Huskies’ Westbury worthy of all praise that comes his way

Equipment manager gets Friend of the College award

Dave Westbury gives a cheer to Kaitlin Willoughby after a win in 2017.

When it comes to Dave Westbury, one wonders if his passion for fishing and golf match that of hockey.

If you can’t find Westbury at the rink, you will likely find him at a hot fishing spot or a lush golf course.

What does top all of that is his commitment to the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team as the squad’s equipment manager. Westbury joined the Huskies as a video assistant coach about 11 years ago after coaching female minor hockey in Saskatoon for a number of years.

Within days of joining the Huskies, Westbury took on duties as the U Sports squad’s equipment manager. The 39-year-old has performed various other roles with the team over the years like helping with scouting.

He has solely focused on equipment manager duties since the start of the 2017-18 campaign.

When it comes to all levels in the sport of hockey, Westbury has become one of the best in the game in what he does.

During his time with the Huskies, Westbury has done all his work on volunteer hours.

On Monday, the College of Kinesiology at the University of Saskatchewan named Westbury a winner of the Friend of the College Award along with Dr. Susan Bens, who is an education development specialist in the Gwenna Moss Centre at the University of Saskatchewan.

Westbury works in a role that doesn’t get much thanks.

Still, the Huskies don’t have to worry about any equipment issues with Westbury on the job. 

Dave Westbury works as a video assistant coach in 2015.

Before players arrive for game day, the team’s dressing room always sits in an immaculate state of readiness.

His top skill is his ability to sharpen skates, which was something he learned from former long time U of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team equipment manager Peter Herd. Westbury has gotten so good with skate sharpening that players get anxious if someone else is handling those duties unless Herd is around to help out.

Westbury works a regular full-time job from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On weekdays, he is usually at the rink by 5 p.m. and doesn’t go home until 9 p.m.

On the Thursday night before the Friday night game, Westbury is usually at the rink until midnight ensuring all the players’ skates are sharpened. He is seemingly at the rink all day Saturday and is often there for a bit on Sundays working on something.

When game action is on, Westbury can change out a skate blade or make an equipment adjustment so quickly that players seemingly never a miss a shift. Westbury said the players inspire him to put in the long hours that he does.

“The players work so hard to maintain their grades and then put a tremendous amount of effort on the ice to make themselves better and the team better as we push for a national championship,” said Westbury in a release.

Westbury always offers the players words of encouragement and support.

For many years, Westbury worked in the cramped confines of the equipment and laundry room at the Huskies old long time home in the ancient Rutherford Rink. Often, the only other noise outside of the work he did came from a small television high up on a shelf that was usually tuned into a hockey game.

In those days, players from both the women’s and men’s teams would stop in and socialize for a bit before gearing up for practice or heading up to work on homework in Smuker’s Lounge.

Dave Westbury, left, gives fist bump to Brooklyn Haubrich.

Over the past two seasons, Westbury has worked out of more spacious confines in Merlis Belsher Place. With female under-18 AAA Saskatoon Stars also calling Merlis home, Westbury, who was once a Stars coach, has helped out the Stars equipment manager often teaching all the tricks of the trade with regards to skate sharpening.

With the Huskies being forced to relocate to the SaskTel Centre for practices due to the fact Merlis Belsher Place has become a field hospital in waiting as the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has gripped the world, Westbury has set up shop and ensures all runs smoothly in the Huskies temporary home.

He has still found time to help out current Stars equipment manager Colleen Compton, as the Stars are also calling the SaskTel Centre their temporary home.

In recent years, Westbury has deservingly been the subject of feature stories in both The Sheaf, which is the U of Saskatchewan student newspaper, and Global Saskatoon.

He has cemented himself as a key behind the scenes part that makes the Huskies women’s hockey team go.

The University of Saskatchewan College of Kinesiology created a video about Westbury winning the Friend of the College award and it can be found right below.

COVID-19 rocking world juniors pre-tourney, other notes

Ridly Creig in action for the Wheat Kings in 2018-19.

Organizers for the world junior hockey championships have to be itching to get the competing teams bubbled up at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alta.

It seems the COVID-19 pandemic that has gripped the world keeps dealing blows or helping to make cuts for the tournament’s 10 competing teams. Teams are slated to arrive on Sunday and quarantine for five days before beginning practices on Dec. 18.

World juniors are slated to begin on Dec. 25 and will run to Jan. 5, 2021.

Team Canada returned to the ice for selection camp activities in Red Deer on Tuesday after 14-day, team wide quarantine. The quarantine period occurred after two players tested positive for COVID-19.

Before Canada hit the ice on Tuesday, five players were cut from the selection camp for being unfit to play based on return to play protocols. The cuts included defencemen Matthew Robertson (WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings), Mason Millman (OHL’s Saginaw Spirit) and Daemon Hunt (WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors) along with forwards Ridly Greig (WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings) and Xavier Simoneau (QMJHL’s, Drummondville Voltigeurs).

Jonathan Habashi of the Drummondville L’Express wrote that Simoneau was diagnosed positive for COVID-19 at the start of Canada’s camp. Hunt confirmed he tested positive to Paul Friesen of the Winnipeg Sun.

Greig was late getting to camp due to testing positive for COVID-19 well before camp.

It has been ruled that anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 after Nov. 29, which is two weeks prior to team arrivals in Edmonton, is ineligible for world juniors including players, coaches and organizers.

Sweden has had four coaches including head coach Tomas Monten test positive for COVID-19, and they are all out of the tournament.  Sweden will be without four players due to positive COVID-19 tests including Albin Grewe, William Wallinder, Karl Henriksson and William Eklund.

Eklund, who is an 18-year-old forward, is viewed as a top prospect for the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.

Germany will be without four players due to positive COVID-19 tests in Lukas Reichel, Nino Kinder, Elias Lindner and netminder Tobias Ancicki.

The United States has lost three players due to positive COVID-19 tests in Robert Mastrosimone, Alex Vlasic and goalie Drew Commesso.

Austria will be minus defenceman Thimo Nickl due to a positive COVID-19 test.

Switzerland has lost forwards Yves Stoffel and Kevin Lindemann due to positive COVID-19 tests, and forward Jannik Canova has been nixed from the roster for being a close contact.

While there has been positive news there will be initial vaccine rollouts for COVID-19 in Canada starting next week, the initial rollouts will be in limited fashion. A lengthy amount of time will pass before the vaccines are rolled out to the general population.

New case numbers are still going up on a daily basis for COVID-19. On Sunday, Alberta will begin strict COVID-19 lockdown restrictions that include the banning of all outdoor social gatherings and the closure of all facilities where sports operate out of.

World juniors have exemptions which will allow the tournament to be conducted.

On Thursday, Canada did cut five forwards and two goalies as part of regular roster cuts. The cuts included Saskatoon product and Spokane Chiefs left-winger Adam Beckman.

Another cut was 16-year-old centre Shane Wright of the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs who is expected to be a top pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.

With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging, the look of the final rosters for the 10 teams that will take part in world juniors is uncertain.

COVID-19 has even affected life in the offices of the International Ice Hockey Federation as president Rene Fasel and general secretary Horst Lichtner tested positive this week.

Don’t fool yourselves, world juniors will be pushed ahead because there is too much money that could be lost that is generated from television rights and advertising sponsors.

Before teams get settled in the Edmonton bubble, you wonder how bad the train wreak could get.

• On Monday, the University of Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team postponed their final four NCAA regular season games of the 2020 calendar year due to multiple positive COVID-19 tests on the team. On Tuesday, the Kenosha News reported six Badgers players have tested positive for COVID-19. The Badgers played their first two NCAA games before the final six contests of the 2020 calendar year were postponed due to issues with COVID-19. Saskatoon Stars female under-18 AAA team alumnae and sisters Sophie and Grace Shirley play for the Badgers.
• As of Thursday night, the 50/50 jackpot for the Hockey Harvest Lottery sat at $261,800. The lottery is being used to raise money for the player scholarship funds of Saskatchewan’s five WHL teams in the Moose Jaw Warriors, Prince Albert Raiders, Regina Pats, Saskatoon Blades and the Swift Current Broncos. Tickets can be purchased by clicking right here, and purchasers must be in Saskatchewan in order to buy tickets.
• As of Friday night, the December jackpot for the Saskatchewan Amateur Football Mega 50/50 lottery sat at $5,100. The funds from this 50/50 lottery will go to support the CJFL’s Saskatoon Hilltops and Regina Thunder and the WWCFL’s Saskatoon Valkyries and Regina Riot. One prize will be drawn per month, and the draw dates are December 31, 2020, January 31, 2021, February 28, 2021, March 31, 2021, April 30, 2021 and May 31, 2021. Tickets can be purchased by clicking right here, and purchasers must be in Saskatchewan in order to buy tickets.
• Back on Dec. 3, Saskatoon Stars 17-year-old defender Bridget Rezansoff committed to play for the University of Calgary Dinos women’s hockey team starting in the 2021-22 season. In the two Saskatchewan Female Under-18 AAA Hockey League regular season games the Stars have played, Rezansoff has one assist. Last season, Rezansoff had five goals and three assists appearing in 28 regular season games for the Stars.
• On Wednesday, Saskatoon Stars 17-year-old forward Sydney Mercier committed to play for the University of Calgary Dinos women’s hockey team starting in the 2021-22 season. In the two Saskatchewan Female Under-18 AAA Hockey League regular season games the Stars have played, Mercier leads the team in scoring with three goals and two assists. Last season, Mercier topped the Stars in scoring appearing in all 30 of their regular season games collecting nine goals and 10 assists.
• On Thursday, the Adrian College Bulldogs women’s hockey team located in Adrian, Mich., that plays in Division 1 of the American Collegiate Hockey Association announced the commitment of Prince Albert Northern Bears 17-year-old forward Rhea Peterson. Peterson has appeared in two Saskatchewan Female Under-18 AAA Hockey League regular season games with the Bears this season recording two assists. She appeared in 29 regular season games with the Bears last season posting two goals and eight assists.

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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