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| The Medicine Hat Tigers celebrate a goal in the 2014 WHL playoffs |
As 2015 closes, a number of people
are listing highlights from the year that was in 2014. For me, I wrapped up my
time at the Medicine Hat News and made the move to Saskatoon for family
reasons.
Over the past year, I was able to
witness a number of highlights. Actually, I can't believe how many different things I attended in so many different centres.
It seemed like I was at everything from watching Olympic hockey with a big group, going to numerous WHL and CIS hockey games, hitting a number of CFL and CIS games, enjoying the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede and watching a talented music artist perform at home.
Here is of a few of the highlights going from the start
of the year to the end.
Watching gold medal win at the Buckle
You know you live in Canada, when you wake up at 5 a.m. on Sunday to
watch Canada’s men’s hockey team win gold at the Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
After getting home from my Saturday work shift, I believe I slept two
hours before waking up to watch the big hockey game. Turning on Facebook, I
couldn’t believe how many other people were also up.
In the second intermission, I decided to motor down to the Buckle in the
Hat to see the final period. The place was packed. Canada beat Sweden 3-0 in
the final, and the place was rocking.
It was about 10 a.m., when I headed home for some real sleep. That was
definitely a night I will never forget. Canada also swept the hockey gold at
the Olympics with the women’s team also winning it all.
Huskies women’s hockey team win Canada West title
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| The Huskies celebrate celebrate a Canada West title |
This was one of those unexpected highlights.
Thanks to having Sundays and Mondays off at the Medicine Hat News, I was
able to make it to Game 3 of the Canada West Women’s Hockey Championship Series
on March 2 at the Rutherford Rink in Saskatoon. I went because it was my only
shot to see Huskies captain Cami Wooster play live with how busy my life was.
Following her and her team that season was great, because it was one of
the few sports things I followed I didn’t cover. It got me back to just
enjoying sports. Life was so busy in Medicine Hat, that there were actually
times I didn’t enjoy sports anymore, so following Wooster and the Huskies was a
nice change.
They beat the University of Regina Cougars 2-1 in double overtime in
that deciding game to claim the Canada West title. Wooster had the Huskies
first goal and the assist on Kaitlin Willoughby’s overtime winner. Captain Cami
was so good, she was good.
They were all so happy that night. I had lots of energy for the game and
seeing the celebrations. Looking back, it was a real good thing for me to make
that game.
One final Tigers playoff run
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| Captain Curtis Valk in action for the Medicine Hat Tigers. |
Going into the 2014
WHL playoffs, I knew in my heart this would be the last time I would be
covering a Medicine Hat Tigers playoff run for the Medicine Hat News.
I tried to soak in
every moment as much as I could. I was hoping the moment would last as long as
it could. Time was really busy.
The run closed with
the Tigers playing 13 games over 24 days with a lot of travel. I definitely
enjoyed the playoffs. Tigers took out the Swift Current Broncos in six games in
the first round of the playoffs.
In the second round,
the Tigers trailed a best-of-seven series 3-1 to the Kootenay Ice before
rallying for a 4-3 series victory. The run ended in the WHL Eastern Conference
Championships with a 4-1 series loss to the eventual Memorial Cup champion
Edmonton Oil Kings.
Watching the Tigers
forward line of Trevor Cox, Curtis Valk and Cole Sanford was something else.
That was the most exciting forward line I saw the Tigers put on the ice in the
10 seasons I covered them. Marek Langhamer was spectacular in goal.
It was still a
strange feeling after I finished my stories after Game 5 of the series loss to
the Oil Kings at Rexall Place in Edmonton. A tired Tigers team tried to pull
out a win, but fell 4-3. After I finished writing, I went around shaking hands
with the Edmonton sportwriters who were there and Oil Kings communications
manager Paul Owen, who once worked as a sports reporter.
Walking out of there,
I knew I had covered my last Medicine Hat Tigers hockey game. It was weird to
comprehend then, and it still is now. It did feel in a way that I was able to
go out on top, so that was a good thing.
The celebration of life for Crystal (Heisler) McGregor
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| Crystal (Heisler) McGregor circa 2001. |
A list from 2014 wouldn’t be
complete without me remembering the passing of Crystal (Heisler) McGregor, who
was a good friend to everyone.
A point guard on the University of
Regina Cougars Women’s Basketball team that won the 2001 CIAU title, McGregor
passed after a lengthy battle with cancer in May. A big celebration of life was
held for her at the Conexus Arts Centre in Regina.
In the day before and the day of the
celebration of life, I was able to reunite with the all the members of the
Cougars team that McGregor played with. I went to school with all of them at
the University of Regina.
It was a great time to hang around
with old friends. It is too bad it had to occur under such circumstances. It was also great to share memories of McGregor and of days that shouldn't feel so long ago.
I think a few us are still waiting
for her to approach us a say her typical, “Hey buddy.”
RIP Crystal. You will be remembered
forever.
Seeing MacKenzie Porter perform live
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| MacKenzie Porter at Kin Coulee Park. |
I finally got to see MacKenzie Porter perform live on Canada Day at Kin
Coulee Park in Medicine Hat, and she was so good.
It is very impressive to see how talented she is at making music. What
is even better is the former Medicine Hat College Rattlers Women’s team soccer player is
still the girl next door.
She is still super sweet, and seems to remember
everyone that passes through her life and treats them like gold.
My favourite part about seeing her perform in her hometown was saying in
a break between songs, “There are like 50 people in this front row section I
know personally. This is so great.”
There was a huge line of people to great her that night after she finished performing.
I still have her debut CD which is personalized autographed and also an autographed poster from that night. I enjoyed getting to see her again.
I still have her debut CD which is personalized autographed and also an autographed poster from that night. I enjoyed getting to see her again.
It is still very cool to hear her songs on the radio and see her music videos on television.
One last kick at the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede
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| Saddle bronc riding at the rodeo in Medicine Hat. |
Before pulling the last of my things out of Medicine Hat, I got out to
enjoy the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede one last time.
Usually, the 2007 WHL Champion Medicine Hat Tigers team makes it back
that week for a reunion, but that reunion happened earlier in the summer to fit
everyone’s schedules. With that said, I still ran into a few old Tigers that
week.
It was also a fun time as friends that don’t normally go out anymore
went out that week.
It made for a great last run to see everybody before I left
the Gas City for Saskatoon. I saw so many good friends. Party wise, it was a great Stampede week.
Calder Cup celebrations with Derek Hulak
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| Derek Hulak and the Huskies with the Calder Cup. |
The University of Saskatchewan Huskies Men’s Hockey team was one of the
first key things that got me back to enjoying sports again, when I was in a
funk of not enjoy sports due to life in Medicine Hat being so busy.
A big thing that helped was I knew pretty much all the players through
covering the WHL. After the University Cup ended, I was pumped to see Derek
Hulak join the American Hockey League’s Texas Stars.
The Stars were under the guidance of head coach Willie Desjardins, who
was the former head coach and general manager of the Medicine Hat Tigers. The
Texas Stars won the Calder Cup, and Hulak got to have the trophy for a day in August
in Saskatoon.
He brought the trophy to the University of Saskatchewan, to the
Saskatoon Blades offices and to his mom’s gravesite. Alina died in 2007 of
Cancer.
There was a big gathering with the Huskies men’s hockey team and a whole
bunch of other friends during the night at Boston Pizza on 8th
Street. That was a great night out.
While deep in summer, I believe all the Huskies men’s players made it
out that night. That was a great thing to see and shows how strong the
friendships are on that team. They are one of the best groups to hang around
and spend social time with.
Labour Day Classic weekend in Regina
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| The Roughriders celebrate an Anthony Allen touchdown. |
This will make the list every year as long as I can keep making it to
the Labour Day Classic weekend in Regina.
I was at my 14th Labour Day Classic game, and the
Saskatchewan Roughriders downed the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 35-30 thanks to a
last-second touchdown by Anthony Allen. The Roughriders are 13-1 in the Labour
Day Classic games I have attended.
The game was also Weston Dressler’s first game back with the Roughriders
after being cut by the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL. He was signing autographs
at the end of the game and just looked so tired after a whirlwind week.
Victory party in Regina was also so enjoyable, especially when it is the
after party for the Roughriders cheerleaders. It was a fun overall party night.
Frank McCrystal’s last home game as Rams head coach
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| Frank McCrystal, right, answers questions in a post-game scrum. |
A Saturday in Regina that was a turn back the clock type day and night
for me.
The University of Regina Rams were closing out the regular season
against the University of Alberta Golden Bears in what would be Frank
McCrystal’s final home game as Rams head coach. The Rams pulled out a 35-31
victory to make the Canada West playoffs.
The stands were filled with a whole pile of old friends from my old Rams
days at the University of Regina. A number of people traveled in for the game
from all different points on the map.
There was an alumni gathering after the game, and it was so fun to see a
whole bunch of old faces. Lots of old stories were told and a lot of catching
up was done.
It also felt like an end of an era. I am sure the Rams will have a
bright future, but things won’t be like what they once were.
Reconnecting with the Saskatoon Hilltops
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| The Hilltops celebrate their PFC Championship victory. |
One of the unexpected good things that happened in my move to Saskatoon
was reconnected with the Saskatoon Hilltops.
Those involved with coaching and running the Canadian Junior Football
League team are as classy as you will find anywhere. Until the 2014 CJFL
season, it has been 12 years since I last talked to Hilltops head coach Tom
Sargeant.
It has been about four to six years since I last saw my old bud Sheldon
Ball, who is the team’s offensive coordinator. It was cool to see how good of a
coach Ball has become. We became friends when he was first the quarterback of
the Hilltops and later the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.
The Hilltops started 1-2, but closed the campaign with eight straight
wins. They improved a lot as the season went on. It was great to be at the
Prairie Football Conference final, where they dumped the Calgary Colts 27-7.
Saskatoon then moved on to down the Rams in Langley, B.C., in the CJFL
final 39-14. I really enjoyed visiting the team’s directors. If life allows it,
I will try and make it more of a priority to be around their events next
season.
Other good memories
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| Nelson Nogier gives his stick to a little Blades fan. |
Other highlights of the year include
getting to watch my cousin, Nelson Nogier, played a lot more with the Saskatoon
Blades before he was traded to the Red Deer Rebels.
It has been good to get to know some
of the new management with the Blades and reconnect with some long time
staffers.
I also enjoyed getting to see a
number of the former Medicine Hat College Rattlers players, who now life in
Saskatoon, again.
It has also been cool to see how
much of a life superstar University of Saskatchewan Huskies Women`s Basketball
team point guard Kabree Howard is. It is cool to see her involved in so many
community events. She does so much to give the Huskies a good name, and they will miss her when she graduates from their program later this year.
Now, it is time to see what 2015 has
in store for all of us.
If you have any feedback on this
blog, feel free to email comments to stankssports@gmail.com.
