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| Logan McVeigh celebrates scoring in the 2016 Canada West final. |
The old home of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s and women’s hockey teams was a vastly out of date facility that needed to be replaced for at least the final 30 years of the close to 89 years it was in operation.
It made the Moose Jaw Civic Centre, which was also known as “the Crushed Can,” look like the MTS Centre in Winnipeg.
The ancient Rutherford Rink invented the terms “rust break” and “rust delay.”
Those delays happened when a puck was fired into the rook of the facility causing rust to rain down from the corroded support beams on to the ice surface. The Huskies trainers would leap on to the ice to clean up the mess in record time to allow games to proceed.
The building had a seemingly endless list of surprises. In September of 2014, water shot out from a goalpost hole where the net sat on the south end of the rink.
The Huskies had to adjust training until that little surprise was fixed.
Still, the ancient and cramped facility produced lots of memories. Being contained in such close quarters, everyone inside the rink from players, coaches, staffers and maintenance personnel got to know each other real well.
The Huskies also had lots of memorable moment on the Ruthy’s sheet of ice. One of those is the lead picture of centre Logan McVeigh celebrating his goal in Game 2 of the 2016 Canada West Championship series against the Huskies “Forever Rivals” the University of Alberta Golden Bears.
McVeigh’s third period goal gave the Huskies a 2-1 edge in the game, which they would win 3-2 to sweep the best-of-three series 2-0. The Huskies were playing that season to honour the memory of the team’s gritty, glue-guy forward in Cody Smuk, who passed away from cancer in June of 2015 at age 26.
Having moved to Saskatoon in the summer of 2014, I only got to see a small portion of the Rutherford’s history. It opened in late 1929, and the official grand opening was held on January 23, 1930 with a men’s hockey game between the Huskies and the University of Manitoba Bisons.
The 2017-18 campaign was its last full season. The Huskies men’s team closed it out with one last U Sports exhibition game on September 23, 2018, when they downed the York University Lions 5-2.
The Huskies proceeded to move to Merlis Belsher Place for two seasons, before Merlis was converted into a field hospital in waiting to help with the battled against the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world.
The Ruthy sits empty with a significant amount of decommission work carried out on the inside of the building.
The Rutherford Rink was a dump, but for those who got to inhabit it, it was affectionately our dump.
Without further ado, here are some photos I shot at the Rutherford Rink from 2014 to 2018.
Smuk’s night in January of 2015
On January 30, 2015, the 85th birthday of the Rutherford Rink was held but the star of the night was Huskies men’s hockey team gritty, glue-guy forward Cody Smuk.
Smuk, who was fully engaged with a battle with cancer that would take his life in late June of 2015, was honoured before the Huskies men’s hockey game against their “Forever Rivals” the University of Alberta Golden Bears.
Smuk dropped the puck for the ceremonial faceoff and all the member of both the Golden Bears and Huskies came over to shake his hand before the game.
“Willo” drives home her hatty
Huskies women’s hockey team star winger/centre Kaitlin Willoughby drives home her hat trick goal on February 17, 2017 to power her side past the University of Regina Cougars 4-3 in Game 1 of a Canada West quarter-final series.
I could have made an album of just Willoughby’s moments alone at the Rutherford Rink.
#24 shines brightly on the Huskies
Huskies men’s hockey team forward Carson Stadnyk celebrates scoring with 24 seconds remaining in the third period of a series deciding Game 3 of a Canada West semifinal series on February 24, 2018 against the University of Calgary Dinos.
The goal gave the Huskies a 2-1 lead. They added an empty-net goal in the 3-1 win. Of course, #24 was the number worn by late Huskies men’s hockey team gritty glue-guy forward Cody Smuk.
Stadnyk’s goal was the last playoff series winner scored at the Rutherford Rink.
Cable slides home Canada West title winner
Huskies men’s hockey team right-winger Levi Cable slides home what would be the winning goal of the 2016 Canada West Championship series in the third period on March 5, 2016.
The Huskies swept the best-of-three series against their “Forever Rivals” the University of Alberta Golden Bears 2-0 with a 3-2 victory in Game 2 of the set where Cable scored his series winner.
“Rust break” for referees
The officials clear up “rust break” or “rust delay” during a Huskies women’s hockey game in the 2015-16 season.
I could do a whole picture post on “rust breaks” from the Rutherford Rink.
Regular “rust break” clean up
In this photo, the trainers for the Huskies men’s hockey team show off a regular clean up for a “rust break” or “rust delay” during the 2016-17 campaign.
Spafford’s goal celebration with Alm
Huskies men’s hockey team forward Matthew Spafford celebrates scoring a goal with Huskies ardent supporter Rod Alm celebrating on the other side of the glass in a game on January 15, 2016.
In the picture, it appears the two are about to high-five each other.
Stars’ Parker fired up over post-season goal
Saskatoon Stars captain Mackenna Parker (#11) is all fired after scoring for the Saskatoon Stars in Game 1 of the Saskatchewan Female Under-18 AAA Hockey League championship series on March 23, 2018.
The Stars, who played a handful of games at the Rutherford Rink in their history, downed the Prince Albert Northern Bears 5-3 on this night.
Huskies women’s team takes 2014 Canada West
title
The Huskies women’s hockey team celebrates winning their first Canada West Championship with a team photo here on March 2, 2014.
Cook drives to the goal
Huskies women’s hockey team “Mighty Mouse” centre Kandace Cook, who stands 5-foot-2, wouldn’t be denied driving to the goal for a scoring chance against an army of University of Regina Cougars players.
Faithful cheer on the Huskies
A sellout crowd cheers a goal by the Huskies men’s hockey team in Game 2 of the Canada West Championship series on March 5, 2016.
Roommate joy
Huskies women’s hockey team “Mighty Mouse” centre Kandace Cook celebrates a goal with netminder Cassidy Hendricks on January 17, 2015.
The two were roommates during the 2014-15 campaign.
Herner goes super fan
Huskies women’s hockey team forward Kori Herner goes super fan cheering on the Huskies men’s team in Game 2 of the Canada West Championship series on March 5, 2016.
Wrap up of another game day
Rutherford Rink maintenance staffer Calvin Rempel floods the ice at the end of the night after a playoff win by the Huskies men’s hockey team on February 25, 2017.
Smith celebrates Canada West semi series
winner
Huskies women’s hockey team centre Chloe Smith, centre, celebrates scoring what would be the winning goal of the Canada West semifinal series on February 24, 2018.
Smith’s tally allowed the Huskies to pick up a 2-1 victory over the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in Game 2 of the series and sweep the best-of-three set 2-0. Her goal was that last women’s playoff series winner at Rutherford.
Broken glass delay
Another Rutherford Rink surprise saw a pane of glass break during a Huskies men’s playoff game on February 23, 2018.
All hands were on deck to fix the glass. Huskies women’s hockey team equipment manager Dave Westbury and long time Huskies men’s hockey team equipment manager Peter Herd are in the middle of the action fixing the glass.
On a side note, the replacement pane of glass had a sticker on it that said the glass pane was made in 1989.
The sweetest of title sweeps
The Huskies men’s hockey team celebrates winning the Canada West Championship with a team photo on March 5, 2016.
The Huskies were playing to honour the memory of gritty, glue-guy forward Cody Smuk, who passed away from cancer at age 26 in June of 2015. Members of Smuk’s family were part of the team picture including his father, Marty, mother, Darla, and fiancĂ©e Stephanie Vause.
Yours truly with McVeigh
To close the photo fun from the Rutherford Rink, a picture of myself with Huskies men’s hockey team centre Logan McVeigh during the celebrations of winning the Canada West Championship on March 5, 2016.
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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