Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Stan Mikita-Hockey Legend
Several years ago, one
of the Belleville McFarlands hockey players shared a story with me.
Many of the players had all kinds of adventure stories from their
days behind the Iron Curtain, in the country then known as
Czechoslovakia. Tournament games, played in 1959, took place in
Bratislava or in Prague. Players were followed everywhere they went.
Some of the players even managed to “give the agents the slip”,
driving them crazy as they attempted to monitor every movement the
players made.
The Macs player their
final games in Prague, and they were sold-out affairs. According to
the story I was told, the Canadian players were escorted into the
rink for the final game. A man near them did not have a ticket. The
Macs were told that he was, in fact, Stan Mikita's father. The team
buried Mr. Mikita in their ranks, and he managed to get into the rink
without a ticket. That was the last they saw of him.
Stan Mikita was born in
Sokolce, in the Slovak Republic. His name at birth was Staislav
Guoth. He moved to St, Catharines in late 1948, when he was 8 years
old. He was adopted by his aunt and uncle. Their surname was Mikita,
and that is how Stan got his name.
Mikita broke into the
NHL in 1958 after playing three years for the St. Catharines Teepees.
The Teepees were affiliated with the Chicago Black Hawks. He put up
good numbers for the Teepees in his three junior seasons, racking up
more than 200 points in his three seasons. He also had a mean streak
at that time, spending more than 100 minutes in the penalty box each
year.
Mikita continued to
play “with an edge” for several years in the NHL. After watching
her dad on television, Mikita's young daughter once asked her mother:
“Why does daddy spend so much time sitting down? (in the penalty
box) Mrs. Mikita shared the information with Stan, and he
completely changed his game, winning two Lady Byng Trophies as a
player who combined sportsmanship and excellence on the ice.
Mikita was one of the
first players to use a curved stick. He discovered it could do
strange things to pucks, using a slap shot. Bobby Hull adopted the
style of stick shortly afterwards, making goaltenders even more
nervous. In 1970, the league limited the curvature to 1/2”.
Mikita was an all star
for many years. But he always played in Bobby Hull's shadow. Hull was
more flamboyant, more friendly with the fans. Mikita was an
outstanding face-off man, and was the first Black Hawk to have his
number retired. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in
1983.
He became a “goodwill
ambassador” for the Hawks. Tony Esposito, Denis Savard, and Bobby
Hull also serve in that capacity. Mikita's statue is located at Gate
3 ½ at the United Center.
Stan Mikita passed away
on August 7, 2018.
James Hurst September
18, 2018
The US Open Tennis Championships 2018
After he struck the
final blow in the United States Open on Sunday, Novak Djokovic
collapsed, face up, on the tennis court. He had defeated Juan Martin
del Potro in straight sets to win the title. They had both suffered
from oppressive heat for two weeks in quest of the Grand Slam title.
Even though he was seeded 6th, Djokovic was clearly in
control in the match. He was coming off a win at Wimbledon earlier in
the summer.
Remarkably, del Potro
was a previous winner of the US Open in 2009. In the world of
competitive tennis, that is a very long time. He has battled numerous
injuries over the years, and he looked forward to kissing the cup
after the match. To his dismay, he had to settle for more than two
million Canadian dollars, and a silver plate. Djoko got the trophy,
and more than four million dollars.
There was a lot of
noise from the spectators throughout the match. Tennis fans expect
decorum during the matches. As time goes by, there is less and less
respect for the umpire's request for silence. I hate to say it, but
fifty years from now, there might be out and out bedlam at the
courts. Quite often, players have to “regroup” and compose their
thoughts before serving. They bounce the balls several times before
tossing the ball overhead to serve. On a couple of occasions,
Djokovic screamed at the Argentinian contingent supporting del Potro.
They were neatly packed in a box in the rafters. They had organized
cheers. They were loud, and distracting. All well and good, so long
as it does not happen before a service.
After the match,
Djokovic thanked the spectators, the Serbians and the Argentinians,
for their enthusiasm.
Both Federer and Nadal
were eliminated before the final. There is plenty of fine tennis left
in both of them, but this may have been a watershed of sorts for
them. They are a little older, and a little smaller than the up and
coming talent. Many of today's professional players stand well over
six feet, and some almost seven feet tall. That gives them a distinct
advantage when serving, and when playing the net. The smaller guys
make up for it by being quick and crafty. It all makes for great
tennis.
Naomi Osaka won the
women's title. She defeated Serena Williams in the final, in a
somewhat controversial match. On one occasion, the umpire took a
point away from Williams because he judged that she was receiving
coaching advice from Patrick Mouratoglou. When the players changed
sides, she accused the umpire of being a “liar” and a “thief”.
He then penalized her a game, in the final set, to make the score
5-3.
It was the first time a
Japanese player had ever won the US Open. There were plenty of tears
when she clambered over a railing to receive congratulations from her
family and friends.
There is still tennis
ahead at the Masters 1000 tournaments in China and Paris, and also
the ATP Finals.
James Hurst September
10, 2018
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
This and That in September, 2018
Father time
has again marched on past another Labour Day. On Monday, they played
the Classic football games in the East and the West, part of the
Canadian Football League.
The rivalry
between the Toronto Argonauts and the Hamilton Tiger Cats has always
been one of the best in all of sport. There is an animosity that
begins on the Monday before the actual game. And then, last Monday at
6:30pm, the teams began The Classic at Tim Hortons Field in
Hamilton.
As is
usually the case, the game was anything but predictable. The Ticats
raced out to a huge lead in the first half, only to see it dissipate,
in typical CFL fashion. Fumbles, interceptions, unsuccessful broken
plays. Throw in a few spectacular catches, great running plays, and a
couple of nifty tosses from the quarterbacks. There you have it.
Exciting football in the CFL.
The National
Football League gets underway south of the border this Thursday
night. Many of you pay more attention to that game. So be it. I
prefer the bigger field, the action in the backfield prior to the
snap, the three downs to get the job done. Then again, football is
football. I did mention last week that the Queen's Golden Gaels
started off their season on the right foot. They took a drubbing last
weekend, indicating that their season will be an interesting one.
There are
more than a few broken-hearted Blue Jay fans in our sports area today
as they realize that the season is now in the toilet, flushed, and
nicely settled in the septic tank. Josh Donaldson has left the
building. There were slight hopes at the beginning of the season that
old wounds could heal quickly, and that the team might have been able
to salvage a decent season. Such is not the case.
Gone is the
excitement from a handful of great players: Edwin Encarnacion, Jose
Bautista, Donaldson, Troy Tulowitzki, J.A. Happ, and a few others who
were not able to step up to the plate and get the job done. For many
reasons, these talented players have been jettisoned from the team.
The spin from management is that “they are building for the
future”. The correct interpretation of that comment is that Jays'
fans had better prepare themselves for a few very long seasons. “A
player to be named later” can bring great rewards, or bitter
disappointment.
There are
plenty of empty sets now at the Rogers Centre. Understandably so.
There are some exciting young players in the lineup, and some in the
minors who will make a difference next year. For team management, it
will be a matter of getting the best from the entire roster.
The Red Sox
have pretty well sewn up the American League East. Despite their
earlier success, the Yankees are now struggling to get a wild card.
In both of those cases, money does matter.
Our hopes
for a Canadian to succeed in the United States Open Tennis
Championship have been dashed, on both the men's and ladies' sides.
Veterans Federer , Djokovic, and Nadal continue to impress as does
Serena Williams. In all these cases, experience does make a
difference.
The cicadas
are still buzzing away. That all bodes well in this last gasp of
summer.
James Hurst
September 4,
2018
Monday, September 10, 2018
Matt Stajan-Off to Germany 2018
One of the most popular players in Belleville Bulls history is taking his game — and his family — to Germany.
Matt Stajan, who once topped an Intelligencer fan vote for Most Popular Bull, has inked a deal with EHC Red Bull Munchen of the German League after 15 years in the NHL. The Mississauga native played in the OHL for the Bulls from 2000-03 and was a second-round selection (No. 57) of his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2002 NHL draft.
This week, Stajan told Postmedia reporter Kristen Anderson he was already teaching his three-year-old son, Elliot, a few words in German. The 34-year-old centre says playing in Europe, where it’s a good guess he might wrap up his career, will be an awesome adventure that his family — which also includes wife Katie and infant son Dylan — is eager to embrace.
“It’ll be fun,” he said.
Stajan was definitely fun to watch during his Bulls career, especially his final season (2002-03) in the OHL when he played between rugged and sure-handed wingers Cody McCormick and Adam Paiement on Belleville’s vaunted Executive Line. An offensively-challenged Bulls team could muster just 195 goals that season and the Executive Line accounted for 100 of those— McCormick, 36; Stajan, 34; and Paiement, 30.
Stajan tacked on 60 assists to lead the Bulls with 94 points in 57 games. Plus, he and his Executive Line mates were the reason underdog Belleville almost pulled off what would’ve been a shocking upset of heavily-favoured Toronto St. Mike’s in a first-round playoff series that went the distance.
Rarely coming off the ice during that thrilling seven-game affair, the Execs were the only three Bulls to collect more than 10 points over the course of the series — Stajan, 5-8-13; Paiement, 6-5-11; and McCormick, 4-7-11.
As has been mentioned more than once in this space before, Bulls head coach Jim Hulton claimed no sudden stroke of genius when he slapped the Executive Line together. He did it out of pure necessity. “They were by far our three best guys,” said Hulton. “They had to play together.”
But scoring goals and setting up his teammates was only part of Stajan’s game in Belleville. Not the biggest player on the ice at six-foot-one and, then, probably less than 175 pounds, Stajan played an all-around game. He was excellent on the draw, played solid in the defensive and neutral zones, and was rarely — if ever — outworked by anybody wearing an enemy jersey.
And, along with all of that, Stajan was simply just a good, down-to-earth kid. Fans loved him here, especially the young ones.
As the story goes, after Stajan was drafted by Toronto, his dad — who was operating a factory in the city — summoned all of his employees into the lunchroom and treated them to beer and sandwiches to celebrate. Production? It was shut down for the day.
Except for one full season with the AHL Baby Leafs in St. John’s where he enjoyed his most prolific professional campaign — 23 goals, 66 points in 80 games in 2004-04 — Stajan spent six seasons in Toronto before a trade to Calgary. He played for the Flames for nine winters, including 68 games last season, and became something of a semi-player-coach for the NHL club in the later stages of his big-league career.
Stajan never put up the kind of numbers in the NHL that he did in Belleville — 16 goals, twice; 40 assists; and 55 points are his single-season career-highs — but his work ethic and responsible defensive play allowed him to stick around and make a valuable contribution for more than 1,000 games in The Show.
Stajan’s contract with Calgary has expired and he said going to Europe to play in Germany will fulfill a personal goal. And, he feels wanted again.
“The team, the management has been great with communicating and arranging everything,” he told Postmedia. “We have no regrets. We’re excited to move there and move forward, and experience playing over there.”
Stajan isn’t the first former Bull to play in Europe late in his pro career. Steve Bancroft played for the Augsburg Panthers in 2004-05 and still raves about the wonderful time he and his family had there as he put a capper on a lengthy and satisfying career.
More recently, Bulls franchise Iron Man — Stephen Silas — spent last season in France with Epinal.
• Need to know: Stajan was a fourth-round steal by the Bulls in the 1999 OHL draft. Over his three-year career in Belleville, he produced at better than a point-per-game clip with 206 (76 goals, 130 assists) in 182 regular-season games and 31 (nine goals, 22 assists) in 25 playoff contests.
Notes from The Intelligencer....Paul Svoboda
Wednesday, September 05, 2018
Carson Waite-First Year Football
Carson Waite is well
aware of his role as a first year football player at Queen's
University. After looking at several other offers, he decided to sign
with Queen's, and has spent the last few weeks in training camp.
Carson began his
football career by playing in the Belleville Minor Football League.
He then became a star running back at Centennial Secondary School in
Belleville. Throughout his high school career, he excelled in
football and in rugby. “I really love rugby”' he told me recently
when we spoke by phone. He was on his way home from practice, ready
to tear into his submarine sandwich. “Rugby is a brotherhood, and I
like the whole team aspect of the game. But the same applies to
football, of course”.
As a rookie, Waite
knows that he will have to bide his time before cracking the starting
lineup. “There are six guys on the depth chart at my position.
There are more than 25 recruits. I know it is my job to work hard and
be ready”. As the season progresses, Waite hopes to get some action
on special teams, likely “containing the edge” on kickoffs and
punts.
He had just received
word that he had been accepted to stay in the Watts Residence this
year. “It's a really nice place”, he told me. He is also enrolled
in the Arts program and hopes to get into teaching some day. In the
meantime, he is expected to eat, sleep, and live football for the
next few weeks.
There will be a strong
contingent of Prince Edward County fans at Richardson Stadium this
fall keeping an eye on Waite. I received a tip from his uncle Phil
Neary to watch for him. His mother Sandra is a member of the
illustrious Platt Family from Wellington. His father Terry is our
bank manager in Wellington. Carson would not likely have a lot of
difficulty acquiring his student loan.
Waite is a Hamilton
Tiger Cat fan. He follows the Canadian Football League each year, and
would certainly consider that as an option in the future.
Carson stands five
feet, ten inches tall, and tips the scales at around two hundred
pounds. He could be considered an average size for a running back in
Canadian football. This may date me a little, but I remember
attending a Queen's game several years ago when a couple of backs of
similar stature piled up the yards against the University of Toronto:
Ronnie Stewart and Gary Schreider. A former school principal and
coach from Belleville, Jack Sisson also played on that team.
I told Carson that I
hope to be there on October 20th for the game against the
Ottawa Gee Gees. It is the 50th anniversary of my
graduation from Queen's, and the old grads get to “walk the track”
at half time. The parade swings by the student section, and we
reflect on those great undergraduate days and long nights of study,
preparing papers, and getting ready for exams.
The Gaels opened the
season on Sunday in Toronto. They defeated the York Lions 42-21. Next
Sunday they play Laurier in Kingston at Richardson Stadium, starting
at 1:00pm. Should be a good one!
James Hurst
August 27, 2018
