Feeling sad over moments missed due to COVID-19

The Rebels were robbed from making memories due to COVID-19.

    “What might have been?”

    It is a question I’ve asked myself over the course of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic after all the shutdowns started to happen in North America on March 11. I keep thinking about how many special moments people were robbed of having due to the cancellations that occurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    I know there will be people out there that this will amount to gripping over trivial matters and that saving lives is the most important objective people should have on their minds.

    With that noted, I can still exercise the freedom to feel sad that a lot of people missed out on a lot of special great experience moments. In a lot of cases, these were the types of moments could become once in a lifetime things resulting in good memories people carried with themselves forever.

The Bears lost the chance to host the Esso Cup due to COVID-19.

    Believe it or not, the first group that crosses my mind is the Regina Rebels female midget AAA hockey team. I liked the makeup of that team.

    I’ve followed the exploits of their core group of players over the last couple of seasons, and I loved their spunk, drive and their good type of self-confidence. They came off with the image of being a personable bunch and kick-ass at the same time.

    That was pretty cool to see from a group of teenaged gals ranging in age from 14 to 18. It is easy to encounter gals in that age group and even women who have played through five seasons of post-secondary hockey that are not that self-assured, are insecure and a have a lot of doubts.

COVID-19 cost Shaun Clouston and the Blazers a playoff run.

    The Rebels came off as powerful. In March of 2019, they made it to the best-of-five Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League championship series and were swept 3-0 by a powerful Saskatoon Stars side, who won the SFMAAAHL title for the fourth time in five seasons. The Stars advanced to the Esso Cup female midget AAA national championship tournament after each of those SFMAAAHL title wins.

    Despite being swept, the Rebels believed they could beat the Stars and win that series. They battled in every one of those games.

    This past season, the Rebels returned most of their lineup from the 2018-19 campaign. They finished first in the 2019-20 SFMAAAHL regular season standings with a 27-2-1 record.

The Tigers had their 50th season cut short by COVID-19.

    The SFMAAAHL playoffs were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    I felt the Rebels were robbed of a playoff run that could have seen them win the SFMAAAHL and maybe even the Esso Cup, which was slated to be held in April in Prince Albert. I felt the Rebels deserved those opportunities, and they can’t get those moments in time back ever again.

    Speaking of female midget AAA hockey teams, I felt bad the Prince Albert Northern Bears were robbed of their chance to host the Esso Cup nationals. The Bears have been one of the top teams in the SFMAAAHL since the league began back in the 2006-07 campaign.

The Raiders promising campaign was cut down by COVID-19.

    The Esso Cup was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Bears deserved to host that national championship tournament. I felt bad that opportunity was taken from them.

    I felt bad the COVID-19 pandemic cost Shaun Clouston the chance to guide the Kamloops Blazers through the WHL playoffs as head coach. “Clouey” is an old pal from my Medicine Hat days, and I believed he had a great opportunity to enjoy something special with the Blazers.

    In his first year in Kamloops, the Blazers were able to lock away first place in the B.C. Division with a 41-18-3-1 record before the last bit of the WHL regular season was called off.

    When Clouston was the head coach and general manager of the Medicine Hat Tigers, I always felt he never got the most fair shake due to following Willie Desjardins in both those roles.

    I thought the Blazers were going to have a great run and could have potentially played in the CHL championship tournament – the Memorial Cup, which was being hosted in Kelowna. During that type of run, I felt that Clouston would have received the credit he deserved for being a good coach and a moment he deserve too.

The Blades potential was cut shorts due to COVID-19.

    COVID-19 stole that opportunity.

    Of course, Desjardins returned to Medicine Hat to once again become the Tigers head coach and general manager. The Tigers were having a great campaign posting a 41-19-2-1 record in their 50^th season.

    They could have had a long run. COVID-19 stole away any memorable moments there.

Same goes for the defending WHL champion Prince Albert Raiders. They were leading the East Division with a 36-18-6-4 record.

    “Hockey Town North” was getting stoked for another long playoff run. COVID-19 took those moments away.

COVID-19 robbed Max Martin and all WHL overagers of a good farewell.

    Sounds crazy, but I thought the Saskatoon Blades could have surprised some team. They had posted a 34-24-2-3 record and were on a three-game winning streak when the WHL campaign was halted.

    Their reloading team was starting to round into form. Any great memories they could have made were taken away by COVID-19.

    In the junior hockey ranks, I felt bad the overagers couldn’t enjoy one last hurrah in the centres they were playing in.

    In U Sports, I felt sad the national championship tournament for men’s and women’s hockey and men’s and women’s volleyball couldn’t be completed.

COVID-19 stole a WWCFL season from the Valkyries.

    I feel bad for the Saskatoon Valkyries who won’t be able to embark on a quest to defend their Western Women’s Canadian Football League title this season. They are a great bunch to be around.

    It is sad the teams in the WWCFL couldn’t celebrate this circuit’s 10^th season this year.

    I felt bad for sports teams that couldn’t gather one last time for a post-season function before everyone goes their separate ways.

    Away from sports, I felt sad the Juno Awards couldn’t be held in Saskatoon.

    I feel sad for the high school graduates this year, who won’t get to enjoy real graduation festivities. The dressing up part for the grads is a huge thing, and it is one of those great shared community experiences all walks of life share in.

High school grads will have this moment taken away by COVID-19.

    I believe high school graduation is a bigger deal than when I graduated from high school some time back. The current grads were robbed by COVID-19.

    There are so many lost experiences that can be lamented due to COVID-19.

    While they may seem trivial to some, I believe it is alright to take time to feel bad about the moments that were lost.

    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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