Blog hiatus time has come again

A picture of myself on the ice surface after the Warriors WHL title win.

“I’m out of here, and I hope everyone has a happy Canada Day!”

At first, that was pretty much all I wanted to write for this post. I was going to leave a quick message that I was taking a break for the rest of July from producing content for this blog, and then I was just going to take off. I thought short and sweet would be good to do the job.

Since the world started to return to action in earnest about midway through 2021 from the shutdowns due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that gripped the world, it has become common to take July off when it comes to producing content for this blog.

Actually back in 2021, I took June and July off from producing content for this blog due to the fact it kept me on social media lines more than I wanted to be. It seemed at that time there was only toxic content on social media.

Now, taking a break in July has become the annual reprieve from producing content about the sports world. Of course, my focus is on the high level amateur circuits like the WHL, CJFL, WWCFL and U Sports.

With all the cuts in Canada’s media landscape, most of the country’s sports world doesn’t get covered outside the NHL, the MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays, the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, Canada’s three MLS teams, the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. 

Riece Kack celebrates a sack for the Hilltops on Oct. 29, 2023.

When it comes to covering Canada’s sports world, there is always something going on that deserves to be covered.

For me, it feels like you have to take your moments to disconnect yourself from all of that to get a break.

Last year when I took this break, I said I wasn’t going to do any side projects just to get a real break and that the only work commitments I planned to take care of are the ones with the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. That didn’t go as planned.

Following the 2023 WHL Playoffs, I had a tonne of photos to edit and archive from the games I covered. The backlog came from the fact the Saskatoon Blades started the post-season playing back-to-back seven game series. 

The first series was against Connor Bedard and the Regina Pats and the travel and the frequency of games over the first two rounds put me behind.

Combined with doing the things I regularly do, I finished archiving those photos pretty much days before the 2023-24 WHL campaign started.

During the 2024 WHL Playoffs, I was pretty maniacal ensuring photos got done. The only outstanding photos I have on my plate to finish off are from the Saskatoon Valkyries 36-21 WWCFL championship win over the host Regina Riot at Leibel Field on June 23.

The Warriors celebrate their WHL title win on May 15.

With how busy I’ve barely done any workouts since March. I haven’t gone on a long ride with my mountain bike since summer of 2022. Physically, I feel out of shape, and I am starting to get a pot belly, which is a first for me in my life.

I do have a special look back feature project coming up due for the middle of September, and I am still planning on how I will get that done. 

Also, I have to do my annual spring clean up with my car and a few other projects around the house that I need to get to that seem to be always there.

Actually to put it bluntly, I continued to hear continually over the past 12 months that I should be doing something else opposed to what I was actually doing at that time. 

If I was doing work in one spot, I should be doing work in another spot or taking care of something at home. I’ve accepted that is just how the way life is, and you have to be you not matter what.

The 2023-24 sports season was fun for me. The Saskatoon Hilltops winning their 23^rd CJFL title in November of 2023, the Moose Jaw Warriors winning their first WHL title in May and the Valkyries claiming their ninth WWCFL title including the last four consecutive in a row are the highlights.

The Valkyries feel the joy of winning the WWCFL title on June 23.

When the Warriors clinched WHL title at home on May 15 with a 4-2 win over the Portland Winterhawks in Game 4 of the WHL Championship Series, I have to give props to the 4,732 spectators that packed the Moose Jaw Events Centre, which is also known as “The Hanger,” for that game. When final seconds of that contest elapsed, the noise in the building was so loud I temporarily lost my hearing for a short time.

The first post-game scrum was with Warriors star captain Denton Mateychuk, and I didn’t hear a word he said. I fired in a couple of questions, and I could see he was giving a response. I only learned of his answers afterwards when I played the audio back in writing that game story.

I should also add I really enjoyed and cherished every moment I was in the rink covering the U Sports Women’s Hockey Championship tournament at Merlis Belsher Place in March for The Canadian Press and this blog. I got to see a lot of old friends I hadn’t seen in some time.

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies athletics program did an outstanding job hosting the tournament, and I hope they get to host it again. It felt like old times and great to be writing about the U of Saskatchewan Huskies Women’s Hockey Team more frequently again. Life after the COVID-19 pandemic has pulled me away from that spot.

I was super impressed with the Concordia University Stingers Women’s Hockey Team that would go on to win the U Sports title. I enjoyed the mix of skill and physicality that team has. Everyone with the Stingers was a pleasure to deal with, and you develop a soft spot in your heart for them.

The Huskies veteran players picture at U Sports nationals in March.

Anyways with those nuggets noted, it is time to sign off. I am sure August will roll around lightning fast, so I’ll see you all back on this blog then.

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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