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| Michael Linklater is a Saskatoon all-time great in basketball. |
The long
time star guard just played basketball for the love of the game. Along the way,
he helped his hometown University of Saskatchewan Huskies win a U Sport
national men’s basketball championship in 2010 as team captain and hometown
Saskatchewan Rattlers capture a Canadian Elite Basketball Title in his final
season as a player in 2019.
On
Wednesday during a press conference at the Gordie Howe Sports Centre building
on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds, Linklater, who is 39-years-old, was
announced as part of the 2022 class to enter the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame
in the athletes category.
“At first, it is kind of hard to believe for myself,” said Linklater. “When you start playing, you don’t think about being in Hall of Fames.
“You just play for the love of the game. When I let it set in, it is humbling, and it is also an honour at the same time. This is exciting, because it my first time being inducted into any Hall of Fame.
“What a great place to be inducted Treaty 6 Territory and my home of Saskatoon.”
Linklater
is entering the Hall along with eight other individuals and the 2004-05 University
of Saskatchewan Huskies Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Teams, who both won U
Sports national titles. The Saskatoon Hilltops were honoured by the Hall as the
Sport Organization of the Year.
The
induction ceremony will be held on Saturday, November 5 at 6:30 p.m. at Prairieland
Park. The 2022 class was the first class announced by the Saskatoon Sports Hall
of Fame since 2019. The Hall didn’t induct any classes in 2020 and 2021 due to
the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that gripped the world.
Michael Linklater, left, shakes the hand of fellow inductees.
Linklater began honing his skills as one of the most imaginative and creative guards to come out of Saskatoon on the outdoor court at St. Mary’s Elementary School at age 11. He went on to play for the Mount Royal Collegiate Mustangs boys’ basketball team during his high school years.
His post-secondary
career saw him spend time with the United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck,
N.D., the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology Trojans in Calgary, Alta.,
and the Lakeland College Rustlers Lloydminster, which is located on the border
of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Linklater
concluded his post-secondary school career during the 2009-10 U Sports
championship campaign with the Huskies, which was his second stint with the
team. They entered the elite-eight U Sports championship tournament at
Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, Ont., having won the Canada West Conference title
for the first time in program history.
At the U
Sports championship tournament, the Huskies defeated the defending U Sports
Champion and tournament host Carleton University Ravens 86-82 in a semifinal
with Linklater making a key three-point shot with 46 seconds remaining in the
contest. The Ravens had won the U Sports title in six of the previous seven
years.
In the U
Sports title game played on March 21, 2010, the Huskies downed the University
of British Columbia Thunderbirds 91-81 for the program’s first national title. 
Michael Linklater won a U Sports title with the Huskies.
“For me, that was one of the biggest highlights of my career and my life,” said Linklater, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 200 pounds. “We were so fortunate to come through so many obstacles over that season, and to come out with that championship was big for us.
“I remember at the end of the season when (head) coach Greg Jockims was talking to the public, and he mentioned that it takes a bit of luck in there. In that moment, I didn’t like him saying that there was luck involved. Looking back, now I understand that there is a bit of luck involved in terms of the way sometimes the ball bounces and in terms of escaping injuries and overcoming a lot of those adversities.
“Looking back, it was a tremendous season and one of the highlights of my championships was both of my grandparents were there. Unfortunately, my late grandfather passed away, so he wasn’t there to see the Rattlers championship. That 2010 championship means a lot to me.”
Following
the U Sports championship win with the Huskies, Linklater continued to play
basketball.
He played
in the North American Indigenous Game in Victoria, B.C., Winnipeg, Man., and
Denver, Colorado. Linklater is proud of his Indigenous heritage and always
strives to be a role model for Indigenous youth.
Starting in
2012, Linklater played seven seasons on the FIBA 3x3 World Tour.
While still
playing on the FIBA 3x3 World Tour circuit, Linklater joined the Rattlers in
2019 and was reunited with Jockims, who was serving as the team’s head coach
and general manager that season. On August 25, 2019, Linklater played his final
game helping the Rattlers down the Hamilton Honey Badgers 94-83 at the SaskTel
Centre to capture the inaugural CEBL championship.
Michael Linklater drives the ball in a 3x3 game in 2017.
The
Rattlers hosted that inaugural CEBL championship tournament after posting an
11-9 regular season record.
“For me, it was kind of like my post-secondary career coming full circle and being able to finish it at home with my family here,” said Linklater. “Being able to come full circle and finish at home in front of my family and again with a stroke of luck for us to actually host the championships here in Saskatoon was something that I’ll take with me for the rest of my life.”
During Wednesday’s press conference, Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame president Bob Reindl listed off Linklater’s accomplishments along with the rest of the incoming inductees. At that moment, Linklater said he could see his playing career flash before his eyes.
“It is interesting, because when you are a kid and you start playing a sport that you love you just take it one day at a time,” said Linklater, who is still involved in basketball as a coach and administrator. “You start to think about your future in terms of where you want to be.
“For myself, I’ve been so fortunate enough to be able to accomplish the goals that I set for myself with respect to my sport. Looking back and hearing all the accomplishments as well as the other inductees and their accomplishments, it lets me just kind of sit and think about, ‘Wow. What a career that a lot of people have had including myself.’ It is exciting.”
 |
| Brian Shalovelo, left, shakes hands with Bob Reindl. |
The Huskies Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Teams won U Sports titles in 2004-05 under the guidance of head coaches Ivan Tam and Scott St. Pierre.
The venerable Hilltops were the Sport Organization of the Year having won 22 CJFL championships since first hitting the field in 1947. Current Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant is Canada’s all-time leader in career post-secondary head coaching victories currently sitting at 218 wins, which includes 13 CJFL title victories.
Linklater said he marveled at the class he was going in with.
“I think it is a tremendous class to be a part of, and I’m really honoured,” said Linklater. “Hearing all of the accomplishments that a lot of the other inductees have achieved throughout their careers is inspiring.
 |
| From left, David Wassill, Brian Shalovelo and Mark Loehndorf share a laugh. |
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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