Online noise around Blades’ “Pride Night” game just noise

Contest was ultimately just a good night at rink

A Saskatoon Blades “Pride Night” T-shirt.

For some social media trolls, the fact the Saskatoon Blades had a “Pride Night” game for a third straight season was a sign that the Apocalypse is upon us.

When it came to the reality at the rink, it was just a good hockey game night.

On Friday, the Blades partnered with Discover Saskatoon to hold their “Pride Night” game for a third straight season when they faced the Red Deer Rebels in a WHL regular season contest. The Blades use the game to honour the LGBTQ+ community.

Saskatoon’s WHL squad collaborates with local inclusion groups and organizations in planning what will go on in those particular nights.

While about two or three trolls between the Blades social media Facebook and Instagram accounts said no one would show up and there would be a protest, a total of 3,758 spectators turned out to the SaskTel Centre on Friday and there were no protests.

Those that showed up saw the Blades prevail 4-2 in an entertaining contest on the strength of import star right-winger Egor Sidorov recording a hat trick and an assist. The 19-year-old, who is in this third season in the WHL, had the big night with his parents in attendance flying over from Belarus to watch him play a live WHL game for the first time.

Overall, that contest felt like a regular night at a Blades WHL home game where a tip of the cap was given to LGBTQ+ community. In the grand scheme of things, that is what you want to get out of a “Pride Night” game.

Helen Thunderchild sings the national anthem on Friday night.

The first two times the Blades held a “Pride Night” game a tonne of the comments that appeared on their Twitter, Facebook and Instagram posts promoting that contest were downright horrible to read. On Twitter, anonymous accounts often made cringe worthy comments.

On January 22, 2022, the Blades held their first “Pride Night” game where they dumped the Winnipeg Ice 7-2. Just two days later, Emilie Castonguay was hired as an assistant general manager by the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks.

I found a Twitter, which is now known as “X,” account state something unflattering about the Blades “Pride Night” post. That account had just over 100 followers and was based in Alberta, which fed into some bad stereotypes there that Saskatchewan seems to share.

After the announcement came out that the Canucks hired Castonguay, that same account wrote a comment that all women and just men in same sex relationships have no place in hockey. I was stunned that someone would write those exact words out, but with how crazy the state of the world is, maybe I shouldn’t have been that stunned.

Cringe worthy comments hit the Blades social media accounts the second time they hosted a “Pride Night” game in the 2022-23 campaign. Leading up to the Blades third “Pride Night” game on Friday, I only saw a handful of awful comments on “X,” and those comments again came from anonymous accounts.

The OUTSaskatoon booth at the Blades’ “Pride Night” game.

Horrible comments were made more on the Facebook and Instagram posts the Blades made about the “Pride Night” game. 

From what I could gather, it seemed there were about six total accounts making all those comments on the Blades Facebook and Instagram posts about the “Pride Night” game.

All of those accounts appeared to be connected to real actual people, and it looked like five of them were indeed from Saskatoon and the area surrounding Saskatoon. 

Those accounts were a step up in the fact those people let their actual names stand by what they were saying.

If you really want to know who those people are, feel free to scroll through the posts the Blades made on their Facebook and Instagram accounts on their “Pride Night” game. In the grand scheme of things, that was a small group of people attempting to make a big bark.

At the game itself, Saskatoon Pride and OUTSaskatoon both had booths set up in the concourse. A chuck a puck contest was being held for a Blades “Pride” themed jersey from their first “Pride Night.”

The Saskatoon Pride booth at the Blades’ “Pride Night” game.

Some of fans came to the game wearing the Blades “Pride” themed game worn jerseys they won on online auctions from the first two “Pride Nights.”

The Blades logo on their video scoreboard was rainbow coloured, and Helen Thunderchild, who has done a lot of work helping the LGBTQ+ community, sang the national anthem.

Blades mascot Poke Check had a “Go Blades” sign that was rainbow coloured and rainbow coloured tape ran up the handles of the push scrapers the Blades Blue Crew used to scrape the ice during media timeout stoppages.

The Blades players had “Pride Tape” on their sticks during warm-ups. They didn’t wear any “Pride” themed jerseys on this night or have “Pride Tape” on their sticks come game time. They sported their regular attire that goes with their white uniforms.

During the second intermission, a video piece was shown on Luke Prokop, who was first person to play in the WHL having come out as openly gay. Prokop is currently playing professionally for the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL.

Poke Check with rainbow colour lettering in his signs.

While it would have been fun for the Blades to have “Pride” themed jerseys again as the ones they wore for their first two “Pride Night” games were outstanding, their “Pride Night” game on Friday had a good feeling to it in the building.

I should note once again the Blades collaborate with local inclusion groups and organizations in planning what will go on in those particular nights. When you are in the SaskTel Centre for one of the Blades “Pride Night” games, it feels like hockey is for all.

The Blades are genuine in following the belief that hockey is for all, and it great they continue to keep going with their “Pride Night” games.

Tastad nets winner for Blades, other notes

Morgan Tastad had a goal and an assist for the Blades on Saturday.

Rookie defenceman Morgan Tastad couldn’t have found a better time to pick up his first career WHL goal.

On Saturday with his Saskatoon Blades locked in a 3-3 tie with the Warriors at the Moose Jaw Events Centre in Moose Jaw, Tastad fired home the first goal of his WHL career with 4:07 remaining in the third period to give the Blades a 4-3 lead. The score held up as the final outcome to the disappointment of most of the 3,313 spectators in attendance.

On top of netting the winning goal, the 17-year-old Tastad, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 188 pounds, picked up his first career WHL point with an assist on a goal from 16-year-old rookie right-winger Hudson Kibblewhite, who scored at the 2:16 mark of the first period. Kibblewhite’s goal opened the scoring in the contest.

In 25 games this season for the Blades, Tastad has one goal, one assist and a minus-one rating in the plus-minus department.

Right before the opening frame ended, defenceman Kalem Parker potted a goal for the Warriors to even the score at 1-1. Warriors star 19-year-old centre Jagger Firkus tallied with 4:24 remaining in the second to give the hosts a 2-1 lead.

Star centre Fraser Minten and standout left-winger Easton Armstrong scored early in the third to give the Blades a 3-2 advantage. Warriors star 20-year-old centre Atley Calvert tallied with 7:54 remaining in the third to even the score at 3-3. That set the stage for Tastad to come through with the winner.

Blades star 20-year-old captain Trevor Wong and star import right-winger Egor Sidorov each had a pair of assists in the win. Calvert had an assist to go with his goal in the setback for the Warriors.

Evan Gardner made 30 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Blades (21-8-1). The Blades have won their last five straight. Jackson Unger turned away 22 shots to take the setback in net for the Warriors (17-12-0-2).

The Blades return to action on Sunday when they host the Calgary Hitmen (4 p.m., SaskTel Centre).

The Warriors get back at it on Tuesday when they host the Kelowna Rockets (7 p.m., Moose Jaw Events Centre).

• The Prince Albert Raiders dropped a 2-1 decision to the visiting Red Deer Rebels at the Art Hauser Centre on Saturday night. Zane Saab and Talon Brigley scored for the Rebels, while Sloan Stanick replied for the Raiders. Chase Wutzke made 35 saves in goal for the Rebels, while Max Hildebrand stopped 27 shots in net for the Raiders.
• The Medicine Hat Tigers slipped past the host Edmonton Oil Kings 3-2 on Saturday night at Rogers Place. Cayden Lindstrom, Josh Van Mulligen and Tomas Mrsic scored for the Tigers, while Gavin Hodnett and Roan Woodward replied for the Oil Kings. Zach Zahara stopped 31 shots in goal for the Tigers, while Kolby Hay turned away 41 shots in net for the Oil Kings.
• The Swift Current Broncos downed the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes 3-1 at the InnovationPlex on Saturday night. Luke Mistelbacher scored twice for the Broncos, while Connor Hvidston had a single into an empty net. Logan Wormald replied for the Hurricanes. Matthew Kieper stopped 21 shots in goal for the Broncos. Brady Smith turned away 22-of-24 shots in net for the Hurricanes.
• The Kelowna Rockets got past the host Regina Pats 5-4 at the Brandt Centre on Saturday night. Hiroki Gojsic and Tij Iginla each scored twice for the Rockets, while Gabriel Szturc had a single. Parker Berge had a hat trick for the Pats, who had a single from Borya Valis. Jari Kykkanen stopped 28 shots in goal for the Rockets. Ewan Huet turned away 18 shots in net for the Pats.
• On Saturday, I had new content appear on the Howe Happenings blog that supports the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. I put together a piece catching up with longtime softball coach Noreen Murphy, who entered the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame as a builder on September 23. The piece on Murphy can be found by clicking right here. I also put together a photo roundup that shows the fun that can be found at the Indoor Training Centre and shows pictures from an exciting football championship game. That post can be found by clicking right here.

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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A wacked and loony week for social media

Sometimes it is best to not check out those lines

The Blades are doing their part to make Saskatoon a better place.

Social media never seems to disappoint with how crazy it can be in the worst way.

Just when you think social media can be cool, all of a sudden it hits the sewer worse than you ever remember happening before. Out of all the social media lines, it feels like Twitter hits the sewer the fastest and hardest.

For me, the high note of the week on social media came in the early morning hours last Sunday. I got home after covering a WHL regular season game in Prince Albert on Saturday, January 22, where the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers downed the host Raiders 6-4.

Before I went to bed, I decided to check my Facebook and Twitter accounts. Both lines were filled with posts of people saying they were happy to be at the Saskatoon Blades WHL regular season home game on January 22, when they dumped the Winnipeg Ice 7-2.

The majority of the comments focused on the great job the Blades did with their Pride Night theme. The Blades rocked pretty sweet special jerseys for that contest to honour the LGBTQ+ community.

The Blades drew 3,585 spectators to the SaskTel Centre that night, which was their largest crowd since returning from their WHL Christmas break.

I went to bed feeling upbeat about the Blades having done something really positive for inclusion.

Even though I didn’t make that Blades game, it felt like they were able to show that a sports team can truly bring all parts of a community together.

Those feelings were genuine too, because Blades general manager Colin Priestner and his wife, Alanna, live and breathe those values.

Unfortunately, social media started to go south one day later this past Monday.

That was the day the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks announced Emilie Castonguay would be the team’s new assistant general manager. She would become the first female to hold that job title in the history of the Canucks and only the second female ever in the history of the NHL to be named an assistant general manager.

There was a lot of praise that came with that move.

Unfortunately, I came across cringe worthy comments too.

I came across a Twitter account that had just over 100 followers and stated the account holder was based in Alberta.

That account hold wrote a post responding to this announcement that women and gays have no place in hockey.

I was freaked out and felt sad and upset someone would say that so boldly on a public line.

I found a Twitter troll that said women don’t belong in hockey.

That same account said something that was unflattering to a Saskatoon Blades team post about the team’s Pride Game night.

That offending account got pushback from others, with some noting the offending account reinforced negative stereotypes for people from Alberta.

While that offending account that was saying those crazy things wasn’t interacting with my account, I decided to block it just because that offending account was that stupid.

I proceeded to take a look at the accounts the Blades have on various social media lines to check out their Pride Night posts. I found a handful of awful responses in the comments sections of those posts.

On Tuesday, the Blades proceeded to put a story on their website titled, “Saskatoon Blades score one for Pride.”

It was a beautifully crafted post about how great the team’s Pride Night was. If you are curious, that post can be found by clicking right here.

The Blades organization’s reaction to the negative comments was an outstanding one.

Unfortunately, I would continue to encounter rough social media waters in different areas.

Wednesday was Bell Let’s Talk day, which is Bell Canada’s annual mental health awareness and fundraising day.

It felt like the regular fundraising initiatives held over social media lines didn’t get the traction like past years. I traditionally write a post on Bell Let’s Talk day discussing my own mental healthy journey, and my post this year got by far the fewest views in comparison to my Bell Let’s Talk day posts of past years.

I figured that might happen, because I expected there to be a push back against Bell Canada after making huge jobs cuts in less than a week after last year’s Bell Let’s Talk day.

Bell Canada has become a company that talks the talk but doesn’t walk the walk when it comes to mental health. However, any negativity towards Bell Let’s Talk day would not be the craziest thing that would be seen this week over social media.

Wednesday was the first day I started to notice posts from the truckers’ convoy that was heading to Ottawa, Ont., to converge on Parliament Hill to call an end for coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine mandates and other public health restrictions.

Truckers and other protestors made it to Ottawa on Saturday for their protest.

Starting on Wednesday, I saw way too many posts from the radicals in this group on the far right that made me cringe. Even posts that weren’t cringe worthy made me shake my head.

One shake my head post came from the “Truckers Freedom Convoy 2022” Instagram account on Saturday. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe put out a letter on his social media accounts thanking truckers, and it called for an end to the cross-border ban on unvaccinated truckers that travel between Canada and the United States.

Twitter is likely the most loony social media line.

Moe’s letter also stated in the not too distant future the Government of Saskatchewan would end its proof of vaccination or negative test requirement policy.

The “Truckers Freedom Convoy 2022” account said Moe’s letter was a step in the right direction, but immediate action was wanted right now. The post also used the hashtag #WeTheFringe.

Of course, you could find numerous posts including cringe worthy ones from the far left condemning those associated with the convoy.

To me, all of this devolved into absolutism that has been present since the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the world in March of 2020.

There was lots of my way or the highway rhetoric.

So far during the COVID-19 pandemic, differing views regarding it have been the deal breaker on many friendships and associations and often it has been the only deal breaker.

Ultimately, I don’t think this convoy is going to accomplish much except drown out the voices of people who are reasonable and still have common sense. Any ill feelings will only be intensified.

While the truckers’ convoy dominated the news cycle in Canada, the news cycle in the United States was dominated by escalating tensions between that country and Russia over Russian massing near 100,000 troops near the border with Ukraine. Anything related to the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t seem to be top of mind.

Finally on Saturday, social media jumped in a tizzy over a subject that was less serious in nature. Early in the afternoon, news broke that Tom Brady, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback and arguably the NFL’s greatest ever player, was retiring only for that story to be shot down seemingly about an hour later.

Brady’s company TB12sports put out a tweet that indicated Brady was retiring, but that was later deleted.

The NFL put a story on its website that Brady was retiring and put out an announcement on Twitter saying the retirement was happening.

Reactions poured in from around the world congratulating Brady on his career.

Later Saturday afternoon, news came out Brady called Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht to say he had not made a decision yet on his football playing future. Brady, who is 44-years-old, is under contract to play for the Buccaneers in 2022.

With all that has gone on this week, the mix up regarding the story if Brady had made up his mind about retiring from his playing career ended up being a humourous one.

A Saturday afternoon screenshot of NFL.com of a story in error.

In the end, all one can do with these crazy social media waves is roll with the punches as best you can. If you can try to pause, take a deep breath and think critically without emotion about what you are seeing, it could potentially help you navigate those seas.

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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If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.