Sask. sports community dodges COVID-19 bullet, for now

The Prince Albert Mintos and Saskatoon Contacts can keep playing.

In Saskatchewan, the games will go on.

The question remains for how long?

On Thursday, new restrictions became active in Manitoba to battle the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and those restrictions are slated at the moment to last four weeks. Recreational centres have to remain closed in the province during those restrictions bringing sports in Manitoba to a halt.

On Friday, Alberta added new restrictions to battle the COVID-19 pandemic that are slated to last two weeks at the moment.

Alberta suspended indoor fitness programs and team sports. Sports restrictions are specifically for recreational teams or group activities that occur indoors. Outdoor sports are not affected and neither are individual sports or exercise.

Junior, collegiate, university and professional sports are also exempted.

Those restrictions have caused the slowdown in that province’s sports scene.

At 11:30 a.m. on Friday, the Government of Saskatchewan held a press conference to introduce new restrictions. You can bet the sports community in Saskatchewan was wondering if there would be any clamp downs in the sports scene.

During that press conference, it was announced new restrictions were coming in Monday and would remain in place for 28 days.

A mandatory indoor mask rule that was already in place for Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert was expanded to all communities with populations over 5,000.

The Saskatoon Stars can stay in action.

Communities that surround Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert are included in the mask mandate, even if their populations are less than 5,000.

Licensed liquor establishments will have to stop serving alcohol at 10 p.m. and consumption must end by 11 p.m.

The use of hookah and water pipes in lounges won’t be allowed.

Gyms and fitness centres can stay open, but group aerobic classes are limited to eight people, and they must maintain at least three metres of distance between each other.

Saskatchewan high schools with at least 600 students were recommended to move to level three of the province’s Safe Schools plan. The amount of in class learning is reduced at that level.

At the press conference, Saskatchewan’s Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab said the government has considered sports restrictions, and some could come next week.

It was noted the spread of COVID-19 during sports activities has been low risk unless someone is participating who is sick. Shahab said virus transmission usually spreads before and after games when people are socializing.

Saskatchewan also reported it had 81 new COVID-19 cases on Friday with 108 recoveries. The province’s active case count dropped from 1,459 on Thursday to 1,427 on Friday.

From the press conference, it was apparent the Government of Saskatchewan is sticking to its plan in dealing with the pandemic. The provincial government is trying to balance battling the pandemic, while trying to keep the economy going.

By the sounds of things, it is looking more and more that “Linus blanket” field hospitals in waiting like the converted Merlis Belsher Place sports facility might be put more into action. Merlis Belsher Place and the field hospital at Evraz Place in Regina have some minor action with regards to the pandemic.

The Prince Albert Northern Bears can keep rolling.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority announced Thursday it will reopen its emergency operations centre, and that reopening will go into action on Monday. The emergency operations centre coordinated the health system’s pandemic response in spring.

For now, the Saskatchewan sports community dodged a bullet. Minor hockey and junior A hockey games will continue to be played in the province.

Activities in various other sports will be able to continue as well.

It should be noted that those in Saskatchewan’s sports community have been doing their best to follow public health guidelines and protocols.

If the games, practices and training sessions do indeed stop, it might be something that is ultimately out of the control of the sports community.

Huskies’ Humbert picked for coach mentorship program

Emily Humbert serves for the Huskies in 2015.

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies brought a sweet ray of sunshine to the day on Friday.

The Huskies announced that Emily Humbert, who is an assistant coach with the Huskies women’s volleyball team, was chosen for the University Female Coach Mentorship program, which is run by the Coaching Association of Canada.

The program aims to support the increased recruitment and retention of female coaches through financial and human resource support.

Besides being a coach, Humbert played five seasons for the Huskies women’s volleyball as a middle blocker from 2012 to 2017.

“It is truly and honour to be part of a program that aims to increase the presence of female coaches in the Canadian university system,” said Humbert in a release. “Throughout my time as a U Sports athlete, I was fortunate to learn from incredible female coaches such as Tiffany Dodds-Little, Lindsey Mehler and Shelly Dodds.

“The impact these women had on my development as a player and person was incredible. I hope I can have a similar impact on the athletes that I coach.”

During her time as a Huskies player, Humbert, who stands 5-foot-10, ranks in the top 10 in modern program history in kills, aces, blocks and points. The Saskatoon product received U Sports academic all-Canadian honours multiple times during her playing career.

Humbert took on an assistant coaching role with the Huskies Volleyball Club program in 2013. She went on to head coaching roles with the Huskies Volleyball Club program and at Bedford Road Collegiate.

Humbert currently teaches and Bedford Road and coaches the school’s senior girls volleyball team.

Before the start of last season, Humbert joined the Huskies women’s volleyball team as an assistant coach under head coach Mark Dodds. In the 2019-20 campaign, the Huskies finished sixth in the Canada West Conference with a 14-10 record and earned a playoff berth for the first time in 18 years.

The Huskies fell 2-1 in a best-of-three opening round playoff series to the University of Alberta Pandas, who won a silver medal in the conference post-season.

Humbert is a deserving choice for the University Female Coach Mentorship program.

Ivy League cancels winter sports

Willow Slobodzian skates during a summer session in 2019.

On Thursday, the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Ivy League cancelled all winter sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ivy League had already cancelled its fall season for the 2020-21 campaign.

That means the men’s and women’s NCAA Division I hockey teams at Brown University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University and Yale University won’t take the ice for any meaningful games in 2020-21.

The Rochester Institute of Technology had previously cancelled its 2020-21 campaigns for its NCAA Division I men’s and women’s hockey teams.

The Cornell University Big Red women’s hockey team features three grads of the Saskatoon Stars female under-18 AAA hockey team.

They include senior defender Willow Slobodzian, rookie defender Ashley Messier and rookie forward Kaitlin Jockims.

All Ivy League competition has been officially halted until March 1, 2021.

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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Sask. WHL clubs, Great Western team up on fundraising lottery

The Raiders and Blades in action last season.

Thanks to the fact most of Saskatchewan was digging out from a weekend snowstorm, you might have missed that the Hockey Harvest Lottery was coming.

On Monday when a lot of Saskatchewan was deep in the dig out, the province’s five WHL franchises in partnership with Great Western Brewing Company announced that the Hockey Harvest Lottery was going to be launched on Monday, November 16.

The lottery will be used to raise money for the player scholarship funds of the Moose Jaw Warriors, Prince Albert Raiders, Regina Pats, Saskatoon Blades and the Swift Current Broncos.

The money will be raised through a progressive 50/50 lottery that will start on November 16 and run through to December 20. December 21 will be the lottery’s grand prize draw date, and the draw will be conducted in Saskatoon.

The Great West Brewing Company has assured that the 50/50 jackpot will begin at $75,000.

Isaac Poulter makes a stop for the Broncos.

“We are thrilled to have Great Western Brewing presenting the Hockey Harvest Lottery,” said Great Western Brewing vice-president of sales Scott Henbury in a release. “We value and appreciate our relationships with all of the Saskatchewan-based WHL teams, and this gives us a unique opportunity to continue our support.”

Tickets will be available for purchase to anyone over the age of 19 that is physically in the province of Saskatchewan at the time of purchase regardless of their home residence.

The grand prize winning ticket will receive a cash prize of 50 per cent of the final jackpot. The remaining funds will be split evenly between the five Saskatchewan WHL teams and be placed into their respective player scholarship funds.

Tickets purchased prior to 11:59 CST on November 27 will also be entered into a draw to win a Saskatchewan WHL team jersey prize package featuring a jersey from all five Saskatchewan WHL teams. The early bird draw will be made on November 28 in Saskatoon.

“The Western Hockey League takes pride in providing a world class player experience, which includes the most comprehensive scholarship available in North America today,” said WHL commissioner Ron Robison in a release. “What better way for our Saskatchewan-based WHL clubs to come together than with the creation of the Hockey Harvest Lottery presented by Great Western Brewing Company in support of the WHL Scholarship program.

Drew Englot works in the offensive zone for the Pats.

“By purchasing tickets, Saskatchewan residents will have a chance to win big, and they will also be supporting the academic endeavours of their favourite WHL players.”

Ticket prices are one for $20, five for $50, 20 for $100, 150 for $500 or 500 for $1,000.

For each season played in the WHL, players are awarded a one-year post-secondary scholarship, which includes tuition, textbooks and other compulsory fees. More than 400 players took advantage of their WHL Scholarship during the 2019-20 academic year, and many of those competed for a Saskatchewan based team.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a major financial shortfall for teams across the WHL. A bulk of the funding for the post-secondary scholarships usually comes from 50/50 ticket sales on game day.

Of course, the WHL hasn’t hosted any games so far in the 2020-21 campaign due to the pandemic and has set January 8, 2021 as a start date for the upcoming campaign.

 The Hockey Harvest Lottery will help make up some of the funds that weren’t able to be raised from 50/50 ticket sales on game day.

The Warriors celebrate a goal last season.

Tickets will be on sale on starting November 16 online through the website of each Saskatchewan-based WHL team and the WHL’s main website.

Hockey Harvest Lottery rules and regulations can be round at www.whl.ca/hockeyharvestlotto.

Daily jackpot updates and Hockey Harvest Lottery news will be available daily on Twitter at @HockeyHarvest.

Overall, this is a pretty sound idea to help the post-secondary scholarship programs of each of the five WHL clubs in Saskatchewan.

Introducing the Hockey Harvest Lottery, presented by @GWBrewingCo in support of WHL player scholarship funds!

Starting jackpot | $75,000
Tickets on sale | Nov. 16
Draw date | Dec. 21

Follow along for daily jackpot updates and more opportunities to win big! pic.twitter.com/LGMoeOAiBh

— Hockey Harvest Lottery (@HockeyHarvest) November 9, 2020

Buckle up as COVID-19 restrictions get tighter, other notes

Devon Skoleski and the U of Manitoba Bisons can’t do anything.

In Western Canada, business is picking up when it comes to increasing restrictions to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Thursday, Manitoba went into a strict lockdown similar to the ones most places in Canada and I dare say North America observed in March and April.

Social gatherings are limited to five persons indoor or outdoor unless everyone lives in the same household.

Non-essential retail stores, gyms, places of worship, theatres, hair salons and recreational centres have to remain close during the lockdown.

Essential retailers such as grocers and pharmacies may remain open at 25 per cent customer capacity. Restaurants may only serve delivery and takeout customers.

Dental clinics and other therapeutic businesses may remain open along with schools and child-care services.

Winnipeg, which is Manitoba’s capital city, has been under stricter lockdowns since Nov. 2, which saw restaurants and bars, theatres and recreational facilities all closed down at that time with retail outlets moving to 25 per cent of customer capacity.

The restrictions brought in on Thursday for the entire province of Manitoba are set at the moment to last four weeks. The Government of Manitoba has declared the entire province is under a Code Red.

On Thursday, the Manitoba Junior Hockey League junior A circuit announced it was pausing all hockey activities until the start of 2021. The MJHL is targeting January 1, 2021 as the tentative date to resume hockey activities.

The MJHL had gotten comfortably into its regular season, when the entire league had to pause due to the Manitoba public health order.

Manitoba announced it had 474 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday and nine deaths due to COVID-19. There are currently 6,030 cases of COVID-19 that are considered active.

New COVID-19 restrictions are coming to Saskatchewan. A press conference is slated for 11:30 a.m. on Friday. Saskatchewan had 111 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday with 15 recoveries with for a total of 1,459 active cases.

The active case count is a daily high for the province.

On Thursday, Alberta reported it had 860 new COVID-19 cases and a total of 8,305 active cases in the province. Alberta government officials had been saying they did not want to return to any large lockdown measures.

With that noted, Alberta added some new restrictions that are slated to last for two weeks. Starting on Friday Alberta will suspend indoor group fitness programs, team sports, group performance activities and reduce operating hours for restaurants, bars and pubs.

The U of Alberta Golden Bears can still train.

The measure will apply to Edmonton and surrounding areas, Calgary and its area, Grande Prairie, Lethbridge, Fort McMurray and Red Deer.

Sports restrictions are specifically for recreational teams or group activities that occur indoors. Outdoor sports are not affected and neither are individual sports or exercise.

Junior, collegiate, university and professional sports are also exempted.

All licensed restaurants, bars, lounges and pubs in those areas that were listed must stop liquor sales by 10 p.m. and close their doors by 11 p.m.

With the restrictions that have been brought to life in Manitoba and Alberta, the sports community in Saskatchewan has to be wondering if activities on the sports front will be coming to a halt.

Hockey at the junior A and under-18 AAA levels are underway skating in regular season contests. The Manitoba-based Flin Flon Bombers played out of the junior A Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League circuit.

On Thursday, the Bombers games slated for Friday and Saturday against the Kindersley were postponed. Those games were originally set to be held in Flin Flon, but were announced on Wednesday as being rescheduled for Kindersley before Thursday’s postponement came down.

So far, the Government of Saskatchewan has tried to avoid restrictions that will further hamper the activities of sports teams and leagues.

Still, there has to be a feeling that even targeted restrictions on the sports front might be coming down the line.

Those in Saskatchewan’s sporting community will likely be waiting anxiously to see what is announced by the provincial government on Friday.

• In Manitoba, serious heat is coming in the direction of 50 Below Sports and Entertainment. On Nov. 2, lockdown orders were enacted in Winnipeg to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, which restricted sports of any kind. Hockey Manitoba stated on Nov. 2 that hockey teams and individuals in the Winnipeg  Metropolitan Region were ineligible to participate in hockey programming. The junior A Winnipeg Blues and Winnipeg Freeze, which are both owned by 50 Below Sports and Entertainment, conducted a practice in Warren, Manitoba, which is 45-kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. Those teams went against the COVID-19 restrictions that were in effect. Situations like this have the potential to get the entire sports community unfairly painted with a broad brush and be viewed in a bad way. Gregg Drinnan rounded up some of the Manitoba media reaction in his Taking Note blog, and that piece can be found by clicking right here.
• On Monday, I went live with a couple pieces on the Howe Happenings blog, which supports the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. Both pieces were connected to the Saskatoon Lions Speed Skating Club. I put together a feature on Lions standout speed skater Bon Lowe, which can be found by clicking right here. I also posted a story on the history of the Saskatoon Lions Speed Skating Club, which can be found by clicking right here.
• As the United States election went along, there were a handful of people in Saskatchewan’s sports community that wanted to see Donald Trump re-elected as president of the United States on Nov. 3. The thinking was that if Trump was re-elected as president it would force the government in Canada to allow the sports industry to operate without restrictions and allowing full venue capacities in a quicker time frame. Of course, Joe Biden won the presidential race and was officially tabbed as the president-elect this past Saturday. Those in Saskatchewan’s sports community are free to say who they want electing in a political race, but you have to be ready to take the heat. When an election is on, it is always wise for those in sports to not divulge or hint at who you would want to win. This is another situation that has the potential to get the entire sports community unfairly painted with a broad brush and be viewed in a bad way.
• On Wednesday, Ryan Flaherty of Global Saskatoon did a sweet feature piece on Dave Westbury, who is the equipment manager of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team. Westbury is one of the best in hockey to serve in that role. The piece on Westbury 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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Sweet social memories hanging with veterans

A gun salute at a Remembrance Day in Medicine Hat in 2008.

When every Remembrance Day comes around, I always wonder what happened to Peggy Ellis.

Ellis was a short-hand hand typist for the British Army during the Second World War. I met her in November of 1997 at the Army, Navy & Air Force Veterans club located on Broad Street in Regina, Sask.

I was putting together a Remembrance Day story for the features class I was taking at the University of Regina’s School of Journalism and Communications. The first meeting ended up being a very impromptu social one.

I got to see her one other time about a year later at that same veterans club, when I was working on another war related story. Once again, a great social encounter ensued.

It is quite obvious that those meetings were very enjoyable from my end, because I still remember Ellis all these years later.

Having been born and raised in England, she came over to Canada as a war bride of a Canadian military man to go along with the fact she was a military veteran. Ellis eventually ended up relocating to Regina with her husband, Jack.

I remember she told me during that first meeting that Jack had passed away a few years back.

At the time we first met, I was 21-years-old and she was in great shape at age 75. Ellis was 17-years-old when the Second World War started and had turned 23-years-old when it ended.

Even as young as I was back then, I always believed you should treat veterans of the First World War and the Second World War with the utmost respect. I viewed them as the greatest generation that had to make sacrifices even people at the time I met Ellis in 1997 and to the current day wouldn’t be able to do.

When I met Ellis, I saw veterans as being stoic and principled.

It didn’t occur to me they could be sociable and fun loving in a relaxed social setting like most everyone else in society.

Veterans march at Remembrance Day in Medicine Hat in 2008.

I interviewed Ellis and one other Second World War veteran for my story, and proceeded to hang out at Ellis’s table for some social time during that first meeting. It was just something that was spontaneous and happened.

Over a couple of alcoholic drinks, we talked about all sorts of old stories. The veterans also teased me the a little bit, which created a number of laughs too. I knew it was all in fun.

The discussion drifted a little bit to what happened in war time. Ellis talked about what it was like to live through the Battle of Britain in 1940, when the Royal Air Force and the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom against large scale attacks by Nazi Germany’s air force.

She mentioned she got to transmit the order to start the Allied invasion of Normandy, which is often referred to as D-Day, in June of 1944.

The vast majority of talk revolved around life after the war including the joy of watching children grow up, fun trips that were taken to various travel destinations, recollections from working world life and memories of various social functions over the years.

From the crew Ellis hung out with, you got a sense that life was well lived and enjoyed after the Second World War came to an end.

It might sound weird, but during that visit, I didn’t see those veterans as being that different from the young university crowd I was part of at that time.

When I got into a more serious reflective alone time back then, it did hit me that those veterans were all around the same age as me in 1997 when they were fighting the Second World War. Due to when I was born, I was fortunate enough that I didn’t have to go through that.

Hearing the social time stories from those veterans, it actually made me see similarities in my young generation to their generation, and it did hit you in new way that it was crazy in what they had to deal with.

Overall, the visit with Ellis and her crew was fun, and I made a note in my mind to take part in those social gatherings in the future. I figured it was always wise to take advantage of any opportunity to hang out with a Second World War veteran, when those opportunities presented themselves.

Standing at attention at Remembrance Day in Medicine Hat in 2008.

I remember Ellis and her crew telling me they really liked the reunion aspect of Remembrance Day. After the morning ceremonies were complete, some of the greatest times were the social gatherings that followed the rest of the day.

Due to how busy life could get, Remembrance Day allowed them that one day each year they could all get together and see each other.

As years went on, I tried to ensure I made Remembrance Day services, and at least twice during the 10 years I lived in Medicine Hat, Alta., I made it to social gatherings that were held after the services.

When I was at one of those gatherings in 2008 in Medicine Hat, I was hanging with two younger military veterans that day, and they were telling me the veterans from the Second World War were starting to pass away in bigger numbers due to old age.

One year earlier in the summer of 2007, I visited with my uncle Sid and auntie Joanna Sargent in Penticton, B.C. Sid was a veteran of the Second World War.

My auntie Marie Corrigal arrived for that family get together, and I remember Sid talking about the social gatherings that happened in Canada before going overseas for war during the era of the Second World War.

I had never heard those stories before, but I got a chuckle out of them.

As the Second World War veterans pass on, you worry that some of these stories might get lost over time.

Today, I decided to Google search Peggy Ellis’s name. I found her obituary that ran in the Regina Leader-Post.

Margaret “Peggy” Ellis passed away on May 1, 2018 at age 95 and a few months shy of her 96^th birthday in August of that year. I saw a note in the obituary that she was predeceased by Jack in 1989.

The piece said she was involved with the Army, Navy & Air Force Veterans Association for 41 years and was honoured for her dedication and commitment.

A moment of silence at Remembrance Day in Medicine Hat in 2008.

It made me smile knowing Ellis lived for another 21 years after we first met.

I was happy I got to take part in those two social gatherings at the Army, Navy, & Air Force Veterans club with her and her crew. I got to see things in a way I had never seen before.

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.

Hilltops family celebration and reunion highlighted 2015 Canadian Bowl

The Hilltops celebrate their Canadian Bowl win in 2015.

The celebration was on for the Saskatoon Hilltops alums 75 minutes before kickoff of the 2015 Canadian Bowl.

On arriving at the Saskatoon Minor Football Field parking lot on November 7, 2015, a festive atmosphere was in the air. The Hilltops alums were out everywhere sporting their trademark team blue jackets from their playing days.

It should be noted they weren’t prematurely celebrating a Hilltops victory in the CJFL title game that was about to be played.

They were gathering in fellowship to celebrate and relive the memories they collected during their playing days. It seemed like Hilltops alums had arrived from various generations of the team’s modern era that began in 1947.

Hilltops alums flocked to the 2015 Canadian Bowl.

The Hilltops were the defending CJFL champions and were entering the 2015 Canadian Bowl with a 9-1 overall record to face the undefeated 12-0 Okanagan Sun from Kelowna, B.C.

It felt like there was a special tingly feeling in the air that the game and day were going to be great ones.

As a side bonus, the weather was 5 C and sunny, which was unseasonably warm for that time of year.

I encountered Cory Wolfe later that afternoon.

Wolfe covered five Hilltops CJFL championship wins for the Saskatoon StarPhoenix with the last being a 34-23 victory over the Vancouver Island Raiders in 2010 in Saskatoon. Wolfe said the 2015 Canadian Bowl game was a lot warmer than any of the CJFL title contests he had ever covered.

Tailgating was going full out at the 2015 Canadian Bowl.

The pleasant weather added to the upbeat nature of the day.

Inside the stadium, the festive atmosphere continued including a stage that was set up beside the field featuring a live musical act.

On the field, Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant and his players were focused as they went through pre-game warm-ups. The focus continued throughout the game.

When the Hilltops were introduced at pre-game, they had to get a rush from the thunderous ovation they received from the crowd. The statistics sheet for that game stated 2,567 spectators attended that Canadian Bowl, but is seemed like the attendance was larger than that.

Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant focuses on game action.

Looking in the stands on either the west or east sides of the venue, you couldn’t find an empty seat. Spectators seemed shoehorned into the park’s old stands configuration, and many fans elected to sit on the hills at that venue.

The 2015 Hilltops team was a close-knit unit that was loaded with veterans. They had playmakers all over the place including star quarterback Jared Andreychuk and outside linebacker Cole Benkic, who was named the CJFL’s most outstanding defensive player that season.

The Hilltops main calling cards were their outstanding offensive and defensive lines.

The offensive line featured Tyler Hoath at right tackle, Drayke Unger at right guard, Jordan Hydomako at centre, Nathan Heide at left guard and Terry Thesen at left tackle. They made up one of the arguably the best offensive lines the Hilltops ever had.

Jared Andreychuk (#5) threw for 369 yards for the Hilltops.

The defensive line included Tom Schnitzler and Blake Herman at the ends and Tyrell Hering and Matt Kozun at the tackle positions. They made up arguably one of the best defensive lines the Hilltops ever had.

It was common in games for the Hilltops linebackers and defensive backs to drop into coverage assignments only to watch the defensive line squash any opposing offensive play before it could get going.

While the Hilltops were loaded, the Sun were a formidable opponent. The B.C. side took the turf at SMF Field locked arm in arm with a quiet and strong resolve.

The 2015 Canadian Bowl would be a showcase of junior football in Canada at its best.

The Hilltops defence pressures Sun QB Cam Bedore (#7).

After the Hilltops surged out to an early 10-0 lead that included a 45-yard field goal from Brett Thorarinsson, the Sun battled back and jumped in front 14-10 early in the second quarter.

A rushing touchdown by star running back Logan Fischer put the Hilltops back out in front 17-14, and it looked like that would be the score at halftime.

The Sun proceeded to come through with a big play before the halftime break. Sun linebacker Layne Hull blocked a punt and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown with 4.5 seconds remaining before halftime to give the B.C. side a 20-17 edge.

Hull would be named the game’s most outstanding defensive player.

The Hilltops weren’t shaken by that big play that had them trailing on the scoreboard at halftime. They still had the quiet confidence that they would make the plays to come out on top.

Logan Fischer (#21) piled up the yards for the Hilltops.

In the third quarter, the Sun lead grew slightly to 21-17 thanks to a rouge from a punt single.

With over four minutes to play in the third, Andreychuk hit skilled slotback Evan Kopchynski with a 75-yard touchdown strike that had the Hilltops faithful rocking and rolling. The celebration was short-lived as an offside penalty negated the score.

Two plays later, Andreychuk connected with speedy slotback Tyson Sawatzky for a 73-yard touchdown strike. There were no flags this time and the noise at SMF Field might have hit record levels as the Hilltops went ahead 24-21.

Fischer ran in his second touchdown of the game before the third quarter ended to increase the Hilltops edge to 31-21.

The Hilltops Cheer Team entertains the SMF Field crowd.

The Sun tightened things up in the fourth quarter when kicker Thomas Huber hit a 40-yard field goal to cut the Hilltops lead to 31-24.

With under two-and-a-minutes to play in the fourth, the Sun got the ball back, but they were back up at their own one yard-line. Still, they were 109 yards away from sending the contest to overtime.

The Sun drive went to the Okanagan 33 before the Hilltops defensive line flexed its muscle and laid the hammer down forcing a turnover on downs.

Andreychuk proceeded to hit playmaking slotback Evan Turkington with a 33-yard touchdown strike to put the Hilltops up by the game’s final score of 38-24. The scored was Turkington’s second touchdown catch of the game.

Blake Adams (#54) celebrates one of his two quarterback sacks.

While the game was a battle, the Hilltops and their family and faithful were able to soak in a championship moment as the final minute of the fourth quarter ticked down with the host side leading by two touchdowns.

The Sun players kept their effort up as well, but you could visibly tell they were sensing the finality of what was to come.

They would finish the 2015 campaign at 12-1, and the Hilltops would improve to 10-1 and repeat as CJFL champions. The win that day marked the 18^th time the Hilltops won the CJFL title.

Since that time, the Hilltops have gone on to win the next four straight CJFL crowns to extend their current consecutive title run to six straight and improve their overall CJFL title count to 22.

Tyson Sawatzky celebrates his 73-yard TD catch.

After the CJFL title game on November 7, 2015 came to an end, the Hilltops stormed the field in celebration.

This was the second season I had covered the team as I began writing about them halfway through the 2014 campaign after relocating to Saskatoon from Medicine Hat, Alta.

After the 2015 CJFL title win, my biggest memory was hugging Sargeant after the game and hearing him say, “Thank you for everything you have done for us!”

At the time, I was still unsure if I could cover sports on my own platforms outside of the mainstream media, so Sargeant’s words at that point in time meant a tonne to me. It gave me the reassurance that I could be taken seriously doing my own thing covering sports.

Hilltops LB Quinn Pierce makes a tackle.

With that noted, I didn’t go into the day looking for that special personal nod. I had a feeling I was going to soak in a special day for the Hilltops, and I really enjoyed being around that team like I still do to this day.

Fischer was named the game’s most outstanding offensive player breaking the 100-yard barrier in rushing and receiving. He carried the ball 23 times for 102 yards and caught seven passes for 107 yards.

He had the biggest smile, when he accepted the trophy as the game’s most outstanding offensive player.

Andreychuk completed 18-of-23 passes for 369 yards and three touchdowns to go with one interception. Sawatzky caught four passes for 132 yards to go with his long TD catch.

Hilltops HC Tom Sargeant gets the ice bucket shower post-game.

Adams had two sacks, while Kozun and Hermann had one-and-a-half sacks each.

Sun quarterback Cam Bedore completed 25-of-43 passes for 350 yards and one touchdown. Kyle Kawamoto caught eight passes for 159 yards for the Sun, while Kyle Patchell hauled in nine passes for 110 yards and one touchdown for the visitors as well.

The Hilltops returned to their old longtime clubhouse for a celebration that ran well into the night.

Hilltops safety Austin Thorarinson (#17) raised the Canadian Bowl.

On that Canadian Bowl winning game day, it felt like all the links anyone had with that venerable team were renewed.

The Hilltops family celebration and reunion that November 7^th day in 2015 was well deserved.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com. The original game story from the Hilltops 2015 Canadian Bowl victory can be found by clicking right here. The season wrap up column for the Hilltops 2015 campaign can be found by clicking right here.

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Noise on hockey major junior transfers misplaced

Jake Neighbours in action for the Oil Kings in 2019.

When it comes to people being upset over the transfer of major junior hockey players, the noise of the bark might be the most minor annoying thing.

In Western Canada, the idea of major junior transfers really came to light publicly on Oct. 23, when the WHL announced it had granted temporary transfers to WHL roster players to continue their development playing competitive hockey in junior A, junior B or the under-18 levels.

These loans are slated to expire on Dec. 20.

At the moment, the WHL is still planning to start its upcoming regular season on January 8, 2021. WHL clubs are planning to open training camps after the Christmas break.

Of course, the sport of hockey is trying to deal with the fact the world is in the grips of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Those in hockey are trying to do the best they can to keep the sport motoring along like those in all other aspects in life are trying to adjust to the pandemic the best they can.

Due to the pandemic, revenues that usually run to the sports world, including hockey, have been cut dramatically. As a result, many junior A hockey teams have moved more to a pay to play type of format.

Those transferring down from the WHL will have their hockey related expenses covered by their major junior club. If WHL players that transfer down have signed NHL contracts, they likely are already benefitting from getting some extra resources from their NHL team.

Cole Fonstad in action for the Raiders in 2018-19.

There have been some in the worlds of junior A, junior B and the under-18 levels who have cried foul, because a WHL veteran is taking the spot of a player that paid to play.

I think what people are forgetting is the fact that we are in the middle of a pandemic. At the moment, the best way for athletes to get games in at any level is to play in leagues that are as regionally based as possible.

Leagues that have to frequently cross borders provincially or with the United States are going to have the toughest time to get going.

At the moment, Everett Silvertips overage left-winger Cole Fonstad, who helped the Prince Albert Raiders win a WHL title in 2019, is playing for his hometown Estevan Bruins in junior A’s Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.

Fonstad is connected with his community and odds are high he had connections with the Bruins. If he wants to play for his hometown junior A team during these crazy pandemic times, he should be allowed to do that, and that is exactly what happened in his case.

As a bonus, he gets a rare chance to play at home. The Bruins are slated to open their SJHL regular season schedule by traveling to Melville on Friday to face the Millionaires. The Bruins are scheduled to host the Millionaires on Saturday in Estevan.

Ozzy Wiesblatt in action for the Raiders last season.

Some of those raising their arms up against these major junior transfers say it will spoil the chemistry on teams in the junior A, junior B and under-18 ranks. These arguments are made with the belief that everything in the sports world will play out as scheduled without any speed bumps.

Newsflash – the world is in the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic. A positive COVID-19 test on any of these hockey teams could throw a schedule in flux. Just look at the headaches the CHL’s Quebec Major Junior Hockey League has dealt with for at least the past four weeks with multiple positive COVID-19 tests on some teams.

A number of clubs had to stop activities for being located in areas of the province of Quebec that are designated red zones.

Starting this past Monday, all hockey activities in the Manitoba capital city of Winnipeg have ceased for a period of 14 days at the moment as that centre works to halt the increase of new COVID-19 cases.

All it takes is one public health order from stopping any of these teams and leagues in their tracks.

There are no guarantees the junior A Centennial Cup national championship tournament for the 2020-21 campaign will go ahead. The Keystone Cup tournament to crown a junior B champion for Western Canada might not be played.

The Telus Cup tournament to determine an under-18 AAA male national championship hockey team and the Esso Cup tournament to determine an under-18 AAA female national championship hockey club are still at the risk of not going forward.

Rhett Rhinehart in action for the Blades last season.

It is still entirely possible the WHL season won’t get off the ground and the same goes for the OHL season.

Nothing is operating as it normally should in these COVID-19 pandemic times, and people have to remember that.

Raiders right-winger Ozzy Wiesblatt and Edmonton Oil Kings left-winger Jake Neighbours have been loaned to the junior A Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Wiesblatt went in the first round and 31^st overall in October’s NHL Entry Draft to the San Jose Sharks and has since signed with the Sharks.

Neighbours was picked in the first round and 26^th overall in that same NHL Entry Draft by the St. Louis Blues. He has since signed with the Blues.

Let them play and keep getting competitive games with the Bandits.

The Saskatoon Blades loaned veteran defenceman Rhett Rhinehart, who will turn 19-years-old near the end of the month, to Flin Flon Bombers, who are a junior A team in Manitoba that plays in the SJHL.

Let Rhinehart skate with the Bombers.

It is possible these transfers could remain with their respective junior A through the end of the 2020-21 campaign and still not play for a national title.

Alex Bernauer in action for the Contacts last season.

At the under-18 AAA level, forward Alex Bernauer of the Saskatoon Contacts might have been a 17-year-old rookie with the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades had times been normal.

The Contacts roster contains dynamic 15-year-old forwards Riley Heidt and Brayden Yager, who are pegged to be in the WHL as 16-year-olds in 2021-22. In April’s WHL Bantam Draft, Heidt was picked in the first round and second overall by the Prince George Cougars and Yager went in the first round and third overall to the Moose Jaw Warriors.

Let all three of those talented forwards be teammates on the Contacts.

The major junior transfers are something that is reasonable and should be applauded for being done to make the best out of these COVID-19 pandemic times.

ACAC cancels winter season, other notes

Megan Nagy (#1) makes a block for the Rattlers in 2012.

The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference will not be having a 2020-21 campaign

On Wednesday, the ACAC announced it was cancelling its extended 2021 winter semester season due to the fact most of its member institutions were extending on-line program delivery into the winter semester due to a surge of COVID-19 cases in the province of Alberta.

In June, the ACAC had cancelled its fall season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Combined with Wednesday’s announcement, the ACAC will not be hosting any athletic competitions for the 2020-21 campaign.

In a statement on Wednesday, the ACAC announced it supports its member institutions’ efforts in protecting the health and safety of students and the broader community.

The released added that no status for the 2021-22 campaign has been determined at this time.

On Tuesday, the Medicine Hat College Rattlers said they had made the decision to forgo competing in the ACAC winter season in basketball, volleyball and futsal.

The Canadian Colleges Athletic Association, which is the national umbrella the ACAC plays under, had officially cancelled all of its national championship tournaments in June.

• On Wednesday, the Alberta Junior Hockey League announced a member of the Whitecourt Wolverines had tested positive for COVID-19. The junior A exhibition encounters between the Wolverines and Drayton Valley Thunder have been cancelled. The two sides were set to play Friday night in Drayton Valley and Saturday night in Whitecourt.
• On Wednesday, the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers shut down their facility after receiver Kendrick Bourne tested positive for COVID-19. He immediately went into self-quarantine and is on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list. Later on Wednesday, receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel and offensive tackle Trent Williams were added to the 49ers reserve/COVID-19 list for being in close contact with Bourne. All four of those players are out of the 49ers lineup for their upcoming game. The 49ers (4-4) are as still slated to host the Green Bay Packers (5-2) on Thursday night.
• Gregg Drinnan put together another round up on how the COVID-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc on the sports world in his Taking Note blog on Tuesday. His Tuesday 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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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.

Will sports entities lose butt financially to stay relevant in COVID-19 times?

The Acadie-Bathurst Titan enjoy a Memorial Cup win in 2018.

So how much money will sports teams be willing to lose to stay relevant in these coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic times?

Will it be millions and millions of dollars?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, money is the elephant in the room when it comes to sports organizations. It is pretty well known from a common sense type of view that sports organizations don’t have enough money to spend as the COVID-19 pandemic grips the world.

There is pressure on sports organizations to operate, because of the fear that if they are out of site they will be out of mind.

This fear is real in the sports world in Canada, and it appears millions will be spent by sports organizations to alleviate that fear. In far too many cases, sports organizations will be spending money they don’t have.

In Canada, you are seeing that with minor sports bodies, the CHL leagues and gate driven circuits like junior A hockey.

It is hard to know how much money is being lost outside of sports teams that are community owned, who make their financial statements public at an annual general meeting.

The Swift Current Broncos lost $791,000 on the 2019-20 campaign.

When it comes to the sports world, it should be noted that the sports industry in Canada is not like the sports industry in the United States.

From what I have been told, the sports industry in Canada is worth $2.6-billion. If anyone disputes that figure, I hope they feel free to pass on the source of what the correct figure might me.

On August 25, Forbes ran a column that said the sports industry in the United States is worth US$750-billion. It actually took a bit of work to search that figure out. The piece said the sports industry is the 11^th biggest industry in the United States.

In just comparing the worth of the sports industry in Canada and the United States, it becomes obvious that the sports industry is taken a lot more seriously in the United States and the sports industry in Canada is not even close to being in that realm.

Of course, one will argue the United States has 11-times greater the population that Canada has. If you do the comparative math to make Canada’s population close to equal to that of the United States, Canada’s sports industry would be worth $29.7-billion in Canadian funds in that scenario.

If Canada’s sports industry was like that of the United States, Jeff Willoughby would be making $100,000 a year to be the head coach of the Prince Albert Northern Bears female under-18 AAA hockey team as opposed to picking up a yearly honorarium to do a full-time job.

That is the reality of most coaches who work in the sports industry in Canada. They have to make careers in other industries and basically volunteer their time to help elite sport.

Most U Sports teams are not in action in 2020-21.

Circuits like major junior hockey and U Sports are the exception, but usually only the head coaches are paid full-time wages on U Sports teams.

It should be noted almost all regular season and post-season competition in U Sports has been cancelled to due safety concerns regarding COVID-19 and the fact the financing is just not there to play.

Most sports organizations in Canada have seen various revenue streams like sponsorships and fundraisers dry up significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizations that are gate run leagues have to deal with crowd limitations due to COVID-19 restrictions.

In Saskatchewan at the moment, sports teams are only allowed to bring in 150 spectators to their venues at the moment. The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League was hoping to be able to have more spectators than that when that junior A circuit’s regular season began.

This past Tuesday, the SJHL announced its regular season would start on Friday, Nov. 6, which is about four days after the circuit had been targeting to start.

Due to the rise of new COVID-19 cases in Saskatchewan, it appears SJHL teams will enter the regular season dealing with a spectator cap of 150. You have to wonder how much money each of these franchises will bleed.

Across Canada, junior A teams are leaning more and more on a model where players pay to play.

If each junior A team loses an average of $1-million on the 2020-21 season, would that justify taking the ice to play games to stay relevant?

The CFL couldn’t work out the logistics to hit the field in 2020.

On the junior A front, a $1-million loss on hockey season would be extremely tough to swallow.

The losses of the three community owned WHL teams in Saskatchewan are known from a 2019-20 campaign that saw the tail end of the regular season and all of the post-season lost due to COVID-19 restrictions.

On Sept. 29, the Swift Current Broncos announced they lost $791,000 on the 2019-20 campaign. On that same day, the Moose Jaw Warriors announced a loss of $391,299 for 2019-20.

On Oct. 7, the Prince Albert Raiders announced they lost $331,895 on the 2019-20 season. In the Raiders case, they would have easily made money had they hosted their final two home regular season games and from their home playoff dates.

The losses of the Broncos, Warriors and Raiders were compounded by money they didn’t receive from the Sportsnet television contract for broadcasting CHL games. Sportsnet didn’t have to pay out for games that weren’t played due to the COVID-19 pandemic and from the Memorial Cup tournament that was cancelled in Kelowna, B.C., that annually determines a CHL champion.

Each of those teams’ losses included money that was put aside to settle a CHL-wide class action lawsuit that argued major junior hockey players are employees and not student-athletes and were entitled to employment standard compensation. The settlement for that lawsuit is undergoing further litigation.

A circuit like the CFL didn’t play any games, and teams there are bracing for big losses. Those losses would have been worse had the CFL played.

Saskatchewan U-18 hockey will start with capped crowds of 150.

As new COVID-19 cases increase across Canada, it is still a big gamble when it comes to playing games in any sports.

On Monday, all the sports facilities in Winnipeg will be closed for two weeks due to lockdown measures that were brought back in to reduce the rise in new COVID-19 cases.

During the month of October, the provinces of Ontario and Quebec brought back in restrictions. Near the middle of October in Saskatchewan, the provincial government limited private social indoor gatherings in the home to 15 persons.

Sports teams and minor sports organizations are going to have an increasingly tough time limiting the money they are going to lose.

When the pandemic ends, those sports teams and minor sports organizations are likely going to need sugar daddies or sugar mommies to pay off their unsustainable debts or be bailed out by governments. You get the feeling there will be a lot of organizations looking for a government handout.

On a money front, the debts these sports teams and minor sports organizations could be further limited by just not playing or by shutting down until the pandemic ends. Scrutiny will likely come to sports teams and sports organizations when those that don’t have an interest in sports will want to know if sports teams and sports organizations acted in an irresponsible manner financially and if that should affect any decisions on bailouts.

The Raiders will rely on their loyal faithful to minimize losses.

My late father, Dan Steinke, worked fairly successfully in the business world, and he had little to no patience for anyone that worked under him that operated in an irresponsible manner financially.

Right now, way too many sports organizations and teams in Canada have actively decided to take the risk to play to stay relevant. It remains to be seen if these entities will have to pay the piper when all is said and done.

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.