with the world still in the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Between that first exhibition game victory with the Stars and the gold medal win with Canada, Clark, who stands 5-foot-7, has piled up many accolades in her hockey journey.

In the 2010-11 campaign, Clark helped the Stars win the female division of the prestigious Mac’s Tournament in Calgary.

In 2011-12, she set the Stars record for most points scored in one regular season at 60 coming off 26 goals and 34 assists in 26 regular season games. That team record would ultimately be matched by Mackenna Parker in the 2017-18 campaign.

Clark’s number 13 was retired by the Stars in December of 2019.

Clark put up big numbers playing for the Okanagan Hockey Academy under-18 prep female team collecting 34 goals and 35 assists in 57 games in two seasons from 2012 to 2014.

A second Emily Clark hockey card.

She proceeded to star for four seasons with the University of Wisconsin Badgers Women’s Hockey team in the NCAA Division I ranks from 2014 to 2019. She left the Badgers for one season in 2017-18 to play for Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, where Canada took home the silver medal falling 3-2 after a tiebreaking shootout to the United States in the gold medal final.

With the Badgers, Clark played in 147 career games posting 70 goals and 76 assists. During her final season with the Badgers in 2018-19, she helped them win an NCAA championship.

On the international scene, Clark helped Canada win gold at two under-18 women’s world championships, three silver medals, one bronze medal and one gold medal at women’s worlds to go with the silver at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

The gold medal win at women’s worlds can in August of 2021, when the tournament was held in a bubble environment in Calgary.

Following her time with the Stars, Clark usually wore number 26, which is double the number 13.

No matter where Clark goes in hockey, she still keeps strong ties to her home city of Saskatoon and to Saskatchewan as a province. Some of her favourite teammates from her time in the sport include former Stars teammates like Marley Ervine, Lauren Zary, Sara Greschner and Brooke Mutch.

Clark made numerous friends on the men’s side of the game growing up including Rourke Chartier, who plays with the AHL’s Belleville Senators and Evan Fiala, who plays for the U of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s team in the U Sports ranks.

Everywhere Clark has gone to play hockey, she has been an enduring and favourite teammate. She is also taken to heart because her style of play mirrors that of Wendel Clark, who starred for the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades and the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs. Emily and Wendel are not related.

Emily Clark signs autographs for youngster in November of 2018.

In the Saskatchewan hockey community and Saskatoon as a city, it seems there is just a one or two degrees of separation from knowing someone that knows Emily and her family.

That connection added to how awe inspiring it was to see Clark and her team to realize their golden moment at the Winter OIympics.

In today’s world that is engulfed in news events that can seem chaotic, it felt that much more special to see Clark realize her ultimate gold medal dream on the sports world’s biggest stage.

Memorial Cup gets new dates, WHL schedule adjusted

The Acadie-Bathurst Titan celebrate their Memorial Cup win in 2018.

Last Wednesday, the CHL announced its Memorial Cup championship tournament was being pushed back.

The CHL announced the change with its three member leagues in the OHL, QMJHL and WHL have to extend regular season schedules to play games that were postponed due to challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic. The WHL has also dealt with postponements due to bad weather.

The upcoming Memorial Cup is being hosted by the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs in Saint John, New Brunswick. The event was originally scheduled to be held from June 4 to 13, but it will now be held from June 20 to 29.

The changes to the Memorial Cup’s schedule were expected.

In late January, the QMJHL said it intended to play its full 68-game regular season that will conclude on May 1. The QMJHL plays are slated to be held from May 5 to June 15.

Last Thursday, the WHL announced its regular season that was originally slated to end on April 3 will now end on April 17. The adjustment was made to allow the circuit’s member teams to get in their postponed contests in order for each club to play a 68-game regular season.

If any standing tiebreaking games need to be played, they will be held on April 19.

The WHL playoffs are schedule to begin April 22 and could potentially run to June 14, if a series deciding Game 7 is needed for the WHL Championship series.

The WHL is also adjusting its playoff format. Instead of using the division format that was used from 2015 to 2020, the circuit is going back to a conference playoff format that was last used in 2014.

That means, the two division winners in each conference will be seeded one and two in their respective conference brackets. After the division winners, the next six teams in each conference with the most standings points will also make the post-season.

Clubs advancing in each round of the playoffs will be reseeded based on regular season points. Each round of the WHL playoffs will be contested in best-of-seven series.

Controversies plentiful for 2022 Winter Olympics

Controversies seemed to come out of the woodworks to plague the 2022 Winter Olympics that were held in Beijing, China.

They seemly took flight on February 2, which was two days before the games themselves began. That initial one came with Belgian skeleton racer Kim Meylemans asked over Instagram for the International Olympic Committee to free her from one of Beijing’s COVID-19 isolation facilities.

She was placed there instead of the Athletes’ Village isolation centre.

Meylemans tested positive for COVID-19 upon arriving in China. The Belgian delegation stepped in quickly, and Meylemans was moved to the Village one day later.

Some of the controversies will continue to play out after the games came to a conclusion on Sunday.

In Canada, the games will be remembered for the country taking home a total of 26 medals including four gold medals, eight silver medals and 14 bronze medals.

Overall, the 2022 Winter Olympics might be best remembered on the world stage for the controversy swirling around 15-year-old Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva, who was favoured to win gold in the women’s singles competition.

Before the women’s singles event took place, news surfaced Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine, which is a heart drug used to prevent angina and also acts as an oxygen booster. The drug is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Due to Valieva being a minor, it was decided that she would be allowed to compete as the investigation around the positive test continued.

She collapsed in the free skate and finished fourth in the women’s singles event. Russian 17-year-old teammates Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova finished first and second respectively, but the medal wins were far from a dream finish for either athlete.

As for other controversies, we had Russian president Vladimir Putin looking like he was going to fall asleep when Ukraine was introduced during the opening ceremonies.

There were a couple of questionable video reviews that gave China gold medals in speed skating and China trying to censor an athlete from Finland for showing flooding in her part of the Athletes Village on social media.

On Sunday, Yahoo Sports posted a list of the various controversies, and that post can be found by clicking right here.

Blades’ Crnkovic retakes WHL scoring lead

Kyle Crnkovic retook the WHL scoring lead.

Saskatoon Blades star left-winger Kyle Crnkovic retook the lead in the WHL scoring race with a three-point night on Sunday.

Entering play on Sunday, Crnkovic trailed Red Deer Rebels overage left-winger Arshdeep Bains by one point for top spot in the scoring race.

Playing before 5,737 spectators at the Scotiabank Saddledown in Calgary against the host Hitmen on Sunday, Crnkovic potted two goals and an assist to power the Blades to a 4-1 regular season victory.

Thanks to that offensive outburst, the Chestermere, Alta., product leads the WHL in scoring with 73 points coming off 32 goals and 41 assists. Crnkovic’s goal and point totals are career highs.

Bains sits second in the scoring race with 71 points coming off 25 goals and 46 assists.

The Blades also received goals from centres Trevor Wong and Trevor Robins, who has a signed NHL entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks.

Zac Funk had the lone reply for the Hitmen.

Rookie Ethan Chadwick made 23 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Blades (27-18-1-1). Ethan Buenaventura turned away 31 shots to take the setback in net for the Hitmen (18-22-5-2).

Blades sophomore left-winger Vaughn Watterodt and Hitmen 20-year-old centre Blake Allan engaged in a first period fight.

The Blades return to action on Wednesday when they travel to Brandon to take on the 25-15-3-2 Wheat Kings (7 p.m. Saskatchewan time, 600 CJWW).

Vitelli nets pair in Raiders 4-1 win over Tigers, other notes

Reece Vitelli scored twice for the Raiders on Monday.

Captain Reece Vitelli got his Prince Albert Raiders back in the win column.

On Monday, Vitelli scored twice in the third period to lift the Raiders to a 4-1 regular season victory over the host Medicine Hat Tigers playing before 2,390 spectators at Co-Op Place.

The Tigers went ahead 1-0 on a goal from Owen MacNeil at the 7:08 mark of the first period.

Before the opening frame ended, Sloan Stanick tallied for the Raiders to even the game’s score at 1-1.

After a scoreless second period, Vitelli scored twice in the third to put the Raiders up 3-1. Veteran centre Keaton Sorensen rounded out the contest’s scoring an empty-net goal for the visitors with three minutes remaining in the third.

Tikhon Chaika stopped 23 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Raiders (18-26-2-1). Garin Bjorklund turned away 19-of-22 shots to take the setback in net for the Tigers (9-33-3-1).

Raiders star centre Ozzy Wiesblatt and Tigers left-winger Brayden Boehm engaged in a second period fight.

Inside the final 31 seconds of the third, Raiders defenceman Trevor Thurston received a major for cross-checking, a major for charging and a 10-minute misconduct. The two major penalties will be automatically be reviewed by the WHL office for a possible suspension.

The Raiders win on Monday unofficially marked the 572^nd career regular season head coaching victory for Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid. The win total includes Habscheid’s time with the Kamloops Blazers, Kelowna Rockets, and the Chilliwack Bruins/Victoria Royals franchise. Habscheid’s first season holding a WHL team’s head coaching duties came in the 1997/98 campaign with the Blazers.

If that total gets verified as official, Habscheid would equal Mike Williamson for the fifth most career regular season head coaching victories in the history of the WHL. Williamson collected his head coaching victories working behind the bench of the Portland Winterhawks, Calgary Hitmen and Tri-City Americans from the 1999-2000 campaign to the 2017-18 campaign.

The Raiders return to action on Wednesday when they travel to Calgary to take on the 18-22-5-2 Hitmen (6 p.m. Saskatchewan time, 900 CKBI).

• Prince Albert product and 16-year-old left-winger Tanner Howe is having a strong season with the WHL’s Regina Pats. In 40 regular season games, Howe has 19 goals and 23 assists for 42 points.
• A spectacular season has vaulted Regina Rebels forward Alexis Petford into a tie for 10^th place on the all-time career regular season scoring list for the Saskatchewan Female Under-18 AAA Hockey League. In 28 regular season games in the current campaign, Petford has 75 points on 37 goals and 38 assists. All of those totals are career highs for Petford, who is in her final season of under-18 AAA eligibility. In 90 career SFU18AAAHL regular season games, Petford has 126 points coming on 62 goals and 64 assists and is the Rebels all-time career regular season scoring leader. She has equalled Lauren Zary for 10^th on the SFU18AAAHL career regular season scoring list. Zary collected her 126 points on 44 goals and 82 assists playing 103 career regular season games for the Saskatoon Stars from 2008 to 2012. The Rebels have one game remaining on their regular season schedule when they travel to Wilcox on Wednesday to face the Notre Dame Hounds.
• The B.C. Division leading Kamloops Blazers clinched a berth in the WHL playoffs, when they downed the U.S. Division leading Everett Silvertips 4-3 after a tiebreaking shootout on Monday at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops. The Blazers took the tiebreaking shootout 2-1. The Blazers improved to 35-13-2 with the win, while the Silvertips record moved to 35-7-2-5. The Silvertips came into the contest with a WHL playoff berth already locked up.

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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Off of here until July

Set to head out on a bike ride in early May.

For about a couple of weeks, I’ve kind been looking forward to taking a break from this blog.

I kind of felt I’ve needed to take a break in order to get refreshed.

I like the fact the last post I wrote before this one was a quoter piece from catch up interviews I did with sisters Sophie and Grace Shirley, who won an NCAA title together playing for the University of Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team. Both skilled forwards are outstanding persons, and I’ve enjoyed seeing them grow in the sport and in life since moving to Saskatoon in the summer of 2014.

I caught up with the Shirley sisters for Your Saskatoon News, and I had lots leftover for another piece.

Even when I was using the leftover quotes to craft a piece for this blog, the writing part wasn’t coming easy. I also started swearing at the computer when I was hitting glitches in the editing and layout phases.

I got frustrated when a feature on the blog platform I used stopped working like it used to.

I took those moments as another sign that I needed a break.

My break from this blog will run the rest of June and the next post is slated for July 3. On July 3, I will say I am either extending my break or I will have some sort post that kicks me back into action.

The other reason I am taking a break is because I haven’t taken a break from producing content for this blog since January 2020, which was before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic gripped the world and really started to impact life in North America on March 11, 2020.

A wall of pictures I’ve taken at sports events over the years.

I have been fortunate enough to work through the pandemic as the communications coordinator with the Gordie Howe Sports Complex and on freelance opportunities that came up. The freelance opportunities have been far less than they were before the pandemic, but they have still come and been a nice bonus.

Still, I use this blog as my main outlet to cover the sports scene focusing on the WHL, U Sports, CJFL and SFU18AAAHL. A lot of the focus is on those scenes in Saskatoon and Prince Albert.

Columns about the NLL mainly involving the Saskatchewan Rush, CFL, NHL and other sports and topics outside of the sports world get thrown in too. I actually have to admit that while I am not a big lacrosse guy, covering the Rush has been extremely fun over the years, and I enjoyed that scene way more than I thought I would.

During busy WHL playoff runs which occurred before the pandemic, it is common for me to put posts up on this blog on a daily basis.

With that noted, the mind hits times where it needs to rest and refresh. Writing about the ups and downs of the sports world during these pandemic times dating back to March 11, 2020 has been challenging.

I am actually one of those that constantly fact checks sources to ensure facts are right. Fact checking items and weaving through social media battles between people has been taxing.

In my other work environments, I am still tracking how things are unfolding in the pandemic.

I’m surrounded by mementos in my basement workout room.

I just want to get a break from continuing that tracking on this blog.

On Wednesday, I saw the International Ice Hockey Federation announced the women’s worlds will run Aug. 20-31 in Calgary. While this was an upbeat update, I still need a break from being plugged in and keeping up on updates like that.

With the ups and downs of the pandemic, I’ve found the local sports world that I deal with has had its toxic times too. The out there emotions are understandable as coaches and administrators have poured their souls into get sports going again and have encountered many frustrations.

I don’t hold any of those emotions in upset times against anyone.

For myself, I just need to step away from that toxicity for a bit.

I also know as we work towards a new normal as vaccines for COVID-19 roll out that the sports world will build into a new normal.

In Canada, the sports world that existed on March 10, 2020 won’t be coming back in the new normal. There have already been changes like the elimination of the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns men’s and women’s hockey teams, the retirement of Dave Adolph as the head coach of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team and Bruce Urban selling the Rush to the Priestner family.

A display of some pictures I’ve taken over the years.

Those are just some of the changes that have crossed my mind, but there are many more than that.

I want to take some time to step back to get a different look at how the sports world locally and in Canada is going to fall into place without writing about that process on a regular basis. As the sports world locally and in Canada falls into place, I will evaluate how I will fit into that new world.

Besides the sports side of things, my social calendar for 2020 was packed with items pre-pandemic that got called off. In the sort out going forward, some of those social functions at the moment are slated to come back include a big family wedding which I need to devote time and attention to.

I don’t think I will ever stop producing this blog. It is something that is mine.

When I have to make space and time to produce posts for this blog, I have told people to (*explanative*) off in some extreme cases. I have worked regularly to 1 a.m. or 3 a.m. when I am in the process of producing a post that I feel is really good.

Back when I first started to write this blog in the final five months of 2014, I thought I would just focus on writing about the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s and women’s hockey teams as my way to stay linked to sports.

From that simple expectation, I’ve lost track of all the cool things I’ve done. I’ve covered numerous championship wins involving the Saskatoon Hilltops, Saskatoon Valkyries and Saskatoon Stars.

I covered a Bears OT win on Nov. 21, 2020.

I renewed links with Prince Albert covering the Raiders and the Northern Bears.

Covering the Raiders 3-2 overtime win in Game 7 of the WHL Championship Series will always be an all-time highlight.

I’ve made numerous memories on the WHL circuit the majority involving the Raiders, Saskatoon Blades, Regina Pats, Swift Current Broncos, Moose Jaw Warriors, Medicine Hat Tigers, Brandon Wheat Kings and Red Deer Rebels.

There have been many special memories involving the Huskies hockey teams and the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team.

I enjoyed getting to follow the hockey careers of my young cousins Nelson and Danielle Nogier. It was a different unique special to cover Nelson playing games with the Blades and Rebels and Danielle suiting up with the Stars and Huskies.

Covering the 4 Nations Cup women’s hockey tournament in Saskatoon in November of 2018 was a huge highlight too.

I’ve had so many great experiences come my way through this blog, so I can’t see ever at this time permanently giving it up.

For now, I am walking away for an extended time in order to get a break and get refreshed. Hopefully, I can get is some good coffee visits like one I had a few weeks back with Tim Shirley.

No matter what I am always busy in the home office.

So in the mean time and in between time, I hope you all stay healthy and safe and handle each day the best way you can.

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.

Badgers sudden victory NCAA title will always be special for Shirley sisters

Sophie, centre, and Grace Shirley, right, after a 2015 league title win.

Sisters Sophie and Grace Shirley will always be fond of the day they experienced sudden victory in championship style.

On March 20, 2021, the Shirley sisters were playing for the University of Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team in the NCAA title game against the Northeastern University Huskies in the NCAA Division I title game at the Erie Insurance Arena in Erie, Pennsylvania.

The two sides went to overtime locked in a 1-1 draw and the deciding goal was seemingly scored out of nowhere.

At the 3:16 mark of the extra session, Badgers superstar left-winger Daryl Watts took the puck down behind the Northeastern goal. From behind the net, Watts, who is a Toronto, Ont., product, proceeded to bank the puck off a Huskies defender and netminder Aerin Frankel into the Northeastern goal.

The Huskies roster included defender and captain Brooke Hobson, who is an alumna of the Prince Albert Northern Bears female under-18 AAA hockey team.

The Shirley sisters, who are both forwards with the Badgers, felt instant euphoria. They later pieced together what happened on the winning goal.

“When the puck went in, I had just come off of my shift,” said Sophie, who was in her third season with the Badgers. “Daryl’s line was on next.

Sophie Shirley in action with the Stars in 2014-15.

“I remember that I basically sat down. I was just trying to catch my breath, because I had just been out on a shift. Basically, I sat down.

“I couldn’t really see, because when you sit down on the bench, all my teammates in front of me were standing up watching the play. Just like that, everyone just started celebrating, and we won the game. We had won the national championship.”

“Right when it happened I remember not even really looking,” said Grace, who was in her second season with the Badgers. “I think she (Watts) was trying to get it to the slot, so I didn’t even see it go in.

“Everybody on the bench just jumped. There was definitely a lot of screaming. I think me and one of my teammates Dara (Greig), as soon as it happened we just like looked at each other and just froze for like a second.

“Everybody just started jumping over, and we got over. That is all I can really remember. It was pretty exciting.”

The two Saskatoon products and alums of the Saskatoon Stars female under-18 AAA hockey team got to share in a national championship in a season like no other.

The Badgers won the NCAA crown in Sophie’s rookie year with the team in 2018-19. They were looking to repeat as NCAA champions the next season and were set to host an NCAA championship tournament quarter-final contest before the remainder of the tournament was called off on March 12, 2020 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that had gripped the world.

Grace Shirley in action for the Stars in 2015-16.

The Shirley sisters returned home to Saskatoon to finish their academic courses online. They returned to Madison, Wisconsin, in August of 2020 to rejoin the Badgers for a campaign there wasn’t any certainty it would be played to a conclusion.

The Badgers regular season opened on Nov. 27, 2020 with a 3-2 overtime loss in Columbus, Ohio, to the Ohio State University Buckeyes. After blanking the Buckeyes 5-0 the next night, the Badgers had their season put on hold as a COVID-19 outbreak saw six players from the team test positive for the virus.

All of the Badgers six games in December of 2020 were postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Badgers resumed their season in early January and hit high gear and never looked back finishing the campaign with a 17-3-1 overall record. They played 20 games fewer than when they won their last non-COVID NCAA title in 2018-19.

Sophie posted 12 goals, 13 assists and a plus-18 rating in the plus-minus department in the Badgers 21 overall games. In 98 overall career games with the Badgers, Sophie has 61 goals and 63 assists for a total of 124 points to go with a plus-90 rating.

As a third-year player, Sophie, who is 21-years-old, focused a little more on trying to set a good example for the younger members of the team.

“For me, it was making sure that I am doing everything right on the ice just being able to help the team in any way,” said Sophie, who stands 5-foot-9. “It was also just kind of maturing a little bit and kind of fitting into that leadership role a little bit off the ice as well as on the ice too.

Sophie Shirley (#8) cuts up ice on a rush for the Stars in 2014-15.

“I think it was a different year for me, and I think it was one that I really enjoyed. I really enjoyed being that older player and being able to kind of lead the way by example, but also within the locker room. I enjoyed the year.

“Personally, I thought it was a pretty good year for me. I think that I learned a lot as well too, so yeah, it was a good year.”

Grace had two goals, one assist and a plus-two rating skating in all of the Badgers 21 contests. In 57 overall career games with the Badgers, the 19-year-old has three goals and five assists for eight points to go with plus-12 rating.

She was happy with her season personally and how she was able to develop playing on a Badgers team that has a huge amount of depth. A number of the Badgers players are in line to have future opportunities to play in either Canada’s or the United State’s national team system.

“You have to really earn your ice,” said Grace, who stands 5-foot-7. “I’m trying to work my way up.

“I definitely feel like maybe like I’m not getting as much ice time as I’m used to. I’m still definitely developing as a player and even just getting to practice with and battle with some of these future Olympians, it helps just kind of knowing that I am getting better and developing. I’m amongst the best.

“It is nice knowing that they are kind of pushing me to get better too.”

Both players have fond memories of their time with the Stars.

Grace Shirley jets into the offensive zone for the Stars in 2017-18.

Sophie suited up in three seasons for the Stars from 2012 to 2015 appearing in 58 regular season games collecting 41 goals and 27 assists for 68 points. She helped the Stars win their first SFU18AAAHL title and win a bronze medal at the Esso Cup female under-18 AAA national championship tournament in the 2014-15 campaign.

“When I think back to my high school days here back at home being at home, those were some of the best times of my life,” said Sophie. “Some of my friends that I still have today are from playing on the Stars and being able to play for that program.

“Ultimately, I think that I grew a lot. I got better while playing with the Stars. I think it kind of developed me into the player and the person that I am today.

“I’m always thankful for what that program has done for me. There were a lot of fun times that I had playing for the Saskatoon Stars. I miss it.”

Grace suited up in five seasons for the Stars from 2014 to 2019 appearing in 107 regular season games collecting 97 goals and 69 assists for 166 points. She was an associate player call up on the 2014-15 SFMU18AAAHL championship winning team.

Grace helped the Stars win three more SFMU18AAAHL title in 2016, 2018 and 2019 and appear at the Esso Cup tournament in each of those years. The Stars made it to the Esso Cup title game in 2018 falling to the Alberta based St. Albert Slash 2-1.

Sophie Shirley has fond memories playing for the Stars.

“It was big part of my life,” said Grace. “That is where I developed to be at this level, so I definitely reflect on it a lot.

“It was definitely a huge part of my life before coming here. There are lots of differences I’d say, but just in terms of some of the lessons that I’ve learned along the way, it is definitely still applicable today.”

The Shirley sisters are back in Saskatoon visiting family and friends. They are hoping to rejoin the Badgers for skating and training sessions in the middle of June.

Due to the fact the NCAA ruled that players who took part in the 2020-21 campaign would not lose any eligibility due to the uncertainties regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, Sophie can play two more seasons with the Badgers and Grace can play three more campaigns.

While they have a good chance of piling up a number of more highlights in their respective playing careers, the Shirley sisters will never forget the sudden victory NCAA title win with the Badgers.

“It was a pretty crazy feeling,” said Sophie. “It was a pretty crazy bounce, a positive bounce behind the net there with Daryl kind of bouncing into the net.

“It happens just like that, and all of a sudden, we were national champions, so it was pretty cool.”

Grace Shirley was the Stars captain in 2018-19.

“There was so much adversity, and I know every team experiences it,” said Grace. “To kind of come out on the higher end of that and to say that we won in such a crazy year, I think it is pretty special.”

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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Sudden NCAA title victory for Shirley sisters, Badgers

Hobson and Huskies fall in heartbreaker

BACK TO BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!

Daryl Watts scores in overtime to help the #Badgers claim their sixth national title

Wisconsin 2, Northeastern 1#OnWisconsin #UWHealth pic.twitter.com/KMUsUQBJHp

— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerWHockey) March 21, 2021

Sisters Sophie and Grace Shirley experienced the definition of “sudden victory” with the University of Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team.

For Prince Albert product Brooke Hobson, she had to digest a heartbreaking loss as captain of the Northeastern University Huskies.

On Saturday, the Badgers and Huskies collided in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I women’s hockey championship game at the Erie Insurance Arena in Erie, Pennsylvania. The two sides went to overtime locked in a 1-1 draw and the deciding goal was seemingly scored out of nowhere.

At the 3:16 mark of the extra session, Badgers superstar left-winger Daryl Watts took the puck down behind the Northeastern goal. From behind the net, Watts, who is a Toronto, Ont., product, proceeded to bank the puck off a Huskies defender and netminder Aerin Frankel into the Northeastern goal.

NATIONAL. CHAMPIONS. pic.twitter.com/sOht3fVAHS

— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerWHockey) March 21, 2021

It was a slick play only Watts and a handful of others could make. In 134 career NCAA games with both the Boston College Eagles and the Badgers, Watts has piled up 108 goals and 132 assists for 240 points. She won the Patty Kazmaier Award as the top player in NCAA women’s hockey for the 2017-18 campaign.

Sophie and Grace Shirley after a Stars title win in 2015.

Watts’s tally gave the Badgers a 2-1 victory and their sixth NCAA title in program history. The Badgers six NCAA titles equals the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers for the most all-time NCAA championships in women’s hockey.

The first NCAA women’s hockey title was awarded in 2001.

Badgers head coach Mark Johnson has guided Wisconsin to all six NCAA titles becoming the all-time wins leader for NCAA women’s hockey in the process.

The Badgers have won the NCAA crown the last two times it was awarded including Saturday’s OT win and in 2019. The2020 NCAA women’s hockey championship tournament was cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world.

The Huskies were trying to win their first NCAA crown in their first appearance in the NCAA championship game.

The Shirley sisters, who are alums of their hometown Saskatoon Stars female under-18 AAA team, got to soak in sudden win.

Sophie, who is a right-winger in her junior season, experienced a second NCAA title win with the Badgers. Grace got to experience her first NCAA championship victory as a sophomore forward.

Hobson, who is an alumna of her hometown Prince Albert Northern Bears female AAA under-18 team, had to digest a defeat as a senior defender that ultimately no one on her side could be faulted on. Saturday marked just the fourth time the NCAA women’s hockey final was decided in overtime.

Sophie Shirley in action for the Stars in 2015.

In Saturday’s NCAA title game, the goaltenders dominated the majority of the contest. Senior netminder Kennedy Blair made 23 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Badgers (17-3-1).

Frankel, who is in her senior season, stopped 35 shots to take the setback in goal for the Huskies (22-2-1).

The Huskies failed to score on four power-play chances, and the Badgers were unable to cash in on their one power-play opportunity.

The Huskies had won 18 straight games heading into Saturday’s title tilt and were the top ranked team in NCAA women’s hockey.

The Badgers entered Saturday’s championship game as the second ranked team in NCAA women’s hockey.

Over the first two periods of Saturday’s battle, Blair and Frankel slammed door in front of their respective goals to keep their sides locked in a 0-0 tie.

The Badgers finally broke through at the 11-minute mark of the third period. Badgers freshman right-winger Makenna Webster fired home the rebound of a shot taken by linemate Casey O’Brien to put Wisconsin up 1-0.

Grace Shirley in action for the Stars in 2018-19.

Just 39 seconds later, the Huskies evened things up at 1-1. Hobson got the puck to the lower left corner of the Wisconsin zone to Northeastern centre Alina Mueller.

Mueller slipped the puck over to junior left-winger Chloe Aurard inside the left faceoff circle. Aurard blew home the equalizer to top right corner of the Wisconsin goal.

That set the stage for the overtime dramatics, where Watts netted the winner.

For the Shirley sisters, this marked the second time they got to enjoy a championship playing together. When the Stars won their first Saskatchewan Female Under-18 AAA Hockey League title in 2014-15, Sophie was a star 15-year-old centre on that team, while Grace was a 13-year-old associate player call up.

Grace was healthy scratch the night the Stars captured their first SFU18AAAHL title.

Following that season, Sophie moved on to play with two different academy programs and one CWHL season with the Calgary Inferno before joining the Badgers. Grace remained with the Stars helping them win SFU18AAAHL championship in 2016, 2018 and 2019.

Brooke Hobson in action with the Bears in 2017.

Hobson captained the Bears to a SFU18AAAHL title in 2017.

Saturday’s game concluded an NCAA women’s hockey season that many weren’t sure would get completed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Badgers had to cancel their last six games scheduled for this past December after a COVID-19 outbreak on the team. Media reports stated at least six Badgers players test positive for the virus.

The Wisconsin side returned after New Year’s Day and hit top stride on their way to winning the NCAA title.

Sophie appeared in all of the Badgers 21 games collecting 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points to go with a plus-18 rating in the plus-minus department. In 98 career NCAA games, she has 61 goals and 63 assists for 124 points.

Grace skated in all of the Badgers 21 games posting two goals and one assist and a plus-two rating.

Hobson has made her mark as one of the Huskies all-time greats thanks to her skill as an offensive defender. In 128 career games with the Huskies, Hobson has 41 goals and 45 assists for 86 points.

She appeared in all of the Huskies 25 games this season posting two goals, 15 assists and a plus-33 rating.

Hobson could potentially return to the Huskies for a fifth season. The NCAA has ruled the 2020-21 campaign won’t count as eligibility used for players that take part in that season due to the uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Overall, the Shirley sisters and Hobson continue to make Saskatchewan proud. For Saskatchewan’s hockey community, Saturday’s NCAA women’s hockey final was a great day.

That winning feeling pic.twitter.com/rkyRlzuSeP

— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerWHockey) March 21, 2021

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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Expect bubble system to be part of sports for a while yet

Clark writes from Hockey Canada bubble

Emily Clark, centre, is at a Hockey Canada bubble training camp.

Until the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic goes away, expect various parts of the sports world to continue using the bubble environment.

That environment could be a more loose bubble. That basically means athletes exist by just community back and forth traveling between home and their athletic facility.

You don’t associate with anyone else outside of that little world.

The tight bubble sees all athletes from a team or league get rounded up and live at a hotel connected to an athletic facility. Those athletes are cut off physically from the rest of the world, and they live in their hotel rooms, a social room with their teammates or at the athletic facility.

Athletes and team officially are usually tested daily for COVID-19 in that setup.

That tight bubble environment is what most people think about of when it comes to a bubble environment. That bubble environment was used successfully by the NHL, NBA and WNBA to successfully complete their post-seasons in 2020.

It was used successfully by the International Ice Hockey Federation to complete the men’s world juniors in Edmonton, Alta., which wrapped up Jan. 5 when the United States blanked Canada 2-0 in the gold medal game.

An Emily Clark hockey card.

That type of bubble environment is being used by Hockey Canada again to host training camps for the senior national women’s team and the national para men’s team in Calgary, Alta.

The national women’s team camp began on Sunday and runs through to Saturday, Jan. 30. A total of 35 players will take part in this camp, while 12 were invited an unable to attend due to school commitments and other reasons.

Sophie Shirley, an alumna of the Saskatoon Stars female under-18 AAA team, was one of the invites that was unable to attend as the star centre is playing NCAA regular season games with the University of Wisconsin Badgers.

The national para men’s team began camp on Saturday and runs through to Tuesday, Jan. 26. A total of 14 players will take part in skating sessions in that camp, while another 13 players were invited but unable to participate.

Players have to quarantine for three days upon arriving in Calgary, and they are closed to the public and media.

On the women’s side, national team veteran and Stars alumna Emily Clark typed out a post on Hockey Canada’s bubble blog on Tuesday.

In the short piece Clark wrote, the 25-year-old Saskatoon product said she went straight to her room upon arriving at the team hotel. Once she was at her room, she unpacked and waited for her first COVID-19 test and dinner to arrive at her door.

For down moments, she brought a Nintendo Switch game system and books to pass the time.

Clark wrote about all the Zoom meetings she took part in on Monday along with medical check ins. She visited with teammates on FaceTime and wrote it was strange to visit with someone that way, when they are in hotel rooms in the same building.

An action shot Emily Clark hockey card.

Clark said she was grateful to be under the same roof as all her national team teammates, and she noted it had been 11 months since they were all together. She ended by saying she believes the next two weeks were going to a lot of fun.

Clark’s full piece can be found by clicking right here.

In both camps, the players will start on ice sessions by skating in small groups before they grow to the size of full practice groups. In both camps, the full practice groups will see the players split into teams red and white.

The camps will progress to the point where there are red and white intrasquad games.

These tight environment bubble camps Hockey Canada is having for the national women’s team and the national para men’s team won’t likely be the last of their kind.

It is a good bet the tight bubble environment will be used for camps and league and post-season games in the sports world for the foreseeable future to come.

Video shows Badgers at their best

When the University of Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team gets rolling on all cylinders, they might be the most exciting team in the overall female game.

Last weekend, the Badgers looked like the 1980s Edmonton Oilers sweeping the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers at the LaBahr Arena in Madison, Wisconsin. The Badgers hammed the Gophers 5-0 last Friday and rolled to a 6-3 victory last Saturday.

The Gophers entered the two contests as the top ranked team in NCAA women’s hockey, while the Badgers were ranked number two.

The two-game series was expected to be a hard-fought showdown, but the Badgers proved to be too much improving their overall record to 6-2.

Badgers star centre Sophie Shirley, who is an alumna of the Saskatoon Stars female under-18 AAA team had a goal and an assist in Friday’s win and followed that effort up with a three-assist night in Saturday’s victory.

The 21-year-old has three goals and eight assists appearing in all eight of the Badgers games so far this season.

The Badgers roster also contains Sophie’s younger sister, Grace. Grace, who plays forward, is another Stars alumna.

The Badgers were so impressive in the sweep that the University of Wisconsin athletic department put out a cool one-minute highlight video on their social media feeds. The video can be found below.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Wisconsin Women's Hockey (@badgerwhockey)

Hurricanes suffer small loss in 2019-20, other notes

Peter Anholt, left, watches over his Hurricanes in Dec. 2015.

The WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes almost broke even on their 2019-20 season that was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, but they are expecting a sizable loss in 2020-21.

During a virtual AGM that was held on Monday, the Hurricanes announced they lost just $1,030 on the 2019-20 campaign. As one of four community owned teams in the WHL, the Hurricanes present their financial statements at an annual general meeting.

Their financial loss was quite a bit less than the WHL’s other three community owned teams, which are all located in Saskatchewan.

On Sept. 29, 2020, the Swift Current Broncos announced they lost $791,000 on the 2019-20 campaign. On that same day, the Moose Jaw Warriors announced a loss of $391,299 for 2019-20.

On Oct. 7, 2020, the Prince Albert Raiders announced they lost $331,895 on the 2019-20 season. In the Raiders case, they would have easily made money had they hosted their final two home regular season games and from their home playoff dates.

The losses of all four community owned teams were compounded by money they didn’t receive from the Sportsnet television contract for broadcasting CHL games. Sportsnet didn’t have to pay out for games that weren’t played due to the COVID-19 pandemic and from the 2020 Memorial Cup tournament that was cancelled in Kelowna, B.C., that annually determines a CHL champion.

The Hurricanes celebrate a goal in 2017-18.

It was also easier for the Hurricanes to get closer to the break even point compared to the Saskatchewan community owned teams due to the fact the Lethbridge side plays out of a bigger rink. The Hurricanes averaged 3,970 fans per game in 2019-20, while the Warriors averaged 2,981 spectators per game, the Raiders averaged 2,642 patrons per game and the Broncos averaged 1,954 supporters per game.

As for the future, the Hurricanes are estimating they could lose as much as $1,3-million for the 2020-21 campaign. The WHL is still planning to play a regular season for 2020-21 with each team playing 24 regular season games exclusively against division rivals.

The games will likely be played without fans.

Danica Ferris of Global News reported that Hurricanes general manager Peter Anholt said playoffs are planned to be held to crown division champions, but the post-season structure hasn’t been decided upon.

When asked why the league has decided to go ahead with a season that will mean a significant hit to clubs, Anholt said it’s in the best interest of the league’s future.

“You know there’s always the other side of it, if we don’t do it, what’s our league going to look like coming out the back end,” said Anholt. “I think that’s a big, big concern to us.

“So this season is all about development for our players and for our players alone.”

Ferris’s story can be found by clicking right here.

• On Thursday, Jan. 14, Kalli Hiebert, who is a 17-year-old defender with the Saskatoon Stars female midget AAA team, committed to join the Fredericton based University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds women’s hockey team in the U Sports ranks for the 2021-22 campaign.
• Last Friday, Boston Buckberger, who is a 17-year-old defenceman with the Saskatoon Blazers under-18 AAA hockey team, announced he has committed to play for the Madison based University of Wisconsin Badgers men’s hockey team in the NCAA ranks. Buckberger plans to play in the junior A ranks first before joining the Badgers.
• On Monday, offensive lineman Mattland Riley signed with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Roughriders selected Riley in the first round and seventh overall in the 2020 CFL Draft. Riley, who is from Melfort, Sask., played four seasons for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team from 2016-19. Suiting up at left guard, Riley was a second team U Sports all-Canadian all-star in 2018 and a first team U Sports all-Canadian all-star in 2019.
• On Monday, the International Ice Hockey Federation announced the men’s world championships were being pulled out of Belarus following pressure from opposition groups and threatened boycotts by sponsors due to political unrest in that country. The tournament was slated to start on May 21 and was to be co-hosted with Latvia. The IIHF said it will seek a new co-host country or elect to allow Latvia to host the event on its own.
• On Tuesday, Diane Jones-Konihowski, who was a superstar with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s track and field team from 1969 to 1975, was named to the Canada West Hall of Fame. She helped the Huskies win Canada West title in 1970, 1971 and 1975, while capturing 12 individual gold medals. Jones-Konihowski represented Canada at the Olympic Summer Games in 1972 and 1976 and won gold for Canada in the pentathlon at the 1978 Commonwealth Game in Edmonton, Alta.
• The QMJHL is slated to resume its regular season on Friday. The major junior circuit last hit the ice for regular season games on Nov. 29, 2020 and paused after new COVID-19 cases continued to rise in the communities the circuit is based in. The 12 teams in Quebec will play in protected environment bubbles in Chicoutimi, Drummondville, Rimouski and Shawinigan. The circuit postponed a total of six games involving the six teams in the Maritimes Division slated for Friday and Saturday following meetings with government and health officials in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
• On Wednesday, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) levied sanctions against Basketball Canada after it decided its men’s senior national team would not to attend a FIBA AmeriCup qualifier this past November on the advice of medical experts amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Canada was to play two games in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Canada could lose a point in the FIBA AmeriCup standings and is slated to be fined between $80,000 to $160,000 in Swiss Francs, which worked out to $113,988 to $227,997 in Canadian funds. If Canada plays the final stage of the FIBA AmeriCup qualifier set for Feb. 18 to 22 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Canada won’t lose a point in the standings and only be fined the lesser amount. CBC did a detailed story about this situation, and that piece can be found right here.
• Happy birthday shout outs for Thursday go to Jordan Kulbida, who is a forward with the University of Regina Cougars women’s hockey team and a pitcher for the Saskatoon G-Force women’s softball team, and Kirby Dach, who is an alumnus of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades and a centre with the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks.
• On Thursday afternoon, the Manitoba Under-18 AAA Hockey League went public with a letter to Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister to reopen sports facilities and let games resume in the midst of that province’s COVID-19 restrictions. The open letter cited fears about the mental health challenges young player face due to being isolated and not playing sports. The letter is sure to be controversial. People from the sports community have chimed in agreeing with it in initial reactions. Others have chimed in accusing this being the work of selfish parents that want to live their lives through their children and jeopardize public health in the process. Just want to note that I am just passing on the message. The letter can be found right here.
• On the fun side of things, I’ve been reintroduced to the WWE Universe thanks to the kick butt storyline involving Alexa Bliss, Bray Wyatt, who goes by his alter-ego persona “The Fiend,” and Randy Orton that has gone on for the last seven months. I was checking out various social media accounts from WWE talent and marveled at home many “Millions and Millions” of followers they have. A veteran line John Cena has 12.7-million followers on Twitter and 14.7 million followers on Instagram. Charlotte Flair has 1.8-million followers on Twitter and 4.3-million followers on Instagram. There are fan accounts of these WWE superstars that have tens of thousands of followers. Two really good ones follow Bliss. The @Era_Of_Bliss account on Twitter has over 20,000 followers and the @alexa_bliss_wwe._ account has over 59,000 followers. The fans also make tribute music videos of the WWE Superstars they follow and post them on Youtube. A lot of them are quite good. I came to a new realization just how big the WWE Universe actually is and how many people follow. I am also impressed with the passion of the ultra-passionate fans.
• On Monday, I watched Monday Night RAW from beginning to end live just for the second time in the last three years. The main aim was to check out Alexa Bliss and what would happen next with her new evil persona character, and that didn’t disappoint. She was so good. The other part of the show I got a kick out of was duo of The Miz and John Morrison. They made fun of Goldberg and WWE Champion Drew McIntyre on their interview show “The Dirt Sheet” having Gillberg and mini Drew McIntyre appear on the show. The whole segment is hilarious. The Miz and Morrison are outstanding in the comedy department.
• Sticking with the WWE, after Alexa Bliss hit Randy Orton with the “fireball shot heard round the world” on the Jan. 11 edition of Monday Night RAW, the WWE put out a top 10 video of “Superstars throwing fire” this past Sunday. The Bliss fireball topped the list. The fireball stunt is a dangerous one, and most of the videos in the list are from the 1980s and 1990s. That shows the WWE doesn’t bring it back very much. One of the videos on the top 10 list featured Sabu from the ECW days. One I forgot about that made the list was Hulk Hogan taking a fireball shot from Yokozuna’s photographer at King of the Ring in 1993. Yokozuna proceeded to win the WWE title after that fireball shot. The top 10 fireball shot video can be found by clicking right here.
• In checking out the WWE, I noticed their creative team is great at weaving a glimpse of the personal lives of the company’s talent away from the camera and the show’s storylines. One was a video from October of 2020 of Alexa Bliss, whose real name is Alexis Kaufman, visiting with her mom, Angela Kaufman, who works as a nurse in Florida actively treating COVID-19 patients. The video was one of the few in person meetings the two have had during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it can be found by clicking right here.
• The sports community in Saskatchewan is morning the passing of veteran Regina-based sports broadcaster Warren Woods. Woods passed away on Wednesday at age 66 due to complications battling COVID-19. Woods was a mainstay on Regina’s version of Sportsline, which air on STV that later became Global Regina. He then moved from Global Regina to work the radio waves with CJME. He was involved with many sports communities with the strongest ties going to the curling community and the University of Regina Rams football team. All-time great Regina Leader-Post sports columnist Rob Vanstone typed a heartfelt farewell piece on “Woodsy,” which can be found right here.

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

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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.