Impressive facelift for Gordie Howe Sports Complex continues

Kelsey Murphy (#85) jets upfield at SMF Field in 2017.

    The Gordie Howe Sports Complex seems to be busy at all hours these days.

    While athletes and sports groups utilized the facilities in the evenings and nights from Monday to Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday, construction crews are busy working on numerous improvements during the day from Monday to Friday.

    The most noticeable site on the complex is the rise of a new multi-sport indoor athletic performance and training centre that neighbors Gordie Howe Kinsmen Arena. The walls are up on the building, and workers will likely be working on the inside of the structure during winter.

    The press boxes for Saskatoon Minor Football Field are near completion as the football season approaches for the Saskatoon Hilltops, who have won the last four straight Canadian Junior Football League titles.

    The stands at Cairns Field have been demolished. In their place, the base structure is currently being set up for a new multi-sport centre.

    You can also see the outlines of the new track being built at the new track and field facility. The long and triple jump pits have been completed.

    Another outdoor a field turf field is being constructed for football, two infields for baseball and an overflow parking lot, which will be located west of SMF Field.

The new training centre being built at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex.

    It is amazing to see all the improvements that are being made to Saskatoon’s long time sports park. It almost becomes a challenge to keep track of them all.

    The improvements have been overseen by the Friends of the Bowl Foundation, which is a not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to improve the facilities and amenities at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. The Friends of the Bowl Foundation has initial roots dating back to 2011 when discussions were held about improving what was then known as the Gordie Howe Bowl football facility.

    The first focus was refurbishing Gordie Howe Bowl, which was an eyesore. The refurbishment began on that facility in 2014, and it was renamed Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

The Gordie Howe Softball Diamond sees a lot of use.

    If the renovation and improvements happened just to SMF Field, the work of the Friends of the Bowl Foundation could be deemed a success. That fundraising entity had built such momentum that wheels went into motion on improving the rest of the Gordie Howe Sports Complex.

    When the master plan for the complex is complete, a total of $62-million will be put into renovating and improving the complex. The fundraising efforts have been ongoing since Friends of the Bowl started and $42-million has been raised towards the ultimate final goal.

    Positive momentum keeps building as improvements and renovations quickly occur after large chunks of funds are raised. Saskatoon is going to end up with a sports complex that could end up being the envy of Western Canada.

    Chairperson Bryan Kosteroski and board member Johnny Marciniuk have been the faces of the volunteer board of directors for the Friends of the Bowl Foundation, and they have played a huge part in providing leadership to this big picture project.

A sign touting the work at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex.

    In the end, all the volunteers and everyone who has donated and will donate to make the final vision of the Gordie Howe Sports Complex a reality can take a bow and be owed a big thanks from the rest of the citizens of Saskatoon. There might not be a way to show gratitude for what has taken place.

    If you want to contribute a donation to continue the efforts to refurbish the Gordie Howe Sports Complex, you can do so by clicking here.

Saskatoon falls to champ Novi Sad in 3x3 semis, other notes

Team Saskatoon guard Steve Sir gives a thumbs up to the hometown crowd.

    It seemed like Team Saskatoon was going to ride the hometown crowd to victory against a tougher field at this year’s FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters tournament stop in “the Bridge City.”

    On Saturday, Team Saskatoon posted a 2-0 record in pool play before a jam packed and vocal group of home supporters on an outdoor court set up at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and 21^st Street entering Sunday’s playoff round.

    In Sunday’s playoff round, Team Saskatoon downed Minnesota 3Ball 14-12 to set up a date with powerhouse Novi Sad from Serbia, who top the FIBA 3x3 World Tour rankings. During that semifinal encounter, Team Saskatoon put up a valiant fight, but Novi Sad was as good as advertised pulling out a 21-15 victory.

Michael Lieffers, middle, drives the lane for Team Saskatoon.

    Last year when Saskatoon hosted a FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters tournament for the first time, the local squad made the event’s championship game falling 21-14 to Team Ljubljana from Slovenia.

    Novi Sad proceeded to advance to the event’s championship game in an all-Serbian clash against Liman and prevailed 20-18. 

    Liman guard Aleksandar Ratkov fired up a two-point shot from behind the arch in the final seconds looking to force overtime, but the attempt was off target giving victory for Novi Sad.

    Both teams were back by sizable pro-Serbian contingents. Novi Sad took home US$30,000 for the win, while Liman took home US$20,000 for second place.

Team Saskatoon point guard Michael Linklater, left, sizes up a defender.

    While Team Saskatoon was unable to make the final like it did last year when a FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters tournament was held in town for the first time, they made their home supporters proud.   
    Made up of University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s basketball team grads Michael Linklater, Michael Lieffers and Nolan Brudehl and Edmonton, Alta., product Steve Sir, the Team Saskatoon foursome showed they will be a force once again on the FIBA 3x3 World Tour.

    They are pushing to represent Canada at the 2020 Olympics in Toyko, Japan, when 3x3 basketball will make its debut in the games.

    Linklater, Lieffers and Brudehl are best remembered locally for helping the Huskies win their first and to date only U Sports national men’s basketball title in 2010.

Novi Sad’s Dusan Bulut dishes off a pass in Sunday’s final.

    Even though Team Saskatoon wasn’t able to make the title came at their hometown FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters tournament stop, the event was a huge success. A large beer gardens were added to this year’s event, and they were packed on Saturday’s opening day of competition.

    The stands for the tournament’s championship game were packed, which was big considering the local squad was eliminated in the semifinal round.

    Saskatoon is schedule to host another FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters tournament next year, and it will be an event a large number of people in town will have circled on their calendar.

    With Sunday’s tournament win, Novi Sad has won 13 titles at FIBA 3x3 World Tour events. Dejan Majstorovic led Novi Sad with eight points in the championship final, and he was the tournament’s top scorer with 35 points.

Novi Sad enjoys the spoils of a tournament championship win.

    Majstorovic’s teammate Dusan Bulut had five points in the final and was voted the event’s MVP.

Kalamazoo, Mich., U.S.A., product Doug Anderson won the dunk contest and claimed US$2,500. Lazar Rasic claimed the shootout contest and took home US$500.

• On Sunday in Calgary, Team Saskatchewan won the gold medal game of the Football Canada Cup 31-26 against host Team Alberta. This marked the first time Saskatchewan has won the Football Canada Cup since it was established back in 1995.
• Saskatoon products in guard Kaitlin Jockims and forward Ashley de Sousa Martins are currently attending tryouts for Canada’s under-18 women’s basketball team at York University on Toronto, Ont. Jockims played out of Saskatoon’s Centennial Collegiate and de Sousa Martins suits up for Saskatoon’s Aden Bowman Collegiate. Jockims is a standout winger for the defending Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League champion Saskatoon Stars. The tryouts run through to Saturday. The players that make the team will represent Canada at the FIBA under-18 Women’s America Championship, which runs Aug. 1-7 in Mexico City, Mexico.
• Kaitlin Willoughby, who is an alumnae of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team, has been invited along with 19 other players to be part of the U Sports all-star team that will take part in Hockey Canada’s Summer Showcase, which runs Aug. 2-11 in Calgary, Alta. Last season in her final U Sports campaign, Willoughby led the Huskies in scoring with nine goals and 10 assists in 26 regular season games. She posted a career high a plus-10 in the plus-minus department. Willoughby is the second all-time leading scorer in the history of the Huskies women’s team with 111 points. The U Sports all-stars will play two games against Hockey Canada’s National Development women’s team and two games against Japan’s national women’s team. This marks the third straight summer Willoughby will be taking part in a camp run under Hockey Canada’s umbrella.
• On July 16, the family of Lethbridge Hurricanes forward Ryan Vandervlis, who was badly burned in a campfire accident on June 15, was moved from intensive care to the burn unit at Foothills Hospital in Calgary, Alta. Doctors are optimistic he will make a full recovery. Hurricanes captain Jordy Bellerive and Hurricanes alum Matt Alfaro, who plays for the University of Calgary Dinos, were also hurt in the accident. They were released from hospital before the end of June.
• Jim Pedersen, who was a long time scout with the NHL’s Dallas Stars, passed away on Saturday. The news of Pedersen’s passing was confirmed by his family on Sunday. Pedersen, who was 81-years-old, left a positive impact on Saskatchewan’s hockey scene. His funeral is set for Friday at 2 p.m. at the Milestone Memorial Centre.

    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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