Sport Slices

Matthias on the Prowl!

2012-02-13T16:20:00.000-08:00

Shawn Matthias is a Florida Panther. At six feet, five inches tall, plus or minus a bit on skates, he is a big cat. He patrols the rink in a sweeping fashion, unless a breakout opportunity arises. He relishes transition opportunities.

He recently notched his ninth goal of the season into an empty net. On our last visit to the Bank Atlantic Centre in Fort Lauderdale, he had a similar opportunity; however, the play materialized as a “two on one” situation. In other words, as he skated over centre ice with the puck, he realized that he had teammate Matt Bradley on his right, with a lone defenceman impeding their way to the empty net. Matthias threw the puck to Bradley, who deposited it into the “yawning cage”. (That is one of the most overworked and horrible clichés used in hockey circles, and I apologize for that.)

It was a most unselfish play, yet typical of Matthias. He is indeed quiet, and unassuming, and often defers to his teammates regarding special plays. Essentially, he is a good teammate. He always speaks in terms of “we” rather than “I”. For example, after the game he told me: “We played really hard tonight. It was a tough game for us, and it was a huge win. The game we lost in Washington really hurt.”

The Panthers had just defeated the Los Angeles Kings 3-1, by no means an easy victory. “They really play a hard system. They don’t allow much, in terms of offense.”

The Panthers’ “Game Day” magazine is entitled ”Growl”. I believe it is released on a monthly basis. The current issue contains an article about Matthias with some very honest dialogue.

Shawn began the year thinking that his time in Florida might be finished. “To be honest, I don’t know if they expected me to be here this year. They signed me to a two-way deal. You’ve just got to put your head down and work hard, and try to show them you’re better than what they projected you as.”

At this point in the season, The Panthers know that they made a good investment. Matthias has already topped his point production from previous NHL seasons. Confidence is a key factor.

Teammate Stephen Weiss has been with the Panthers since Shawn’s arrival. “He’s becoming way more confident on and off the ice. He’s starting to figure out if he plays a certain way, he’s going to have success, especially if he uses his size and speed and hangs onto the puck and makes plays.”

Matthias knows he is just at the start of his career. “I’m still young, still learning the league, and I still think there’s better hockey in me. I’m improving every day.”

All of this confidence has led to a good comfort level for Matthias. Add that to the fact that he is enjoying the game he loves, and you have a successful hockey player.

Next year Matthias will play on a one way contract. Assistant General Manager Mike Santos likes what he sees in Matthias’s play. “To his credit, Shawn was willing to earn his way to becoming a full-time NHL player.”

The Panthers have experienced team success thus far this year, to the surprise of most hockey pundits. They are inching toward the playoffs, something that has not happened in South East Florida in ten years.

Matthias has helped put smiles on the faces of the faithful at the Bank Atlantic Centre this year.

Brad Richardson-Los Angeles Kings

2012-02-12T15:28:00.000-08:00

Bradley Richardson had just enough time to shake a few hands, hug a few buddies, and bid farewell to friends and family after his recent game in Fort Lauderdale. His Los Angeles Kings had just given up an empty-net goal to the Florida Panthers.

He and his teammates were being herded to the bus for a late night flight to New York. They were scheduled to play the Islanders on Saturday night, and the Dallas Stars the following night, the twelfth of February. The trip had begun on the first day of February, an excursion of packing and unpacking, rushing and waiting, that could resemble one of those ten-day, fourteen country tours in Europe! (Look in your passport. See all the stamps. You were there!)

I am certain that the NHL season is a blur, on many occasions, for the players. Granted, they do travel well, and are seldom seen at Burger King or McDonald’s. Once they had packed all of their individual gear in their bags after the game, each player was responsible for hauling that stuff to the cart to get it on the bus. Bo bus boys allowed in the visitors’ dressing room!

Losing is never fun, and it took the edge off our visit with Brad after the game. But he did remark: “I love the game. I love to play. I’m lucky to be in the position to live the dream by playing in the NHL.” I noted that he was moved around in his assignments during the game. “That’s all part of it,” he said. “You just do what you have to do to win. To lose close games is always disappointing, but you don’t dwell on it. But it will be nice to get back home after this trip”.

There were several other fathers in the “Family and Friends” area at the Bank/America arena. There was some discussion about the upcoming “Father and Sons” trip. It is an annual excursion adopted by NHL teams to provide families with an opportunity to share the dream. Jim Richardson indicated he would not miss that trip, with the possibility of a little golfing on the journey.

Brad Richardson is currently in his seventh NHL campaign. He recently celebrated his twenty-seventh birthday. From the minor ranks of the Belleville Minor Hockey Association, to a cup of coffee with the Wellington Dukes, he progressed to an impressive OHL career with the Owen Sound Attack. A serious injury in 2003-2004 limited his ice time to only 15 games. But he bounced back the following year, notching 41 goals in 68 games. He spent three years in Colorado before being traded to Los Angeles.

There are many reasons why players survive in the NHL. Skating ability is always listed as number one by most scouts. But a player must also possess the vision to see the game, and anticipate quickly. It is not a game for the faint of heart, nor for the timid. Brad Richardson is now playing at the highest level in the world because he has those qualities, those abilities, and the desire to achieve at that level. He talked about the skill level of his team mates, Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar in particular. Richardson knows the game, and realizes what it takes to win.

He will likely participate in a number of charity golf tournaments this coming summer. For young sports fans, the golf course is the best place to meet Richardson, to talk about the game, perhaps score an autograph. In the meantime, he and his team mates have a little business to take care of, heading into the final stretches of the season before the playoffs.

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
February 13, 2012

Super Bowl XLVI

2012-02-06T08:03:00.000-08:00

On the last play of the game, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady launched the ball into the Giants’ end zone. For a moment or two, it was up for grabs; however, it fell onto the turf, just beyond the reach of Rob Gronkowski, the whistle blew, and the Giants began to celebrate their second recent Super Bowl victory. The Giants topped the Patriots 24-17 in 2008.
Essentially, the New York Giants outlasted the New England Patriots 21-17. Both Brady and Eli Manning had played well, and Manning won the right to drive the Corvette as the game’s MVP. For the most part, however, it was a defensive struggle, with the big men on the line dictating the tempo of the game.
They knocked down passes at the line. The filled gaps, keeping ground games on both sides to a minimum. They hurried both quarterbacks throughout the game, limiting the time that either Eli or Brady could orchestrate a bomb downfield. The secondaries from both teams played brilliantly as well, limiting big gains. As a result, it was a slugfest.
The Patriots began the game in the same manner that they have started several games this year: by digging themselves a hole. In this case, it was one from which they could not extricate themselves. On their first play from scrimmage, deep in their own zone, Brady fired a pass to the middle of the field, with no receivers in the general area. As Brady was standing in his own end zone when he threw the ball, and as it was considered “intentional grounding”, the Giants were credited with a safety touch, awarded two points, and got the ball.
The Giants scored again on a short pass to Victor Cruz, and led 9-0 at the end of the first quarter. The Patriots scrambled back to take a 10-9 lead into the half time break, with momentum.
The Giants added two Lawrence Tynes’ field goals in the third quarter to go ahead 15-9. Tynes has seen the world as a football player. Born in Scotland, he has played in the World Football League in Europe, and spent time with the Ottawa Renegades in the CFL. On Sunday, he picked up his second Super Bowl ring.
The Giants punter also booted favourably during the game. In fact, Steve Weatherford established a Super Bowl record by placing three punts inside the ten yard line, forcing the Patriots to start their drives from deep in their own zone. One of Weatherford’s friends is one of our pool buddies, and I picked up snippets from him during the week leading up to the game. He told us that Weatherford was allotted ten tickets to the game, but that he had to pay for them!
With less than four minutes remaining, Manning threw a sideline pass to Mario Manningham, good for 38 yards. The play was challenged by the Patriots, to no avail. It was a great catch, even better footwork to stay in bounds. Manningham caught the next two passes from Peyton, moving the ball to the Giants 34 yard line.
With a little more than a minute remaining, Ahmad Bradshaw backed into the Patriots end zone to seal the deal. Game, set, match.
Tomorrow evening, I am off to the Germain Arena to watch the final cuts to the Florida Tarpons, the local Arena Football League team. They begin their schedule on March 9th, against the Carolina Aviators a game I would not miss!
Belleville Minor Football League registration the following week! And then, only ten months to the Grey Cup game!

James Hurst
February 5, 2012

Pond Hockey-Part Two

2012-01-29T05:51:00.000-08:00

On the snappy cold mornings of the Fifties and Sixties, we thought nothing of heading out with our skates and sticks on our shoulders. For most of us, it was a short walk to the court yard of the Hastings County Court House and Gaol. We did not realize it at the time, but we were most fortunate to have the perfect place in the world to play a little shinny.
The jail walls were constructed of limestone in the middle of the nineteenth century. Dozens of similar structures still stand, usually in a most regal fashion, throughout Ontario. They were usually built in a prominent area of the community, and housed all areas of justice. They had holding areas for the accused, court rooms for the trials, cells for the convicted, and gallows for the doomed.
We skated in the southern yard of the complex, surrounded by the towering walls, perhaps twenty feet high. The yard immediately north of the rink yard had been used for the four hangings which took place at the court house: Peter Edwin Davis in June, 1890, James Kane in May, 1891, Harold Vermilyea in May of 1935, and Frederick Thain, who met his Maker in 1941. Thain had been convicted of murdering the Wellmans during a botched robbery attempt. Vermilyea was led to the gallows for taking his mother’s life.
When the gallows were removed following the last hanging, they became the boards for the rink on the campus of the Belleville Collegiate Institute and Vocational School on Church Street in Belleville, across the street from the Court House.
Preparing an outdoor rink for skating purposes is a difficult proposition. It requires incredible amounts of time and patience. Above all, the weather must co-operate. Naturally, cold weather is critical, not just to maintain the surface, but to establish a firm basis for the hundreds of gallons of water required to establish and to maintain a perfect ice pad.
We were lucky to have an ideal crew to create and look after our rink. They were several unfortunate individuals incarcerated at the jail. I use the word “unfortunate” not because they were behind bars, but because of their lot in life. Most were veterans of the Second World War, and simply could not cope once they had returned from Europe. They were alcoholics, and lived from one day to the next, from one drink to the next.
They would be picked up by the local constabulary, and housed at the jail for weeks or months at a time. For many, it was a warm room and three square meals a day in the winter. They enjoyed a bit of fresh air, they took pride in their ice-making skills. All to our benefit. They constructed fine nets from two by four lumber, with gunny sacks to trap the pucks. Admittedly, we were completely spoiled.

There was one minor drawback to the conditions. I wore a red tuque to play one crispy Sunday. Occasionally, one could get bumped, unintentionally of course, against the limestone wall. I did not realize it at the time, but after that day on the ice, I retreated home, still wearing my tuque, when I noticed a slight smear on my hand after I removed it. As is the case with most small head wounds, I had bled like the proverbial stuffed pig into the tuque. It rinsed out nicely in the sink. No stitches required. And no tears.
We all owe a debt of gratitude to the jailer, Archie Winters, and to the governor of the jail, Bob Scott. Scott had several children who benefited from the rink. The neighbourhood clan, once dubbed the “Church Street Clippers” by journalist George H. Carver, was comprised of a truly motley crew: my brother David, Peter Carver, Bob Jeffrey, the Collins kids, the Denyes kids, and others from the area.
We were required to shovel the rink, on occasion. But the real maintenance took place in the evening, after we had left, or in the morning before we arrived. Our friends would be there, smiling at us from behind the bars as we laced up our skates for another great day on the perfect ice.

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
January 29, 2012

Slip sliding away........

2012-01-27T19:51:00.000-08:00

I am certain that one of the most uncomfortable feelings a coach or a manager might experience would be when a lead dissipates in the latter stages of a contest.

It happens easily in basketball, where momentum can reign supreme. Last night the Orlando Magic took it to the Celtics in the first half. In the second, the Bostonians clawed their way back into the tilt, and snatched the victory from the jaws of infamy.

In the baseball world, Yogi Berra said it best: “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over!”. There is no time clock; therefore, three outs are required at the bottom of the last inning to complete a game.

They are tinkering with overtime rules in the National Football League playoffs. As was apparent in the Tebo-Denver victory, things are not quite perfect, just yet. Too sudden, not quite fair.

In hockey, once the overtime period has been exhausted, the shootout is for all the marbles. One does not leave the arena until the fat lady sings.

Last night at the Germain Arena, the Florida Everblades took the ice at the start of the third period with a lead of three to zip over the Greenville Road Warriors. The Blades were trying to dig their way out of a nasty hole at this point in the season, having lost four in a row to ECHL opponents.

Brayden Irwin opened the scoring for the Blades at 14.44 of the first period on a fine feed from Matt Marquardt. The Blades extended their lead on two second period goals. Scott Pitt split the Warrior defence and tucked the puck under goalie Jason Missiaen at 14.10. Matt Beca made no mistake converting a fine passing play with only fourteen seconds remaining in the period. That is always a great way to send the opposition to the dressing room.

The Warriors found a little magic in the proverbial bottle during the intermission. With his goalie on the bench for an extra attacker, Marc-Olivier Vallerand sealed the deal with a wicked wrist shot from the slot with less than a minute remaining in regulation to tie the game at three apiece. Vallerand stands at 5’ 11”, tips the scales at 200 pounds, and looked eerily familiar to a similar-sized # 17 who played for the Leafs, Wendel Clarke.

The Blades did pick up a point for their effort, but they could not capitalize in the overtime period, failing to get one shot on goal. The Warriors dominated the shootout, with goals from Brandon Wong and Vallerand, the game’s first star.

Pat Nagle was chosen as one of the game’s stars for his efforts in the Blades’ goal. But it was a few costly mistakes that sent the Florida team to defeat, something that Coach Poss would like to eliminate in Saturday night’s tilt.

Final Score 4-3. Not what the doctor ordered.

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com

Decisions! Decisions!

2012-01-26T06:17:00.000-08:00

Ah, the life of the Commissioner! Hockey’s head honcho, Gary Bettman, had just packed his bags and was headed for the airport. He needed to be in Ottawa, Canada’s capital, for the All Star Break.
It had been a relatively fine season, with the usual bits of nonsense here and there. The league had chosen well in placing Brendan Shanahan in charge of the administration of justice for those who go above and beyond the rules of the game.
Ratings are fine, fans are filling the rinks, even in Florida. Several teams are experiencing results which were not expected at the beginning of the season. And the big bad Bruins, having overcome the euphoria of their Cup win last year, finally got on track in November and are headed to the playoffs again.
One of the perks that goes with winning the Stanley Cup is that your team gets invited to the White House, to meet the president, to get the old “jolly good show, boys” pat on the back. He gets a sweater with his name on it. The winners get to enjoy crumpets and tea.
Which leads to Mr. Bettman’s latest migraine. One of the Bruins, goalie Tim Thomas, decided not to attend the festivities at the White House. He was not ill, everyone in his family is fine, to the best of my knowledge. He simply decided to boycott the event because he does not support the president and his policies. He is one of two Americans on the team. All the other players are hockey aliens in the United States.
In his words, “I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People. This is being done at the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial level. This is in direct opposition to the Constitution and Founding Fathers vision for the Federal government. Because I believe this, today I exercised my right as a Free Citizen, and did not visit the White House. This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country. This was about a choice I had to make as an INDIVIDUAL”
All of the other Bruins’ players and management were in attendance with the session with President Barack Obama. Smiles and chuckles and cute little conversational jabs all around. The decision that Thomas made certainly did not sit well with team management.

Cam Neely, now Bruins’ team president and a recent inductee into the Hockey Hall of Fame, was clearly miffed. “He chose not to join us. All the guys came except for Tim. It’s his decision and his choice.”
Bruins’ General manager Peter Chiarelli said that he could have suspended Thomas for his actions. “But I’m not going to suspend Tim. Whatever his position is isn’t representative of the Boston Bruins or my own. But I’m not going to suspend him.” Do you think, perchance, it may have crossed Chiarelli’s mind?
Thomas has been quite clear in his political leanings. His position, or at least their interpretation of his position, has been lauded by the right-wing pundits. A website founded by conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart entitled Big Government, celebrated Thomas as a “true Tea Party patriot”.
Another blogger on the Yahoo! Sports site, supported Thomas’s decision. “Good on Thomas,” writes Greg Wyshynski, who calls himself “Puck Daddy”. “Good on Thomas to make a political statement of his own.”
To add a little more fuel to the fire, Washington’s Alex Ovechkin has decide to forego the event, in a huff because he has been suspended for three games for an illegal hit. Wrong choice. He could pull a Jagr and take all of his marbles back to play in Russia some day. He would be missed, not much, and not for long.
I am certain that most of the All Stars will get a chance to meet Canadian Prime Minister Harper while in the coldest capital in North America, once he returns from Switzerland. Likely not Tim Thomas.
His loss, from start to finish. Tarnishing a spectacular season of triumph.
Enjoy the week, Mr. Bettman.
A footnote:
P. K. Subban paid the price for taking a foolish penalty in the Habs 7-2 shellacking of the Red Wings last night. He sat the second period. His teammate, Erik Cole, referred to Subban in a post-game interview as “selfish”. Not a happy camp right now in Montreal.

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com

Shawn and Shawzeee!

2012-01-23T13:20:00.000-08:00

Last Friday night, Andrew Shaw chased a puck into the Florida Panthers’ zone in the last minute of play in the third period. Panthers’ goalie Jose Theodore was on the bench in favour of an extra attacker. Shaw got to the puck but fired wide of the open net.
He has been on target much of the time since he was called up from the Black Hawks’ American League affiliate in Rockford. In fact, he had scored in each of the previous four games.
He has become the talk of the town. For those of us who have seen him progress through the minor sports systems in Belleville, none of this comes as a surprise. Always rambunctious, Andrew brings a special quality to the game, and it has ignited the fans in Chicago. He plays a feisty game. It took all of three minutes for him to drop his gloves in his first NHL game in Philadelphia, much to the delight of the busload of fans who made the trip from Belleville to the game.
But he has continued to play well, earning the praise of broadcasters and hockey pundits everywhere.
One way to ascertain his position with the Hawks is to look at the number of minutes he has played in each game since he was called up from the minors. In his first game in Philadelphia, on the fifth of January, he played a little more than twelve minutes. Since that game, Coach Quenneville has increased his ice time significantly. He has also seen duty short-handed, and on the power play. Almost unheard of for a rookie, let alone a mid-season call up.
On the other hand, former Belleville Bull Shawn Matthias has gradually worked his way up the ladder to his current position with the Florida Panthers. He has eight goals and nine assists for seventeen points, the most in his career in the NHL. There is still another game before the All Star Break.
Matthias has also seen his ice time increase this season. In October, he averaged about ten minutes per game. That has increased significantly under new head coach Kevin Dineen. Matthias sees action on the power play, as well as in short-handed situations. He parks his large frame in front of the opponent’s net on power plays, a la Phil Esposito.
For a rangy athlete, Matthias has surprising speed. When the opportunity arises, he will be there. In a recent game in Fort Lauderdale, he was penalized on a very questionable call while killing a penalty. He was hooked, and hauled to the ice. In the process, he attempted to clear the zone. The puck flipped over the glass, and Matthias had to serve a delay-of-game penalty. Not much justice there.
When the penalty had expired, he broke toward the opposition net. A nifty pass from Kopecky sent Matthias in alone, and he made no mistake, beating Rask in the Bruins’ net.
After the game, Matthias indicated his frustration with the loss. “We played hard from the start.” Boston had opened the scoring, and had held the Panthers in check for most of the first period. Near the end of the period, the Panthers Ed Jovanovski and the Bruins Daniel Paille dropped their gloves for a scrap. “Jovo stepped up and really got us going at that point in the game. We needed that.”
He also commented on the fact that they were playing the Stanley Cup Champions. “They’ve been killing teams this year. There was an intense atmosphere in the building. You could really feel it on the bench.”
Now in his fifth year with the Panthers, Matthias has stepped up to the plate off the ice. Last year, when I caught up with him here in the South, he was recovering from a broken ankle. But he did take the time to have his head shaved, raising almost $ 100 000 with his teammates for cancer. This year, he joined his teammates and grew a moustache for the “Movember” cancer awareness campaign. His effort was described as “greasy” by teammate Mike Weaver.
A couple of boys with Belleville roots, just playing the game.

January 23, 2012

Answering the Bell

2012-01-15T11:39:00.000-08:00

When duty called last Saturday night at the Germain Arena in Fort Myers, Florida, Ryan Donald answered the bell. The native of St. Albert, Alberta circled in his own end of the rink in anticipation of the referee’s whistle to participate in the shootout.
Donald buried his chance. Not a soul had left the arena, as Donald was the fifteenth shooter on the Everblades roster attempting to get one by the Chicago Express goaltender Peter Mannino.
“It was my first shootout goal, ever,” he told me after the game, sporting the traditional hard hat in the dressing room. The Calgary Flames established the hard hat tradition, as each star is required to don the ridiculous-looking hat while being interviewed by the CBC after the game. When I asked Ryan if I could take his picture wearing the hat, he smiled proudly and added, “Most certainly!”
It was Donald’s fourth goal of the season, although shootout goals do not count in one’s season totals. The rugged defenceman has also added eight assists, and was a plus eight going into the game. He leads the team in penalty minutes.
Donald’s hockey statistics are listed in the incredible web site entitled “Hockeydb.com”. You should make that one of your favourites. RIGHT NOW! Ryan Donald got his start in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, then played for the Camrose Kodiacs in 2005-2006. He then spent four years at Yale University before beginning his professional career.
He did in get three games in 2010 with the Springfield Indians after his last season at Yale, then split the next year between the Providence Bruins of the AHL, and the Reading Royals in the ECHL. This is his first season with the Everblades.
A quick look at the ECHL record book shows that Donald’s goal will not make the grade on the list of prolonged hockey games. On October 16, 1992, Brett Burnett scored for Birmingham on the forty-second shot to beat Hampton Roads. Each player on both teams would have had at least two shots, some three.
“The only shootout I was ever involved in that lasted longer than this was in Nuremburg, Germany,” Everblades’ Coach Poss told me after the game. Both he and assistant coach Brad Tapper experienced that marathon. It went to seventeen shooters.
“Naturally, this is a big win for us,” Coach Poss added. His team had picked up its third straight win over the Express, and had moved into first place.
Due to financial restraints, when teams come to Florida on a road trip, they often play three straight games against the Blades. Naturally, this can lead to a certain amount of animosity. There were a few “fisticuffs” in the second game last Friday night, but no fighting majors in the last game.
Tyler Donati was the second star of the game. The leading scorer for the Express added a goal and an assist to his totals. He has continued to put up fine numbers, following his stellar career with the Belleville Bulls. “This is really tough,” he told me after the loss. “Just awful. We took quite a few bad penalties, and it cost us.”
We discussed the fact that this league uses two linesmen, but one referee. “I hadn’t thought about that, “ Donati added. “We had two refs in the OHL, too. There should be another ref.” There was a nasty incident in the third period, which might have been avoided with a two referee system.
Ryan Donald took a moment at the end of the game to bask in the joy of victory. “We’ve had trouble closing out at home, so this is a big win for us. It is huge for us to take three out of three against them.”
He was wearing the blue hat proudly when I left the dressing room.

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
January 15, 2012

Pond Hockey-Part One

2012-01-09T12:08:00.000-08:00

For those of us who have grown up in northern climes, we can be excused if our eyes mist a little when we think about pond hockey. South of the border, the fifth annual Winter Classic hockey game has just taken place in Philadelphia. The Rangers snuck by the Flyers, with Henrik Lundqvist thwarting a last desperate penalty shot attempt by Daniel Briere of the Flyers.
They carted away the Zamboni from Citizens Bank Park, leaving the field in the hands of the grounds crew to prepare it for Phillies baseball in April.
The National Hockey League is tickled with the results. Television ratings were the highest for any NHL game thus far this season. The place was sold to the rafters for the game, and also for the special veterans’ tilt the day before, when Mark Messier got another chance to intimidate the opposition. Fans carted home bags of souvenirs.
Bean counters estimate that the game is worth more than twenty-five million dollars to the host city. Consequently, the league has booked the game with the television networks until 2021.
Steve Rushin writes for Sports Illustrated on the internet. (si.com). He wrote about the game, but took exception with the concept. His idea of a “winter classic’ is the game played on a pond, under the lights of a ’72 Dodge Dart. Only one puck, and that requires a stoppage in play while players thrash away at the snowbanks with their sticks to locate the black beauty. No Zambonis, just shovels. Rubber boots for goal posts. No “raisers” and definitely no slapshots!
One of the first outdoor games involving NHL teams took place near Detroit. The Wings played an exhibition game against the inmates at the Marquette Branch Prison. Gordie Howe and company led the cons 18-0 at the end of the first period. They put away their pencils at that point.
The Florida Panthers recently took the opportunity to play a little hockey on an outdoor facility in central park in New York. A few years ago, Marc Crawford, the coach of the Vancouver Canucks, arranged for the team to play a little pickup hockey on the harbor in Belleville, Ontario. They were, however, at the mercy of the elements. It snowed so hard that it was difficult to see the puck, even between your own skates!
In his recently released compilation of hockey columns entitled “Wayne Gretzky’s Ghost”, Roy MacGregor shares several looks at outdoor hockey. It might have been in the Gretzky back yard, in Brantford, where all of Walter’s children learned the game. It could have been on the Bay of Quinte, where the Hulls first took up the game. It may have been the ice beside the barn in Viking, Alberta, where six Sutter brothers learned enough about the game to earn a ticket to play in the National Hockey League. Gordie Howe took his first skate in Floral, Saskatchewan, on a pond, outdoors.
There are thousands of locations in the Northern Hemisphere that were ideal for outdoor hockey. Certainly, the rivers and ponds and lakes in Northern Europe have produced some fine stick handlers over the years. I once chatted with Borje Salming about his pre NHL days in Sweden. He acknowledged the value of the outdoor facility. Ditto I am sure for Finland, and Russia. And the harbors in Wellington and Picton as well.
Bobby Orr recognized the importance of the outdoor surface in a written foreword to a collection of essays about the game: the backyard rink is, in his opinion, “the heart and soul of hockey”.
There will be scenes of another famous outdoor skating facility as we approach the NHL All Star game in Ottawa. The Rideau Canal was once described as the “longest skating rink in the world”. It has been there for almost two hundred years, and has seen its share of shinny.
I am sure that Lord Stanley himself witnessed a game or two on the canal. There are a few Senator fans who would like to see his silverware on display, for a year or so, in their fair city. Likely not in the cards for a year or two.

James Hurst
January 8, 2012

Happy New Year-2012!

2012-01-02T12:49:00.001-08:00

From 2005 to 2008, a couple of Toronto kids skated around the ice in North Belleville at the Sports Centre to celebrate New Year’s Day. The Bulls have traditionally used the afternoon to celebrate the arrival of the New Year.
Shawn Matthias and P. K. Subban were teammates on those very successful Bulls’ squads. Nowadays, the tables have turned slightly, and they have become arch rivals.
PK began his NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens, played at a couple of games with the parent squad, and spent the rest of the 2009-2010 season with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League.
Matthias got to skate with the Florida Panthers when he was called up during the 2007-2008 season. He completed his junior career with the Bulls that season. The following year was divided between the Panthers and the Rochester Americans of the AHL.
Both former Bulls have played 38 games this season. Subban has three goals and thirteen assists for sixteen points, whereas Matthias has seven goals and eight assists. Naturally their positions help dictate the point output, with Subban on defense, less is expected. On the other hand, Subban logs far more ice time than does Matthias.
Both the Habs and the Panthers limped into their New Year’s Eve tilt rather desperate. The Habs had the additional challenge of trying to adjust to a coaching change. Randy Cunneyworth was recently invited to stand behind the Canadiens bench, at least on a short-term basis. There is no question that he has a fine hockey mind. The doubters simply point out one glaring void in Cunneyworth’s resume: he does not communicate well in French.
That has reared its ugly head on many occasions in the sporting world in Quebec, but with greatest importance with the Habs. I do not believe it is an insurmountable situation. But it is one that garners a lot of press and conversation in the province. No matter that more players come from European nations than French-speaking areas. It is deemed to be a critical skill that the coach be able to communicate with the fans and the press in French, and at this time, that whole scenario is a distraction to the team.
No matter. When the puck was dropped at centre ice, it was “Game On”. Close to twenty thousand fans were buckled into their seats, ready for take-off. The Habs struck first on a wicked shot from the wing by Travis Moen, a cannonating drive, reminiscent of a young Lafleur or a young Cournoyea. The fans in the red, white, and blue sweaters outnumbered the Panther fans at the Bank Atlantic Centre, and they staked their presence throughout the evening with their “Go Habs Go”.
Tomas Fleischmann tallied for the Panthers in the second period to knot the game at a goal apiece, heading into the third period. Then, early in the third period, Matthias stole the puck from Lars Eller, wheeled into the Canadiens zone, and fired a shot at Carey Price. It did not have a lot of mustard on it, nor was Price screened. It simply eluded him, and found the back of the net.
Fleischmann netted an empty net goal for the Panthers which should have sealed the win; however, the Habs stormed down the ice with less than a minute remaining and narrowed the margin to 3-2. They also flew into the Florida zone with an extra attacker in the dying seconds of the game, to no avail. Close, but no cigar.
In the area designated for family and friends in the bowels of the arena, Subban was surrounded with well-wishers. Other players quietly signed a few autographs for their fans. Subban was reminded to get on the bus several times, with the threat of a fine. Slightly reminiscent of the days in Toronto when Bobby Hull held up the team to take care of the faithful. Times have changed in that regard.
Matthias was sitting quietly at his stall when I caught up to him. During our conversation, General manager Dale Tallon came by and gave him a “fist bump”. No words, but a look that said “Great job”. Matthias had been selected as the second star of the game. I asked Shawn about the effect the goal had on his game. “It is really exciting to score, especially in a close game.” I noted that he seemed to pick up the pace at that point in time. “No question about it. There’s a little more jump in your step, you hit a little harder.” He asked me to convey best wishes to all of his friends in the Quinte areas did Subban.
The game ended at 10:30pm. The temperature outside was twenty degrees Celsius. Enough said.
James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
January 2, 2012

Mike Murphy Enjoys the Coffee!

2011-12-19T15:23:00.000-08:00

Mike Murphy dressed for the recent game between his Carolina Hurricanes and the Toronto Maple Leafs. He has been rehearsing, so to speak, for his chance to play in the National Hockey League for some time.

Following his stellar OHL career with the Belleville Bulls, he was drafted by the Hurricanes, and signed a three year, entry-level contract. He backstopped the Bulls to several successful seasons, including a trip to the Memorial Cup.

His accomplishments with the Bulls: Rookie All Star, First team All Star in 2008, OHL Goaltender of the Year in 2008 and 2009, and Canadian Hockey League Goaltender of the Year in 2009.

According to the charts and expectations of scouts today, Murphy is relatively tiny. He stands five feet, eleven inches, and tips the scales at about 180 pounds. That does not seem to bother the brass with the Hurricanes. Following the 2009 season, he attended his second conditioning camp for the ‘Canes.

He worked under the watchful eye of Tom Barrasso, who is credited with some of the success experienced by the ‘Canes number one netminder, Cam Ward. At that time, he appreciated Barrasso’s influence: “I think he understands my style. He’s been in the NHL a long time, and he’s seen a lot of styles. He improved my game from last camp when he told me I played like Marc-Andre Fleury did early on: using a lot of energy, not in position as much.

Murphy broke into junior hockey with the Kingston Township Voyageurs. He got the call from the Belleville Bulls in 2005, and finished his OHL career with the Bulls in 2009. His first professional assignment was with the Albany River Rats.

He has appeared in 39 games this year with the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League, winning 21 and losing 11. He has a very respectable 2.57 goals against average this year at the AHL level. One must always keep in mind that “Murph” has yet to celebrate his 23rd birthday, and most goaltenders need the minor league experience before heading to “The Show”.

Murphy appeared in two NHL games during his recent “call up”. Get this: he was charged with the loss in one game, and yet he saved every shot, and has a perfect save percentage from the game. How does that work? The opposition potted an empty net goal, and he was the goalie of record at the time.

The Hurricanes also have two other fine netminders in the wings along with Murphy: Brian Boucher, and Justin Peters. Boucher is currently injured, and that helped set up the arrival of Murphy to the NHL. After the game, I spoke with Murphy in the Hurricanes dressing room. There was a sombre atmosphere, as the Leafs had won by a goal on a very fortuitous rebound. All hockey bags were packed and ready to go less than ten minutes after the game.

“It is really exciting for me to be here,” he told me. “It is great to play in the American Hockey League, but this is part of the dream.” Just as he was ready to leave the room, Bryan Allen strode by. Allen began his junior career with the Ernestown Jets. He has played more than 500 games in the NHL with the Canucks, Panthers, and the Canes. I noted that both Murphy and Allen were from the Napanee area. Murphy added: “All of the guys have been great. They have been helpful in many ways since I got the call”.

Murphy was returned to Charlotte after the game. I am sure he realizes that there is plenty of the “call up, send down” stuff before one becomes entrenched at the NHL level. All part of paying the dues. And he is ready to step up when required.

James Hurst
December 19, 2011
Sportslices.blogspot.com

Eagles Still in Flight!

2011-12-12T04:57:00.000-08:00

To say that the Philadelphia Eagles began this season with high expectations would be an understatement. They were supposed to “cake walk” their way to the Super Bowl”. Along the way, wheels fell off, here and there. Injuries, dropped passes, missed assignments, dumb penalties: they all took their toll as the team crashed to earth after an impressive start.

They went into Miami last weekend with no pretentions. As is most often the case, the fortunes of the team lay squarely on the shoulders of their quarterback, Michael Vick. He had been nursing broken ribs (“upper body injury”), and had not played for almost a month.

The troops rallied and managed to beat the Dolphins 26-10. Vick relied on his offensive line to protect him throughout the day. They are responsible for keeping Dolphin defenders at bay, and for opening holes for Eagle running backs to head upfield. After the game, Vick gave the big boys credit: “The line settled in and protected me well”.

One of those giants on the line is a rookie who has come a long way to wear #63 as a starting guard for the Eagles. Danny Watkins hails from Kelowna, British Columbia, and is a poster boy for late bloomers. He did not start playing football until he was twenty-two years old!

Following his high school days at Mount Boucherie Secondary School, he headed south to attend a Butte College, a Junior College in Oroville, California. But his first love was hockey, pure and simple. “I was a true Canadian hockey kid.” In Grade 12 he realized that hockey might not be part of his future, because at that time, he weighed 270 pounds, and was well over six feet tall.

As he began to look at the football option, he realized there were some similar aspects to the game, especially for hockey defencemen and pulling guards. “The way you put your feet in the run game is similar to skating. Obviously, moving backwards in hockey was very natural to me and in pass protection. A lot has been able to carry over to my benefit.”

Watkins left Butte to attend Baylor, and played 25 games, earning “All-Big 12 honours as a senior in 2010”. The Eagles liked what he was doing, and drafted him in the first round, 23rd overall.

In 1986, another Canadian broke into the ranks of the NFL named Mike Schad. He was also drafted in the first round, at the 23rd spot, by the Los Angeles Rams. Both players were also selected in the first round of the Canadian Football League; however, both chose to sign contracts south of the border. All things considered, Danny Watkins has 7.9 million reasons why he signed to play in Philly for four years. Schad also made good money playing in the States, and has remained in the Philadelphia area.

I spoke with Mike yesterday. He was thrilled with the progress that Watkins has made this year. “It is never easy for a rookie to step into a starting role in the NFL. Rookies rely on experienced guys to show them the ropes. In his case, he also has a rookie centre on the line with him, and a couple of other guys who have changed positions. The Eagles also have a new offensive line coach as well. They have not had a lot of time to develop the chemistry required to work together as a unit.”

Mike had difficulty talking to me on the phone as he was struggling with Colt, his three year old son. Colt wanted to put more stickers in the sticker book. The Schads also have a six year old girl, who was busy at the time selecting goodies from Christmas catalogues.

Schad returns to Canada several times a year to visit his parents in Belleville, to check on his brother in Ottawa, and to help keep the duck population under control in the County. He finished his career with the CFL team in Ottawa, then coached at Temple in Philadelphia. He now keeps busy in the finance world.

Always a keen observer of the game, he was thrilled with the McMaster win at the Vanier Cup. “I watched the game in Ottawa.” He was also impressed with the winning season of the Moira Trojans, his high school alma mater. The football field at Moira is the Mike Schad Field.

There is a tiny crack in the window of opportunity for the Eagles to make the playoffs. Likely far too many “ifs”. Another season of promise……

James Hurst-December 13, 2011
Sportslices.blogspot.com

Angelo Mosca-Tell Me to my Face!

2011-12-05T08:28:00.000-08:00

Angelo Mosca is seventy-four years old. He walks with the assistance of a cane, on well-used knees. He has seen his share of pain and suffering in his years, after decades of football and professional wrestling.

Many of us remember Angelo from his days as a fierce player in the Canadian Football League. He began his career with the Hamilton Tiger Cats in 1958, spent seasons with the Ottawa Rough Riders and the Montreal Alouettes, and finished in 1972 with the Tiger Cats.

Along with John Barrow, Mosca was a stellar defensive lineman with the Ticats. He was an all star five times. He participated in nine Grey Cup games, more than any other player. He won a Cup with The Riders in 1960, and four more with the Tiger Cats.

Angelo Mosca filled up a lot of space, standing at six feet, six inches, tipping the scales at three hundred pounds. He was agile when need be, and took few prisoners. He played mean, and often disagreed with referees when they threw flags. On one notable occasion, he stepped over the line.

It was in the Grey Cup game in 1963, when the Tiger Cats were playing the British Columbia Lions. Mosca hit running back Willie Fleming a little late, slightly out of bounds. Fleming did not return to play in that game, and the Ticats went on to win the Cup. Lions fans were incensed, as was their quarterback, Joe Kapp. That wound festered until recently, when Kapp and Mosca appeared on stage at a luncheon prior to this year’s Grey Cup game. The purpose of the meal was to raise awareness of post-concussion syndrome, something experienced by many professional athletes who have played contact sports.

Kapp and Mosca exchanged pleasantries at the luncheon. The powers-that-be thought it would be cute to show a video of Mosca’s hit on Fleming, some forty-eight years ago. One thing led to another when Mosca took a swipe at Kapp, dodged a right cross, then landed in a clump on the stage with Kapp. That has created a media frenzy throughout North America, watched millions of times on all major networks, on countless web sites. Nothing more than a couple of old foes scuffling on a stage.

Kapp has never shied away from controversy, even as a coach. But he was also a fine quarterback, and the only player in history to play in the Rose Bowl game, the Super Bowl, and the Grey Cup.

Mosca went on to the world of professional wrestling following his Hall of Fame football career. When I met him in Toronto, I asked him, slightly tongue-in-cheek, if any of the matches were “pre-arranged”. He scoffed at the notion. “I wrestled all of the greats,” he told me. “In fact, someone recently told me that I went into the ring 117 times with Andre the Giant.”

Steve Milton has covered the sporting scene for the Hamilton Spectator for many years. He sat down with Mosca for several sessions which has resulted in the book about Mosca’s life entitled, “Tell me to my Face”.

Notes from the blurb about the book include: “The intimate and inspiring story of my journey from a hard scrabble upbringing to playing in a record nine Grey Cups, becoming the most hated man in the CFL, and wrestling as the infamous “King Kong” Mosca.” His childhood was not pleasant: his father was racist and abusive, his mother was half-black, (his words), and an alcoholic. “Once I left home, I had no respect for my parents. They didn’t want me, so I didn’t want them.” Pretty tough circumstances.

The telling of his tale was certainly an epiphany for Mosca. “I never even told my best friends some of this stuff. I feel good about doing the book.” There were moments in his sessions with Milton when tears rolled down the old warrior’s cheeks. Understandably so.

The book is available at your local book store, on line, and at your library. Well worth the read.

James Hurst
December 5, 2011
Sportslices.blogspot.com

Cautious Optimism in Late November!

2011-11-30T06:16:00.000-08:00

Toronto Maple Leaf fans are showing great restraint at this point in the National Hockey league season. There have been moments to jump off the couch, scream madly, and fist pump all the way to the fridge for another cola. After all, it is now almost December, and the Leafs nation has yet to experience any kind of catastrophic slide.

The statistics speak for themselves: the Leafs have 28 points, just four shy of the Penguins who are first overall in the league. Mind you, the blue and white from Toronto have struggled lately, with four wins and six losses in their last ten games. They have not experienced a dreadful November drought, as has been the case in the past. Last year they won only three games in the month, whereas this year they have amassed fifteen points thus far. They do face the Bruins twice this week, with the potential to put even more points on the board.

Phil Kessel has put smiles on a lot of faces in Hogtown this fall. He is the scoring leader in the league with sixteen goals and thirty points. His teammate Joffrey Lupul is third with 27 points. If you run your finger down the list of other top scorers in the league, you will not find any other Leafs, unless you have a very long sheet of paper.

Personally, I enjoy the play of Mikhail Grabovski. His explosive speed gets him into situations where he can contribute offensively when he is on the ice. He easily swings past defencemen, and cuts to the net off the wing. Although he may not score on all of those occasions, the move usually results in fat rebounds for his linemates.

The Leafs’ goaltending situation has become most interesting in the last little while. Most hockey pundits had written off Jonas Gustavsson a couple of weeks ago. James Reimer had started the season brilliantly, but had been sidelined because of a nasty check to his head. Ben Scrivens has been a suitable replacement, but did not appear to have the stuff to take the Leafs to the Promised Land. (That would be the playoffs, which have eluded the Toronto team for more than a decade.)

For the last little while, Gastavsson, also known as “The Monster”, has performed brilliantly. Like so many of the other goalies in the NHL, he quickly swings from post to post, smothers rebounds, and gives his team a chance to win every game. Reports are now circulating that Reimer’s “upper body injury” has now healed sufficiently to allow him to stand in the blue ice again.

The Score hockey card company, under the direction of Panini America, has a full set of 2011-2012 cards on the market. There are 500 cards in the set, as well as 46 rookies. There are fourteen Maple Leaf players in the regular set, with three “Hot Rookies”: Scrivens, Joe Colborne, and Matt Frattin. In order to be included in the rookie section, one must have played last season, long enough for a cup of coffee.
With more than a quarter of the season now completed, things bode well for the Leafs. It looks as if Coach Wilson’s job is safe for the moment.

Not the case for Bruce Boudreau. He used to coach the Washington Capitals, the team that Alexander Ovechkin plays for. There has been a running battle between the two for some time. Apparently, Ovechkin won the war, at least for the moment.

Paul Maurice has also lost his coaching assignment in Nashville. Kingston’s Kirk Muller is taking over that position. There have been more than 160 coaching changes in the NHL since Lindy Ruff went behind the bench in Buffalo. His teams are always competitive, although they have yet to win the big one with Ruff as the head coach.

Congratulations are in store for the McMaster Marauders for winning the Vanier Cup, and the British Columbia Lions for their victory in the Grey Cup. Football fanatics can now turn their attention to the NFL.

Leaf fans? Baby steps first.

November 29, 2011
Sportslices.blogspot.com

Joe Nieuwendyk-Enters the Hall with Class

2011-11-21T13:37:00.000-08:00

For several years, Joe Nieuwendyk had doubts about becoming a hockey player.

“At one point in time, I thought I wasn’t big enough to play in the Ontario Hockey League,” he told me after participating in the puck toss at the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Each inductee is given a puck and a stick, and is asked to flip the puck up in the air, and catch it on the blade of the stick. Easy stuff for a guy like Joe who always had a bit of magic in his hockey stick.

Nieuwendyk was born in Oshawa, and played his minor hockey in the area. He played one season with the Pickering Panthers, then in the Junior “B” ranks. It was at that juncture in his career when he chose to “go the educational route” and he accepted a scholarship to Cornell University in 1984. He played three years at Cornell, attaining all star status, and an All American designation.

He was drafted by the Calgary Flames in the 1985 draft, twenty-seventh overall, in the second round. He began his NHL career late in the 1986-87 season, and then began a nine year stint with the Flames. He won the Stanley cup in 1989 with the Flames.

He also won a Cup with the Dallas Stars in 1999, and won the Conn Smythe Trophy that year as the playoff MVP. He spent parts of seven seasons with the Stars.

In 2003, while playing for the New Jersey Devils, Joe won his third Stanley Cup. He finished his career with stops in Toronto and in Florida with the Panthers.

Nieuwendyk was on the phone in his office in Dallas when he received the call from the Hall. Unfortunately he was making arrangements to attend the funeral of Harley Hotchkiss in Calgary. Hotchkiss was one of the owners of the Flames, and was instrumental in making Nieuwendyk welcome to the NHL. “Harley was truly unique. He established a family atmosphere in Calgary. There was a family barbecue before the season began. He will be missed”.

Nieuwendyk told me that he had grown up “like a lot of kids in Southern Ontario. When I played street hockey, I wanted to be just like my favourite player-Mike Palmateer!” That was a little surprising, considering their positions.

As a General Manager in Dallas, he is faced with making some tough decisions. He fired coach Marc Crawford prior to the beginning of this season. “We felt that we needed to go in a different direction. It was also difficult to release Marty Turco and Mike Modano.”

Nieuwendyk had some kind words to say about Andrew Raycroft, a former Wellington Duke, and his backup goaltender in Dallas. “It is a difficult role on any team. But Andrew has done a nice job for us. He is very well respected by his team mates.

Nieuwendyk also excelled at the game of lacrosse. He won the Minto Cup as Canadian Junior Lacrosse Champions with the Whitby Warriors. By the way, the award for the top rookie in the Ontario Lacrosse Association is entitled the “Joe Nieuwendyk Award”.

Joe finished his career with more than six hundred goals in regular season and playoffs, adding another six hundred helpers.

Always a competitor, Nieuwendyk summed up his feelings about hockey in his introductory remarks. “Whether it was in a rink, or on a pond, I always loved the feel of my skates on the ice, and the puck on my stick.”

Way to go, Joe.

James Hurst
November 21, 2011
Sportslices.blogspot.com

Notes From The Hall

2011-11-15T08:18:00.001-08:00

I arrived in plenty of time for the introductions and opening remarks at the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday morning. I settled into my seat in the second row, with a clear view of the stage. As the ceremonies were about to begin, a man sat down directly in front of me. In an instant, I recognized him. That is why I did not ask him to move. His name is Gordie Howe.
As I am sure you are aware at this point in time, Gordie was there to see his son Mark. Mark is one of four retired players entering the Hockey Hall of Fame this year. Joe Nieuendyk, Ed Belfour, and Doug Gilmour have also been selected to enter the Hall.

Bill Hay, the Chairman of the Hall, started the gathering by stating: “This is as good a group as we’ve ever had going into the Hall “. The co-chairmen of the selection committee, Jim Gregory and Pat Quinn, introduced each inductee by reading the plaque notation.
After each player had received his ring, and participated in the “Puck Flip”, media scrums were held in various locations in “The Great Hall”, a fine room which contains the citations of all previous inductees and all of the National Hockey League’s hardware. The Stanley Cup rested majestically on the stage.
Ed Belfour is always described by every player, manager, coach, and hockey executive as a “character”. There are many definitions for that term, and Eddie likely fits them all. In many respects, he is a non-conformist. On several occasions, he was down right rebellious.
For example, most players are overwhelmed by the phone call one gets when one is informed that he or she has been chosen to enter the Hall of Fame. Eddie was taking a nap, a pre-game nap before his men’s league game. The call was then placed to his brother-in-law who took the good news to Eddie.
Because of the nature of today’s game, several of the inductees had spent some time together as team mates. Gilmour, Nieuwendyk, and Belfour played together in Toronto. Nieuwendyk noted that Belfour and Gilmour arrived early at the rink, for different purposes: Dougie to pull a prank like putting black shoe polish on the black toilet seat in the dressing room and Eddie to sharpen his skates.
In fact, the team always travelled with Eddie’s personal skate sharpener. Arrangements were also made to find Eddie’s favourite orange juice in every NHL city.
When pressed to come up with a special “Eddie Story”, Nieuwendyk stated, reluctantly: “There were likely moments in his career that he probably would like to take back”. He then added: “But he reveled in being the best in the game. In the 1999 Stanley Cup playoffs, he beat Grant Fuhr, Patrick Roy, and Dominic Hasek.”
Belfour grew up in Carmen, Manitoba. He played on five NHL teams from 1988 to 2007. He also won the Vezina Trophy as the lead’s best goalie twice. The first time he won it was his rookie year, when he also won the Calder Trophy as the league’s best rookie.
Belfour was considered to be a bit of a late bloomer, as he was never fast-tracked to the NHL. He bided his time in college hockey, awaiting his chance at the Show.
Belfour gave special recognition to the former great Russian goaltender Vladislav Tretiak, who was his goaltending coach when Eddie broke into the league with Chicago. Although Tretiak spoke no English at the time, Belfour understood. “He showed me what he wanted me to do, and I did it!”
When I asked him about his greatest experiences in the game, he mentioned the 2002 Team Canada Olympic victory. When asked about his best save, he said that he had robbed Federov in a game in Detroit. “I amazed myself,” he chuckled.
One of Belfour’s heroes growing up was Terry Sawchuk. He said that he had read Sawchuk’s book carefully. He was always a fan of the Habs great goalie, Jacques Plante.
Belfour said that he “would relish the opportunity to get back into the game as a General Manager. It would give me a chance to get closer to the game I love.”
Notes on the other inductees will follow in subsequent articles.
Keep your stick on the ice.

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com

Wellington Dukes Super Sports Draw-2011

2011-11-08T03:57:00.000-08:00

On occasion, I have been accused of behaving shamelessly. Let me rephrase that. Quite often, I do behave shamelessly!

I blunder from pillar to post, touting various projects and organizations that I consider to have merit: the Wellington Dukes, the Belleville Minor Football League, the Belleville Bulls, the Buffalo Bills, The Hamilton Tiger Cats. On occasion, I join forces with social causes as well, but this is not the space for that.

At the present time, I am selling tickets for the Wellington Dukes. There are many of us in this community who believe that the Dukes are an important source of joy and entertainment. And so we press on with activities to help the club.

In this case, I am selling “Super Sports Draw” tickets. This is the fourth annual draw, and it has been a rewarding activity: rewarding for the Dukes for the funds that are raised, but also rewarding for the winners.

The prizes, in my humble estimation are fabulous. Most are tickets for sports events. There are also great golf prizes, and several merchandise prizes as well.

Sometimes I am asked where I get these great prizes: in a nutshell, I mooch them. A quick check of the Webster’s is worth the ink: “To make one’s way (in life) with sharp practice”. That isn’t all bad.

Here are the hockey tickets I have mooched so far:

March 10: Leafs and Flyers
March 20: Leafs and Islanders
February 25: Sens and Bruins
February 26: Sens and Islanders
February 23: Leafs and Sharks
February 28: Leafs and Panthers
March 10: Sens and Sabres
April 3: Sens and Hurricanes

There are also four pair of Bulls tickets, and two season tickets for the 2012-2013 Dukes games.

There are soccer tickets for the TFC, Argos tickets, Raptors tickets, and Blue Jay tickets for next year.

There are four rounds of golf for two at local courses.

The Dukes are indebted to all of the fine folks who have donated to this draw. The end result of it is that many sports fans have had a great experience at the rink, at the ball diamond, at the soccer pitch, and at the football field. Perhaps at the basketball court as well, if they can reach an agreement.

There are still more prizes to come, including several fabulous sports sweaters. I will let you know about these when they arrive.

The tickets for the draw make great Christmas gifts. Better than a pair of Argyll socks!

Tickets are now available at all Dukes and Bulls games, from Dukes executive and players, and at Lavender Furniture in downtown Wellington.

Grab a chance to be there!

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
November 6, 2011.

Bills Win Big in Toronto

2011-11-01T14:51:00.001-07:00

The Go Train leaving Union Station was packed with football fans heading east. Most of the party were satisfied with the game. The Bills had whitewashed the Washington Redskins 23-0, handing Coach Shanahan the first shutout of his lengthy career.
Brad Fisher had attended Sinclair Secondary School in Whitby. He was wearing an Acadia Axemen jacket, rather proudly. I asked him about his football connection. “I played one year at Acadia, and loved it. I transferred back to Ontario, and now I’m in my final year of computer studies at the university in Oshawa.” Brad would tip the scales at well over two hundred pounds. I asked him for his comments on the game. He chuckled. “I really don’t follow the game too carefully. I focus on the offensive line, because that’s where I played”.
The game was by far the most successful tilt played in the Toronto Series thus far, both on and off the field. The authorities had localized many of the pre-game activities beside the Rogers Centre, pretty much self-contained. Fans lined up to get into the “Tail Gate Party” (no tail gates, mind you), before the game to listen to deafening music, to play a few carnival games, to drink Budweiser products from slim aluminum cans at $9.75 a crack.
This game was the fourth in a series of five that are taking place in Toronto. Thus far, the Bills had not won in Hogtown. The Redskins had a respectable record going into the game, albeit with some controversy at quarterback. The article in the program for the game was entitled “Redskins Showing Signs of Improvement This Season”. So much for that. Rex Grossman and John Beck both had taken turns at the helm this season. Beck got the nod last Sunday.

Beck was sacked nine times in the game. That means that he got the ball from the centre to start the play, moved back a little to see what might be on the horizon, and was met by several large men who wanted to drive him into the unforgiving turf. The result was a loss of a lot of yardage, and no escape.

On the other side of the ball, the Bills keep rolling along. For some observers, this comes as a bit of a surprise. Not in these quarters. There were quiet expectations about Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. As he has gained confidence in his career, he has met and surpassed most expectations. He is now in the upper echelon of NFL ball flingers, and plays with great poise.

It was nice to see former Bill and Hall of Famer Jim Kelly take the microphone at the tail gate party to stir up the fans for the game. He and legendary running back Thurman Thomas have been instrumental in promoting the team as it continues to improve.

The game was the first shutout in seventy-six games for the Bills. Credit that to a stingy defence. Credit is also due to the offensive line. Fred Jackson, the Bills’ premier running back credited the boys up front after the game. “When those guys can get a hat on a hat, that allows me to get into the secondary.” Jackson indicated he was very concerned when “Fitz” took a nasty hit in the game. “He’s a huge part of what we do. Everyone was wide-eyed when we got into the huddle. We were all concerned. It was good for him to get back up.”

Fitzgerald later indicated that he simply lost his wind.

Coach Chan Gailey was more than pleased with his team’s performance. He said the he was “scared to death” coming out of the “Bye Week” when the team had an extra week of practice. He said that players get out of their routines in that period. “Guys were late for meetings,” he added.

Gailey was thrilled with the crowd. There were mumblings out of Buffalo prior to the game that fans in Toronto did not really get behind the Bills. Such was not the case on Sunday. But Gailey added: “I just have to teach them not do to the wave when we have a third and one!” It was a little distracting for the Buffalo squad.

Defensive specialist Gorge Wilson told us that he found the environment “most exciting”. His read on the game? “We dominated the guy we were matched up against.”

The Bills are now 5-2 on the season, and face the New York Jets twice in the next four weeks. They also have the Dolphins twice before the end of the season. Both of those games should be cakewalks; however, it is the NFL, initials which can stand for “Not For Long” if your game is not right.

On Sunday, the Bills made everyone “Shout”.

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
November 1, 2011

Rick Hansen-Man in Motion

2011-10-25T06:50:00.000-07:00

Terry Fox lit a flame in this country in 1980 that still burns brightly today. In 1985, another resident of British Columbia decided that he would also lead the nation by embarking on a journey across Canada. He started his trip in B. C. and headed east.

Rick Hansen had been paralyzed in a truck accident when he was fifteen. A man of incredible fortitude, he began his rehabilitation. He became the first disabled person to graduate from the University of British Columbia with a degree in physical education. He was a world class athlete, won several medals at Olympic Games, and also won nineteen marathon races.

Hansen’s dream was to make the world more accessible and inclusive, and to find a cure for spinal cord injury.

For 26 months, Hansen and his team wheeled over 40 000 kilometres in the world tour. The tour passed through Belleville in the fall of 1985. It was the day of Hallowe’en celebrations at Sir John A. Macdonald School.

I paraded my Grade Six class, in their costumes, down Avondale Road to stand on Dundas Street. There were three “Ghostbusters” in our group who left some of their ghost-fighting equipment in the ditch on the side of the road as we ambled on to see Hansen. Within minutes, Rick Hansen arrived in his wheelchair. He smiled and “high-fived” the students as he scooted past on his way to Trenton.

Rick Hansen is now in the process of re-enacting that marvellous journey. He will be in the Quinte area this coming weekend to continue the struggle to find a cure for spinal cord injury.

Wellington’s Ken Rushlow will be there to help spread the good word. Almost twenty years ago, Rushlow suffered a spinal cord injury in a car accident. He has been selected to be a medal bearer in this year’s Man in Motion tour.

“It is quite an honour,” he told me. “It is similar to the Olympic Torch Relay, but in this case, we will have a special medal around our necks.” Rushlow will wear the medal for about 250 metres along Bridge Street West from the Curling Rink to Stinson Avenue. The route then travels south along Palmer Road to Dundas Street, to the precise area where we stood twenty-five years ago. Rushlow will start his leg of the relay at 9:53am on Tuesday, November 1st.

Rushlow became aware of the tour while watching television. He completed the on-line application, and was selected to wear the medal a few weeks ago. “As a medal bearer, it is my job to rally the community. Everyone is encouraged to come out and walk, bike, run, bring their pets and show their community support with me.”

Always an avid sports fan, Rushlow spent four months working in the media field in Toronto for the Global Television Network. “Jim Tatti was my boss,” he told me. “It would have been great to stay and work in that field in Toronto, but it just didn’t fit our agenda at that time”.

There is a special “End of Day” celebration planned for the city of Belleville on Monday, October 31st. There will be a gathering at the Market Square at 4:00pm, followed by another celebration at the Quinte Sports Centre at 5:00pm.

Through the Foundation that bears his name, more than $ 250 million has been raised to accelerate progress towards a cure for spinal cord injury, and a more accessible and inclusive world.

A great opportunity to support a fine organization, and to witness heroes in our midst.

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
October 25, 2011

A Tale of Two Goalies

2011-10-18T12:32:00.001-07:00

Jordan Ruby is ready to move on in the next phase of his hockey career. He is combining his hockey life with an academic one. He is now enrolled as a full time student at the Rochester Institute of Technology, a school which plays at the highest level in American College hockey-Division One.

Originally from Tavistock, Ontario, Ruby spent the past two years with the Wellington Dukes as their Number One goaltender. He led the team to the Royal Bank Cup, standing between the pipes for almost one hundred games, including the regular season and the playoffs. He became one of the best junior goaltenders in the country, earning his scholarship at RIT.

He was a leader off the ice as well, and became an important part of the community. Ne was always most approachable, and overwhelming with his good nature and kindness, especially with young fans.

“He was a very focused individual,” Dukes’ coach Marty Abrams told me recently. “He prepared everything in his life very carefully, meticulous in his ways. He was highly respected by his teammates, and was a positive influence on many of them. He became a leader, not only with the team, but in the community. All reports from RIT indicate he will have an outstanding college career as well.”

James Reimer is about three years older than Ruby. He hails from Western Canada, and spent three years at the Major Junior level with the Red Deer Rebels in the Western Hockey League. He was drafted in the third round, 99th place, by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2006. Following stints in the American Hockey League and the East Coast Hockey League, he was invited to spend some time at the end of last season with the parent Toronto Maple Leafs.

He made the best of that invitation, playing in 37 games for the Leafs. He won 20 games, lost ten, and recorded three shutouts. He established himself as a potential number one goaltender for the Leafs prior to the current season. He has helped the Leafs bolt from the gate this season, winning the first three games, losing the fourth Monday night in overtime.

Reimer and Ruby are goaltenders. In their own quiet manners, they are leaders. They are both devout religiously. They are Mennonites. For many of us who know little about their religion, this may come as a bit of a shock. There are very few professional athletes who come from Mennonite communities. I asked a member of one of the conservative branches of the faith about this when I was in Alberta for the Royal Bank Cup. “We encourage our youth to play within the community.”

Reimer’s parents and Ruby’s parents took a slightly different approach. “My parents wanted me to experience the game at the highest level I could attain,” Reimer told me recently. “I played all kinds of sports outside the community---soccer, baseball, swimming.”

Ruby also had the support of his parents throughout his hockey career. He was encouraged to play on the all star teams in his area, always moving to the higher levels with his parents’ blessing.

There are relatively few Mennonites in the world today, less than two million. They are scattered world-wide, with a large population in Canada. Essentially, they are devout Christians, and have a long standing tradition of pacifism. There are twelve different groups in Canada, ranging from ultra conservatives to relatively modern groups. The conservative Mennonites continue to dress traditionally and follow “old order” ways: horse and buggy, no electricity, no television!

Both Ruby and Reimer come from communities that are more modern in their ways. Reimer put it this way: “I appreciate gasoline and electricity!”

I shared a few of Ruby’s accomplishments with Reimer. He had never heard of the former Duke. I gave him a gentle caution in that regard, indicating that some day Jordan Ruby might be after his job. Reimer smiled. He has learned how to handle challenges.

As the season unfolds, we will keep an eye on the careers of both of these individuals. Great teammates, great leaders, important assets to their communities.

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
October 18, 2011

The Leafs Invade Trenton!

2011-10-11T07:56:00.001-07:00

Toronto Maple Leaf hockey fans have come out in droves to watch their favourite players go through their paces in Trenton, of all places.

After winning their first two games in Toronto, the team headed east for three days in eastern Ontario. Most of their agenda is a deep dark secret, military style. But they are practising, and the practices are open to the public, and the fans could not be more happy.

They lined up patiently outside the home of the RCAF Flyers, and entered the building in groups of four to five hundred to watch their heroes. They were shuttled into the seating area on the western side of the rink, chatting excitedly while snapping thousands of photographs behind the glass.

There were hundreds of blue and white hockey sweaters in the throng. There is no doubt that the people were there because they were hockey fans, and faithful Leaf supporters.

This is not something that happens on a usual basis. I would venture to say that it is unheard of in the Quinte area. I cannot remember any NHL team ever spending more than a night in the area.

Several old timer teams have entertained fans in area rinks. Years ago, teams played exhibition games in support of local organizations. On one occasion, the Detroit Red Wings played an intermediate team in Napanee. They had played in Toronto, and were en route to Montreal, by train. A game had been arranged against the Napanee squad.

Hugh Brennan played for that Napanee squad, and remembers it well to this day. “We were young and had some skill. Naturally, they toyed a bit with us. But at the end of the first period, the score was close. I walked by the Wings dressing room and was astounded to hear their coach, Sid Abel, tearing a strip off their players. He was not at all happy with their effort.”

The Wings goalie, Terry Sawchuk, did let a couple of shots get by him in the game. Brennan remembers that the great Hall Of Fame netminder complained that the net was too wide. They measured the net the next day and found that it was indeed, a couple of inches wider than regulation.

In the mid Sixties, the New York Rangers trained in the Kingston area. Several teams have used the Peterborough area as a training ground. On one occasion, the Canadiens played against the Petes in support of a young Pete who had lost an eye playing the game.

The practice in Trenton was intense. There were the usual drills of two forwards chasing a puck dumped into the corner, then a three on two, etc.

All the while, James Reimer stood patiently between the pipes at the north end of the rink, anticipating the odd rush to the net. He was clad from head to foot with his warrior-like gear, masked in blue and white.

In another drill, Coach Greg Cronin stood in the corner to Reimer’s right, with fifty pucks at his feet. He fired one puck directly at the net which Reimer deflected away from trouble. He then passed the second puck to a semi-circle of players in front of Reimer. One of that group blasted that puck at the net. Again and again. One shot hit Reimer’s mask, another made him grimace as it glanced off his shoulder, striking an unprotected area.

Captain Dion Phaneuf is now in his third year as a Leaf. He was the first to take the podium, to address the hoard of media at the arena. “This is almost like training camp. It’s exciting. We’re here with the military on the base. We’re here to hang out and have some fun. After practice, we are going for lunch with some of the military personnel. It’s like the first road trip each year during the season, which is always a lot of fun. It gives us a chance to get to know the new guys.”

To a man, the Leafs spoke in grateful terms about their experience on the base. They appreciated the turn out from the fans. They were most pleased with the hospitality of the Canadian Armed Forces. Phil Kessel, Reimer, Luke Schenn, and others spoke of their appreciation for the invitation. Coach Wilson smiled when he talked about this respite from the usual grind.

They will be on the ice at the Air Canada Centre next Saturday night at 7:00pm to face the Calgary Flames. Thousands of Leaf fans from the Quinte area will park themselves in front of their television sets to watch the game. They have had a taste of the real NHL experience, and will appreciate the game all the more because of that. Thank you Mr. Wilson.

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
October 11, 2011

Larry Soule March 20, 1944-September 6, 2011

2011-10-04T05:23:00.000-07:00

Larry Soule was always a fierce competitor. From his early days at Queen Victoria School on Pine Street in Belleville, to his final moments in Cambridge, Larry Soule fought valiantly.
He battled cancer for twenty-four years. Two years ago, at sixty-five years of age, he ran a ten kilometre run for cancer survivors, and finished first!

Larry’s best friend, Stu Muirhead, was also a fine athlete. He moved from minor hockey in Belleville to have an outstanding career with the Peterborough Petes. Stu remembers his early days playing with, and against Larry. “I always hated to play against Larry, even practise against him. Larry just had to win. It would drive me nuts! It was like playing against a pit bull, always aggressive and tenacious. Larry excelled at every sport he played: baseball, football, hockey, tennis, and even tin can cricket, which was a favourite game at the “East Hill Playground”.”

Larry was an outstanding running back for B.C.I. & V.S. When he was handed the ball, he easily found the best hole to hit. But he was also well known for making yardage on his own, smashing and slashing into the opponent’s backfield. He also would grab a rebound on the basketball court, making the opposition pay in the process.

“Soulesy” could get under your skin, and would not back away from trouble sent his way. He was chatty on the playing field, always smiling as he ripped opponents. He could unnerve even the most composed players. Larry played with the Senior Kenmore baseball club. As Muirhead remembers, he got the best of one of Kingston’s finest athletes, Charlie Pester. “Charlie stood well over six feet, had played professional baseball for many years, and towered over Larry. Near the end of the game, Pester threw a pitch high and hard at Larry’s head. Larry dove out of the way, and really went after Pester, verbally. In the next inning, Larry made a spectacular catch on a ball that Pester had driven deep to the outfield.

Before Larry went up to bat again, he cautioned his catcher, Larry Mavety, to be ready. Sure enough, Pester threw again at Larry’s head. Soule dropped the bat and charged the mound, as did players from both teams. After the dust settled, Pester and Soule were tossed from the game. The Kenmores won. That was all that mattered to Larry!”

There will be a private memorial for Larry. In lieu of flowers, his wife Terry has requested that donations to Lisaard House Hospice, in Cambridge---www.lisaardhouse.com

National Hockey League 2011-2012

2011-10-04T03:18:00.000-07:00

In a matter of days, they are going to drop the puck to initiate another season of the National Hockey League. There is another team playing out of Canada this year. The Atlanta franchise was shifted to Winnipeg, and the game will be the better because of the change.

There are a few clouds hovering over this year’s season. The fraternity lost three former players in the off season, in tragic circumstances. They were all rugged players, and played the game intensely. They had taken their share of bruises, and bumps to the head, over the years.

In order to continue playing, they, like most other players, also took medication to get by. Not all of it was prescribed. At times, it may have been mixed with a little hot toddy. In some cases, the players suffered from depression. With all of this in mind, these three players died this past summer, perhaps unnecessarily.

Then again, as I have stated on more than one occasion, the human mind is a very fragile instrument. We certainly do not know all of the factors that may have contributed to their deaths.

Another tragic situation in the off season took place when a Russian air liner crashed in Russia. An entire hockey team lost their lives in that accident, including several former NHL players.

As the season is about to begin, controversy swirls around the fact that several players have been seriously affected by blows to the head. These blows come from fists, elbows, and shoulders, for the most part. They are not always intended to injure an opponent. Over the years, head checks became part of the game.

All that is about to change. There may be a period of adjustment, when referees, and management overreact to the situation. The league has chosen Brendan Shanahan, a former player, to adjudicate in these circumstances. He has been anointed to be the judge and jury in dishing out penalties for blows to the head.

“Shanny” knows the game well. He finished his career recently, and he played the game hard. He knows his mandate is to cut down on the number of hits to the head, in order to keep players in the game. A couple of years ago, a kid from the Maritimes entered the league with plenty of fanfare. His name is Sidney Crosby, and he has lived up to the expectations, even exceeded them.

But he took a couple of hard knocks on the head, and he will not start this season. He missed several games with the Penguins last year, seriously affecting their chances to win the Cup. He is also a marquis player in the league, and puts bums in the seats wherever he plays. When he sits in the press box, the Penguins are not the team they would be otherwise.

For many years, I have been advocating a partial solution to this crisis: build rinks with larger ice surfaces. Belleville got it right when they built the Sports Centre with Olympic-size ice. Players are much larger now than they were when the rinks were first designed. They need more space.

Secondly, players wear gladiatorial equipment. The league should insist on leather shoulder and elbow pads. The current materials used can and do cause serious injuries.

Thirdly, players who fake serious injuries when they are not hit in the head should pay a price. In a recent game, a player threw up his hands as if he had been shot with a howitzer. He had been grazed only slightly. We cannot allow the game to be abused in a manner like the beautiful game. No Academy Award performances allowed! Suspend the actors too!

Finally, always remember the game is played with sticks. They are quite hard. It hurts when you get hit with them. Players hit each other all game long. Occasionally, players let opponents know when enough is enough. They drop their gloves. No big deal. Part of the game, as it should be.

Game On!

October 3, 2011
Sportslices.blogspot.com

Under Watchful Eyes

2011-09-22T06:34:00.000-07:00

The Wellington Dukes headed south a fortnight ago to play in the Woodchuck Hockey Tournament in Burlington, Vermont.

There were almost thirty teams involved in the tournament. Most were from the eastern parts of the United States and Canada, from a variety of leagues. The Atlanta Knights Junior A club was there, from Georgia. Several teams from the Dukes’ OJHL were there including the Lindsay Muskies, Vaughan Vipers, Trenton Golden Hawks, Oakville Blades, Upper Canada Cyclones, and the Aurora Tigers.

There were teams from the Junior College ranks of Quebec, teams from the Ottawa Valley. Most of the teams were from the States, and they were impressive.

It was my first experience at the tournament, and I asked a few questions. Sitting behind us during one of the Dukes games were the coaches from the Portland Pirates. They were preparing for their last game of the tournament. I asked one of the coaches about the quality of play. I indicated that I was pleasantly surprised. His name is Kent Hulst, and he spent many nights at the Quinte Sports Centre as a member of the Belleville Bulls.

As I ambled around the arenas, and chatted with the personnel, I uncovered several answers to the puzzle.

Over the past fifty years, many Canadian youngsters headed south to the United States to play hockey. Some went to American universities and colleges on full or partial scholarships. Others played for professional teams, in the many leagues throughout the nation.

Americans have developed a love for the game. They also decided years ago that they wanted to be able to play at the highest level. In order to do so, they needed funding, (never an issue), and they needed great coaching. So they coerced many Canadians to remain in the States after their careers had expired. The young Canucks married, fathered children, and began coaching at the various levels. As a result, today there is little difference between Canadian and American youngsters in their development.

Kevin Sneddon coaches at the University of Vermont. He kept a keen eye on the ice as we chatted. He attended Harvard several years ago, and was team captain. Following his hockey career, he moved up the coaching ranks to his current position. “I really enjoy watching the games,” he told me. “Our season has not yet started, and that gives me an opportunity to get out and see some games.”

A partial list of the coaches from other universities and colleges attending the Woodchuck: Yale, Potsdam, Amherst, St. John, Plymouth State, Assumption College, University of Alabama at Huntsville, Colgate, Maine, Dartmouth, Holy Cross, Canisius, Army, Clarkson, Brown, Hobart, Princeton, Ohio State, Buffalo State, RIT in Rochester, RPI, and Plymouth State. Pro scouts from the Winnipeg Jets, the Blues and the Capitals were there.

Most wear the same uniform: black shoes, black socks, black slacks, black zippered jackets with team logos neatly embroidered on the left side, just above the heart. All were cleanly shaven, neatly groomed, and were as secretive as CIA agents. They carried similar notebooks, making scratches as the games wore on.

Trevor Large is an assistant coach at West Point Military Academy. A Brampton lad, he went to Ferris State on a scholarship, and remained in the U.S. He informed me that the great military rivalry between West Point and RMC is being revived this year, after a brief hiatus. Very good news. The West Pointers will be in Kingston for the event in 2013.

Hundreds of players, all trying to show their best in this showcase event. A great opportunity for all players to further their education and skill development.

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com

Belleville Bulls 2011-2012

2011-09-05T10:22:00.001-07:00

You will need a program to follow the exploits of the Belleville Bulls at the beginning of this season. The personnel have changed radically, for a variety of reasons. There has been a significant injection of new blood, undoubtedly for the better.

The last couple of years have been trying for the Bulls, and expectations are that this year’s squad will fare better than last year’s team. The Bulls squeaked into the playoffs last year, only to be skunked by the St. Michael’s Majors in the first round. That will not happen this year.

Last Sunday, the Bulls hosted the Oshawa Generals at the Quinte Sports Centre. The Generals are expected to do very well this year. Although they did not dress their full contingent, they played well against the Bulls.

The Bulls were rocked with two key injuries last week. First of all, returning defenseman Branden Morris tore his Achilles tendon, and will not dress until after Christmas, if at all this season. Secondly, Russian-born Danny Zharkov, who looked great in pre-season scrimmages, went down with a broken clavicle, and will miss several weeks.

The Bulls dressed backup goaltender John Chartrand, and he backstopped the team to a 6-3 victory over the Gens. Still early in the pre-season, the win had to be a confidence booster for the Bulls.

This coming Saturday, the Bulls will play the Kingston Frontenacs in Wellington at 7:00pm. Yes, you did read that correctly. This is a first. Never before has there been an Ontario Hockey League game of any kind in Prince Edward County.

It will give many Bulls fans a chance to see the Essroc Centre, often referred to as the “New Duke Dome” for the first time. The rink has proven to be almost perfect for the Dukes. Many scouts, coaches, managers, and other hockey authorities have nothing but praise for the new structure. “It is expected to accommodate hockey and other community activities for the next fifty years,” facility manager Andrew Morton told me recently.

The entire facility is worth a gander, for any of you who have not had the opportunity to view the place.

The Bulls and the Frontenacs have had a great rivalry ever since the Bulls entered the OHL. Several players and non-playing personnel have spent winter evenings on both sides of the rink. Larry Mavety has likely spent more time behind both benches than any other coach or manager. A member of the Belleville Sports Hall of Fame, “Mav’ grew up in Belleville, and distinguished himself as an athlete. He was an outstanding ball player, and spent his winters away from home as a professional hockey player. After many years as a coach and manager of the Fronts, he currently serves as a consultant for the team.

There will be many new faces in the Bulls’ lineup this coming season: Jordan Subban, the third brother to dress for the team, Garrett Hooey, Brady Austin, Simon Gronvaldt, and Chartrand. Rookie prospects include Mack Lemmon, Jay Doherty, and Alex Carnevale. Returnees Brendan Gaunce, Luke Judson, Austin Brassard, Carter Sandlak, and Michael Curtis should have a significant impact on the Bulls’ fortunes this year.

Tickets now available at Lavender Furniture.

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
September 5, 2011

The International Side of Baseball

2011-08-30T04:59:00.001-07:00

Ever since I began following the game in the early 1950s, it has gradually morphed into a wonderful international pastime. This does not mean that I fully endorse the “World Baseball Classic”, nor the inclusion of baseball at the Olympics.

I attended a few of the World Classic games, and they offered about as much excitement as poker on television. Why is it still on several sports channels?

Whenever a young Canadian star breaks into the big leagues, or another Canuck plays so well that he gains all star recognition, we can take a sense of pride in their accomplishments. Not a lot, mind you, because, as a nation, we do not have the climate to turn out superb baseball players, nor the mentality to wave the flag too high, or too often.

But we have had our share of great baseball players who were born in Canada, and excel at the game today. Joey Votto of the Cincinatti Reds, Ryan Dempster with the Cubs, Jason Bay, now with the Mets, Russell Martin of the Yankees, Rich Harden with Oakland, Justin Morneau from the Twins, and Jeff Francis from Kansas City: a good way to start the conversation. One of the newest Blue Jays, Brett Lawrie, hails from the British Columbia. He has captured the hearts of Blue Jay fans, and rightly so.

I do not normally endorse a rookie until he has had a chance to prove himself. Lawrie has done so many things well since being called up to the Big Leagues. He is fun to watch, and brings great enthusiasm to the game. At this point in the season, as the Jays stumble into September, fans need a little something to keep their attention. Lawrie has supplied that in spades. He hits with power, he excels in the field, he stretches doubles into triples whenever the occasion arises.

There are several other nations waving flags in support of their players. In a recent article in USA Today, Paul White listed the countries with the smallest representations in the major leagues.

At this time, there is only one South Korean currently on a big league roster: Shin-Soo Choo of the Cleveland Indians. Understandably, he is a hero in his native land. The only other South Korean to gain similar status is Chan Ho Park, now playing in Japan after 17 seasons in the majors.

There are two players from Nicaragua: Wilton Lopez, who is with the Astros, and Vicente Padilla with the Dodgers. Taiwan is represented by Hong-Chih Kuo, a Dodger, and Chien-Ming Wang, with the Washington Nationals.

Greg Halman, who plays with the Seattle Mariners, is the only big league player who was born, raised, and trained in the Netherlands. Bert Blyleven, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, was born in the Netherlands, but grew up in California.

Columbia and Curacao boast three players each toiling at the highest level of baseball. There are six Panamanians in the game, led by the incomparable Mariano Rivera of the Yankees, now in the twilight of his career, but headed directly to the Hall of Fame. “Baseball’s not as popular as it was before,” Rivera commented in the article. Apparently, soccer has gained a foothold in Central and South America.

Curiously, there are six major leaguers from the “Land Down Under” on current rosters. There is a wonderful training facility in Melbourne, and the climate is conducive to the game. I’m sure it is a bit unnerving for a catcher from Kentucky, settling in behind the plate, to have a batter lean back and say, “G’day, Mate!”

Japan, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic lead the list of other nations supplying talent to the Big Leagues. An interesting flair to the great game. No matter where you are from, I am certain, “Y’er out!” means that you should head back to the dugout.

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
August 30, 2011

American Football 2011-Ready to Go!

2011-08-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

They are about ready to kick off the regular football season south of the border. That’s where they need four downs to move the yardsticks. As you have read here, for several weeks, we have been playing the Canadian game in the fine summer weather. The Canadian Football League teams will have played almost half a season before their American counterparts rumble onto the gridiron to do battle.

The season was in some jeopardy earlier this year. There was plenty of posturing on both sides, players and management, regarding the collective agreement. With several billion dollars at stake, cooler heads prevailed, and training camps opened several weeks ago.

Mind you, not everyone is entirely happy at this time. The Eagles’ Michael Vick, who had an outstanding season last year following a prison stint, is trying to extend his contract into the future. The terms have yet to be agreed upon, and the waters became clouded recently when Larry Fitzgerald agreed to play for $ 15 million a season. The Arizona Cardinals made him the highest paid receiver in the National Football League, trailing four quarterbacks in the salary category: Peyton Manning from the Colts, Tom Brady from the Patriots, Eli Manning from the Giants, and Phillip from the Chargers.

All eyes will be focused on Cam Newton, the rookie quarterback for the Carolina Panthers. Newton will start on Thursday night against the Bengals, and should get to handle the bulk of the snaps. He is the highly-touted rookie out of Auburn who may have picked up a bauble or two while finishing his college career in the States. College players must not receive any remuneration while toiling in the halls of education. That concept seems to have gone the way of the Dodo bird, as most pundits agree that the system has to change. Most colleges are flaunting the rule, and are constantly under investigation.

Closer to home, the Buffalo Bills will fight an uphill battle again this year. Last year, C. J. Spiller was expected to star as the Bills’ running back. Fred Jackson put together another fine season as the premier ball carrier for the Bills, rushing for 927 yards, and a decent 4.2 yards per carry average. He recorded five touchdowns, and caught 31 passes. He has been with the Bills since 2006, when he signed as an undrafted free agent. Spiller will get his chances, but may have to take a back seat to Jackson for another term.

Bills are expecting big things from Marcell Dareus, their first round draft pick from Alabama. At six feet three inches, and more than three hundred pounds, he is described on the back of his Topps Rookie Card as an “explosive lineman, often compared to Warren Sapp”, the perennial Pro Bowl lineman who played for Tampa Bay and Oakland. Dareus should make a difference in his first year in the league.

Another player garnering interest is Plaxico Burress. He has joined the New York Jets after missing a couple of seasons serving time in detention. In his last pre-season game, he indicated he has not lost too many steps. He is thrilled to be able to play. In an interview I picked up off the internet, he stated, “This is one of those days I have been dreaming of”, following his first game. He had three catches for 66 yards, and a major. He could be a key ingredient for the Jets title run this year.

Meanwhile, in the CFL, the Argos won last week to alleviate some of the pressure from a dismal season, thus far. They have a bit of a break at this time, and will need to put together several wins just to make the playoffs. Montreal and Calgary have emerged yet again as serious Grey Cup contenders. Als’ pivot Anthony Calvillo is in the process of surpassing all of the records established by Damon Allen. Simply the best.

Pass the nachos, please. It’s time for football.

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
August 23, 2011

Royal Copeland-Argo Great

2011-08-15T05:30:00.001-07:00

Last week, the Toronto Argonauts mourned the loss of one of their former great players, Royal Copeland. Copeland played in 111 regular season games in the Canadian Football League, as well as fourteen playoff games. He won four Grey Cups with the Argos, including three consecutive Cups from 1945 to 1947. Vern “Jumbo” Goyer, a native Bellevillian, was a team-mate on the 1945 squad. Goyer is an inductee to the Belleville Sports Hall of Fame.

Copeland was inducted into the CFL Hall of Fame in 1988, and was named an “All Time Argo” in 1997. He is the only player to score a touchdown in three straight Grey Cup games. Copeland is tied with Red Storey for the most career touchdowns in Grey Cup games.

Copeland was often paired with Joe Krol, a fellow backfielder with the Argos. They both had blond hair, and were known for scoring electrifying touchdowns for the Argos. They were dubbed the “Gold Dust Twins”.

Team president Bob Nicholson paid homage to Copeland last week: “Few players have achieved the prominence that Royal Copeland did as an Argonaut. His mastery of the game transcends his era and he was one of the first true star athletes in the city of Toronto. His contributions and his memory will forever live in Toronto Argonauts history.”

At that time, champions were referred to as “Inter-Provincial and Dominion Champions”, as well as Grey Cup Champs. As his career wound down, Copeland was joined on the Argos by other greats---Ulysses Curtis, a halfback from Albion, Michigan, and by Norbert “Nobby” Wirkowski, a quarterback from Chicago. Alas, those were the days of great football monikers!

The Parkhurst Company printed a set of football cards in 1952. Included in that set was card # 32, Lorne Parkin of the Argos. “Parky” is described as an excellent downfield tackler. But he was also busy on his non-playing days as a member of the Toronto Police Force!

One of Copeland’s teammates at that time was Arnie Stacks. “In his day, he and Joe Krol were tops. Copeland was as fast a player as there was at that time, and he was just as dangerous running both inside and on outside”, he told the Post Media News. “He was one of those guys you couldn’t help but like. He was a big star back then and everyone looked up to him, but he remained humble and never really looked at himself as famous.”

Copeland also played two seasons with the Calgary Stampeders.

In 1949, he was awarded the Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy, presented to the Eastern Conference player possessing the highest qualities of courage, fair pplay, and sportsmanship.

Last weekend, the Argos dropped another game in CFL play to the Hamilton Tiger Cats. They have one victory and six defeats at this time, tied with the British Columbia Lions. They have played well, on occasion, and have lost several games in the dying seconds of the fourth quarter. With a little luck, they will turn things around. With the Ticats, Blue Bombers and Alouettes having fine seasons, it will not be easy for the Double Blue.

South of the border, they have kissed and made up, and are preparing for another NFL season. Are you ready for some football? Pass me the peanuts, and the remote!

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
August 15, 2011.

The Supertest Story-2011

2011-08-09T09:02:00.001-07:00

Fifty years ago, we lined the banks of the Long Reach in Prince Edward County to watch the Harmsworth Trophy Races. We had little idea what to expect.
We knew something about water speed, from boat races in the Bay of Quinte. We knew land speed from motorcycle and automobile races at the Fairgrounds. We knew air speed from the skies as we witnessed early jet flights in and out of Trenton. And we knew speed from the drag races on the old aircraft strip at Shannonville.

We were not prepared for what we about to experience. And it was truly a wonderful adventure.

After years of experimentation, the Thompson family was bringing their boat to the County to defend their previous year’s victory in the Harmsworth Trophy Race.

On the weekend of August 20, 1960, cranes lowered the huge crafts into the quiet waters of the Reach for the races.

“This was the best water we ever raced in,” Jim Thompson told me during the celebrations this past weekend. Now an octogenarian, Thompson was an integral part of the entire adventure. He had designed the boat. His family had been involved in the boat racing game for years. They had started the journey, on a more serious basis, when they purchased a couple of boats from the Wilson family in 1951. Included in the purchase were the two hulls and two engines.

Years later, Jim Thompson confessed to John Joseph Kelly, the author of Roostertail: The Miss Supertest Story: “We knew nothing” about the powerboat game. But learn they did, and quickly as well.

Last weekend, Kelly told me that he grew up in Windsor, about a stone’s throw from the Detroit River. “I knew the boats from the sounds I could hear on the river. As a child, I kept scrapbooks on Miss Supertest,” he told me as he signed copies of his book. He added that he remembered being devastated by the death of Bob Hayward, Miss Supertest’s driver. Hayward was killed a month after the Harmsworth Trophy victory while driving Miss Supertest II on the Detroit River.

Jim Thompson celebrated the weekend with great dignity. He answered question after question, and signed thousands of autographs. He took the stage at the Regent Theatre on Saturday afternoon, fielding countless enquiries about the boating world. Remember, he not only owned the boats, he drove them as well. I asked him whether or not there were any significant differences in the three Supertests. “Considering the speed, and the conditions,” he replied, “they all gave you a pretty good ride!”

He respectfully gave credit to those involved in the past weekend’s activities. “John Lyons and all the members of the committee deserve a great deal of credit. Kelly’s book is wonderful. Peter Lockyer’s documentary really tells the story.”

The trophy races did not go unnoticed by the rest of the country. Naturally, Mayor Harvey McFarland was the perfect host. He had upwards of eight hundred guests for tea on a couple of occasions during the weekend. Prime Minister Diefenbaker was at the water’s edge, as was Leslie Frost, the Premier of Ontario. Belleville’s Jack Devine covered the race on CJBQ Radio, and the coverage was carried by CBC across the country.

In essence, it was the pinnacle of unlimited power boat racing in the world. Miss Supertest III was retired after the race.

She looked stately at Loch Sloy above the town of Picton last weekend. She is immortalized on a couple of postage stamps released during the weekend. Pick them up at your local Canada Post office.

I cannot capture the essence of power boat racing with paper and pen. The tremendous roar of the aircraft engines, the wonderful aroma of mysterious fuels, the two hundred foot rooster tail, (to be avoided if you were not in first place!), and finally, the ecstasy of becoming a world champion. Truly a great moment in Canadian sporting history.

There is a movement to rename the Reach “Hayward Long Reach”. That cannot happen soon enough, for all concerned.

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
August 9, 2011

Golfing History-In Prince Edward County

2011-07-26T14:03:00.000-07:00

The Canadian Professional Golfers’ Association is celebrating its one hundredth anniversary this year. George Cumming was a popular pro and teacher at the Toronto Golf Club, and he was elected as the first president of the organization.

In 1988, Lou Garrison won the CPGA Seniors’ Championship in London, Ontario. That title was certainly the highlight of the career for a man who had learned the game of golf in Picton, Ontario.

“Louie”, as he was known to all of his friends, was not born with a golf club in his hands. He took up the game in his teens, likely after finishing his chores on the family farm. His father was a cattle drover, and started the auctioneering business at the Picton Auction Barn. “Louie” also worked in the family business for years, but his first love was golf.

He lost the Picton Club Championship in 1962 to a young ball striker named John Lipson, nineteen years old at the time; however, Lou did go on to win three club championships. Another of Garrison’s playing partners from those days was Joe Skratt.

Joe vividly remembers those days. In fact, Skratt was with the Picton Gazette at the time, and photographed Garrison and Lipson at the conclusion of the club final. “Fred Purcell was the pro in Picton at that time, and he took Lou under his wing. Above all, he taught Lou some of the finer aspects of the game, including self control,” Joe told me recently while reminiscing about those days. “Lou decided at that time that he was going to make a career out of golf. I believe that John Lipson gave him the impetus to do it.”

Garrison was fifty-one when he won the Canadian Championship. For years, Moe Norman had held the crown. But other well-known golfers have also had their names engraved on the trophy: Bob Panasik from Windsor, Al Balding from Mississauga, Ken Girard from London, and Bob Rose from Waterdown, to name a few. At the time of his victory, Lou was playing out of the Sutton Creek Golf Club.

With his win at London, Garrison realized that he had an exemption for the Senior British Championship. He phoned the secretary at Turnberry in Scotland, and was delighted to find that he had earned the berth to play. He was joined by Harold Hambleton, a long-time friend and fellow pro.

Lipson recalled Garrison’s trip to Scotland. “Louie fired a 69 as his opening round. He talked to us about the fact that his name was on the leader board with all of the greats of the game. Gary Player remarked that Louie had a wonderful swing.” Garrison’s final rounds did not go as well, but he thoroughly enjoyed the experience. His quote from the Toronto Star, just before he headed to Turnberry: “I’m going to work hard, and then come back and try for my card on the U. S. seniors’ tour. I’ve been working hard for three years. And now it is starting to pay off.”

Hambleton and Garrison met in 1968 when they were both assistant pros at Rosedale Golf Club in Toronto. Shortly thereafter, Louie met Toronto business magnate E. P. Taylor who convinced him to work at Lyford Cay in the Bahamas. John Lipson recalled that Garrison was far ahead of his time. “Louie introduced video as a golf pro. He could analyze a client’s swing, and demonstrate his teaching techniques with video. It was unheard of at the time.”

Sadly, Garrison was felled by cancer before he could really get untracked on the Seniors’ circuit. He passed away in June, 1992.

Joe Skratt and John Lipson still bang the ball around at the Picton Golf Club, currently celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the additional nine holes to complement the original nine. I am certain that once in a while, perhaps quietly, each might mumble over a lipped putt, “Louie would have sunk that one!”

James Hurst
July 26, 2011
Sportslices.blogspot.com

The Kids at Ivor Wynne Stadium

2011-07-18T04:24:00.000-07:00

For those of you who recognize the name of the stadium, I am sure you can hear echoes of “Oskee Wee Wee” faintly in the distance. There were manly cheers for the Hamilton Tiger Cats last Saturday, as they demolished the winless Saskatchewan Roughriders. The final score was 33 to 3. The Ticats emerged from the game with their first win of the season, and Coach Marcel Bellefeuille was quite pleased.

“It isn’t so much the victory,” he told me after the game, “but the process. If we stick to our plan, and we execute well, but lose, I can be satisfied.” He was beaming from ear to ear as he chatted with the Ticat faithful on the field. I had the distinct feeling that he was savouring the victory, just a little.

Almost seventy players, coaches, parents, and football fans from the Belleville Minor Football League attended the game. Most went home happy with the result. The young fans were also thrilled when they were invited to go on the playing field after the game, and meet the players.

The entire Tiger Cat squad assembled in various locations on the field, and entertained the fans for at least half an hour. They signed autographs. They posed for photographs. They chatted with all of their fans.

Michael Patterson has just completed Grade Seven at Tyendinaga Public School. He is, however, a seasoned veteran on the football field. Next year he will play in his third and final season for the Belleville Club Bears. He told me he plays weak side linebacker, but also plays on the special teams. “I have blocked a few convert attempts this year,” he told me after the game. “I also really like the contact in the game, and the control you have on defence.”

He said that he kept a special eye on Dave Stala and Stevie Baggs of the Tiger Cats. When I mentioned to him that he was just about as tall as Arland Bruce III, he quipped, “Maybe I can take over for him!” He really enjoys watching Bruce, and was disappointed that Bruce did not play. Although Bruce has been under the microscope lately for a variety of reasons, he was most hospitable with the fans.

Patterson said he had a terrific day. He said that he is “first and foremost” a football guy, and that he plays two-handed touch at school.

The stadium in Hamilton is located in the heart of the city. I headed to the upper levels, and was impressed with the panorama. The view is dominated by the brown and olive drab buildings and roof tops, and the stacks at all of the steel works. Scattered amongst the houses of all of the steel workers are the domes and steeples of their places of worship. Brilliant gold, seasoned copper, almost all topped with crosses.

In the distance are the sails of boats in the Hamilton Harbour. The Skyway Bridge is barely visible above the East Side stands.

The attendance was announced at 22 245, somewhat disappointing. Many Tiger Cat fans missed a great show by the home team. Running back Marcus Thigpen had an outstanding game. He gave the Tiger Cats excellent field position in the first half, returning kicks for great yardage.

After the game he told me “It’s just a win. But a win is a win.” When asked if there had been extra pressure since the Ticats had been winless up to this point in the season, he added “In this business, there is always pressure. We compensated for the fact that two of our best players were not in the lineup. It shows the depth that we have.”

The Tabbies fly to British Columbia to take on the Lions this Friday night. The Riders have the dubious honour of heading to Montreal for their next game. From the frying pan into the fire!

All in all, a great excursion for the football players from the Quinte Region.

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
July 17, 2011

At the All Star Break 2011

2011-07-14T12:48:00.001-07:00

The crème de la crème of Major League baseball players has assembled in Phoenix, Arizona, for the annual all star break. Festivities got under way Monday night with the Home Run Derby.

Players work their way through various rounds until they face the best from the game in a head-to-head confrontation. On Monday night, the New York Yankees' exciting second baseman, Robinson Cano, entered the final against Adrian Gonzalez from the Boston Red Sox. Yet another classic Yankees-Red Sox confrontation.

Cano did not have to search too far to find a decent pitcher for the contest. His father Jose was there for his son. They hail from San Pedro de Macoris, in the Dominican Republic. There have literally been dozens of All Star baseball players from the same community in the Dominican, about an hour from Santo Domingo.

Jose Cano had a cup of coffee in the Major Leagues with the Houston Astros, hurling six games before spending several years in baseball in the minors. He has been pitching to his son for almost 29 years. “Robbie” is 28.

Robinson, who is named after Jackie Robinson, wears number 24 as a tribute to the great Brooklyn Dodger who broke the colour barrier in baseball. Jackie wore number 42; however, that number has been retired from baseball. For Cano, 24 was the next best thing.

Robbie entered the Yankee household via the “non-drafted, free agent” route as a teenager in 2001. He spent the majority of his first season with the Gulf Coast Yankees, hitting .230 with 3 home runs in 57 games. He got the call to the Big League Yankees in 2005, and has never looked back. He truly has surpassed all expectations of most professional baseball observers, quietly attaining All Star status.

He now has more than one thousand hits, a third of the total of his Yankee teammate Derek Jeter. Last week Jeter had five hits in one game, including a home run for his 3000th hit. Over the years, there have been countless New York Yankees who have had illustrious careers, and have been ushered into the Hall of Fame. But only one Yankee has ever had 3000 hits-Derek Jeter.

Jeter is normally a cool customer, but he admitted to feeling the pressure as he approached the 3000 hit plateau. “I'm glad it's over,” he said after the game. “I was nervous!” Memory serving me correctly, I believe that Bobby Hull and Roger Maris experienced the same feelings as they approached their respective record-breaking marks.

Hull recorded fifty goals in fifty games to shatter a National Hockey League mark. Maris had sixty-one home runs in 1961 to top Babe Ruth's total. Hank Aaron also experienced pressure as he approached Ruth's career total. He also had to put up with death threats, as he was African American, and it did not sit well with some fans that he might break Ruth's record. Water under the bridge at this point, thank goodness.

The Blue Jays' Jose Bautista also took part in the Derby. He leads the Majors in home runs, and broke the Blue Jays' team record of a fellow Dominican, George Bell, just before the All Star break. Bautista now has 31 dingers, Bell had 29 at the break. Unfortunately, he did not get untracked in the Derby. No big deal. I recall a few players who took months to get back into their groove following success in the Home Run Derby. Jose should enjoy the break, and prepare for the grind until October, truly a long season.

The Yankees head into Toronto this coming weekend for a four game series. The Jays are eleven games back of the Bronx Bombers, and will need to make up ground quickly if they want to experience post-season play. Bring on the Dog Days of Summer!

James Hurst

Sportslices.blogspot.com
July 14, 2011

Hunter's First Blue Jay Game

2011-07-04T20:12:00.000-07:00

The man sitting behind us in Section 115 wore a T shirt with the words “I’m not dead yet” emblazoned across his chest. I had to comment on the shirt. He accepted my admiration graciously. I told him that the little fellow sitting with us was our grandson, at his first Blue Jay game. He introduced me to his grandson, who would be about ten years old. “I remember my first Jays’ game,” the young lad added.

It was still about half an hour before the first pitch. We sat in the blazing sun, but Hunter was unfazed by the heat. He drank in the whole experience, as kids do. And he consumed great amounts of liquid as well: Coke, lemonade, Seven Up, plain old water. He also put away a baseball park hot dog before the anthems. He was ready.

He can smack a decent hit off a T Ball stand, and he did take his glove to the game. Other than that, he has had little experience with baseball. I pointed things out to him, to little avail. By the end of the game, I think he ended up with a pretty fair taste of the exercise.

Hunter is four. That means that his care givers in charge on that occasion had to react quickly to his request to use the facilities-four or five times before the seventh inning. I remember taking my own children to Exhibition Stadium for several games when the Jays played there. I remember the trips to the washroom. I always wanted to try the catheter with them. It seemed to make good sense. Verboten, said my wife.

Jo Jo Reyes had pitched adequately for the Jays, trying to salvage a win against the mighty Phillies. They had taken the previous two games against the Jays, and had Cliff Lee on the mound. He had chalked up many scoreless innings, and was most stingy at the beginning of the game. The Phillies put a few runs on the board, and looked like they might sweep the Jays. As is usually the case with popular northern teams, like the Yankees and the Red Sox, there were as many Philly fans as there were Jays fans at the park-all told, about 26 000.

I knew that one of the keys to a successful day with Hunter would be to keep him on the move. We circumnavigated the entire park on the 100 level in the fourth inning. He got to sample 3D television, and enjoyed the ocean scenes more than the soccer. Quite understandable. He sent a message via the internet to his mother. He was rewarded with a Jose Bautista poster for his effort.

He explained to the Sportsnet girl that he had broken his arm when he fell off the monkey bars at school, on the last day. He will be on the “DL” for eight weeks. All recorded for posterity. He did not explain the stitches on his forehead. Those came during the street dance in Wellington. That is my guilt trip. I was in charge.

We moved to shaded seats directly behind the Jays’ bullpen in left field after the fifth inning. One of the smartest decisions I have made in my life. He consumed another beverage, made a couple more trips to you know where. He also became fascinated by the catcher’s gear. He has decided to play goal in the winter, and be a catcher in the summer.

Octavio Dotel was warming up in the bullpen. I always enjoy watching that activity. The ball really smacks the catcher’s mitt. It’s intimate. It grabbed Hunter’s attention, for a few seconds.

In the eighth inning, the Jays unloaded on the Phillies. Thames smacked his third homer in the last five games. Bautista lashed his twenty-seventh of the year. Lind singled, and Encarnacion drove him home with another home run. It was electric. Hunter gave high fives to everyone nearby. He wiggled when they played “YMCA”. He told us that the big kids at school dance to that song. He added, “The big kids in Grade Three”.

Dotel shut the door on the Phillies in the ninth inning to preserve the win.

Hunter was fast asleep when we hit the Don Valley Parkway. I think it was a successful day.

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
July 4, 2011

Canadian Football League-2011

2011-06-27T08:55:00.000-07:00

The British Columbia Lions travel to Montreal to face the Alouettes in the opening game of the 2011 CFL season on Thursday night. For some of you, this may come as a bit of a surprise. You may still be celebrating the Bruins Stanley Cup victory. (I ran into a guy in Belleville who had just returned from the parade in Beantown-now, there’s a fan!) You may be in limbo about the NFL season: strike, lockout, whatever. There is not a lot of football action south of the border.

Or you may be like many sports observers who do not realize that the CFL usually gets under way around the July First weekend. On Canada Day, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers head to Hamilton to take on the Tiger Cats at Ivor Wynne Stadium. The Argonauts head to Calgary to play the Stampeders on Canada Day. Finally, on Sunday, the Edmonton Eskimos play the Rough Riders in Saskatchewan.

The 2011 season of the great Canadian game will be well underway by the following weekend. That does not necessarily mean that you should drop a bundle in Vegas on the winning teams from the first weekend. Many teams are notoriously slow starters. Don’t be hoodwinked by the results from the exhibition games. The Ticats trounced the Als in pre-season. The Lions mauled the Rough Riders. The Stamps outlasted the Eskimos 37-22.The Argos stole a win from the Bombers 30-23. None of that means anything now that the regular season is about to unfold.

As an added wrinkle to the television production of the Argos-Bombers game, the coaches and the quarterbacks were “Mic’ed Up” for the game. They wore microphones, and the fans were treated to most of their comments. Naturally, there were moments when some of the comments were reserved for individual players. For the most part, however, it was no holds barred in the dialogue.

For myself, the play calling was most intriguing. Now you must realize that a CFL Play Book for each team is as thick as your wrist, and you had better know what to do when a play is called. If not, you will be on the next bus to Brandon. Here are some examples of plays called by Winnipeg;

“66 Ghost. Backside. Ohio State.”
“Ace Right. Pistol. Two Bar Blue”
“Eagle Left. 351. Henry. Henry.”
“326.Ace Right. Ghost. Ohio State.”
“Ace Left. Personal 3. Bar Blue.”

As you can see, there were some patterns beginning to unfold. I did my best to read the plays, to no avail. Near the end of the game, one of the Blue Bombers was penalized for “objectionable conduct”. At that point, we overheard the coach advise the player: “You can’t say the “N” word on the field.” (The “N” word, of course, indicates a racial slur.) I am almost naïve enough to think that such things do not happen any more. But not quite. In the heat of the moment, anything can slip out. As is always the case, it is wise to choose an appropriate place and time.

The Bombers put 14 points on the board in the fourth quarter to make the game close. The Argos countered with a late touchdown to win the game.

But it was, after all, an exhibition game. A chance for coaches to evaluate personnel.

Following the game, teams pared down their rosters as required by the league. Really difficult choices for all of them. Because of the nature of the game, many of those cut on Saturday will be recalled for a variety of reasons: injury, discipline, poor play, or a combination thereof.

Find your way to a stadium near you. Get set for a great season. Grey Cup? November 27th. Mark it on your calendar now.

James Hurst
June 27, 2011.

Vancouver's Lament-2011

2011-06-21T10:51:00.000-07:00

The streets in Vancouver have pretty well been restored to order following the Canucks’ devastating loss to the Boston Bruins. The series went seven games, with the final played on Canada’s west coast. For several days, fans had gathered in downtown Vancouver to “feel the love” and to watch their team as it struggled in Beantown.

The Canucks had managed to win the first two games at home. Both victories were squeakers, by one goal. The losses in Boston were not even close. Through it all, in the games on the south side of the Canadian border, the Boston fans were merciless with Roberto Luongo.

The Canucks’ goaltender felt the wrath of the Boston fans. They chanted his name whenever he touched the puck. They got “inside his head” to the extent that, on several occasions, he was replaced by Cory Schneider, the backup goaltender.

There is not enough space in this column to outline all of the woes suffered by the Canucks in the final series. They had key injuries. They had an unwarranted suspension. They had a few bad beaks. But as you have read here before, and likely will again, they did not put enough pucks in the Boston net.

No goaltender in the National Hockey League plays badly for any length of time. One of Luongo’s advantages is that he is a big guy. Even when he cannot see the puck through the maze of players in front of him, he will stop it, often by sheer luck. The trick is to cover the rebound before it gets shovelled into the net. The odd soft goal gets by him, but not many.

At the other end of the rink, Tim Thomas smiled his way to the Stanley Cup triumph. He talks with the referees, he jokes with his teammates, he carries on as if the Bruins were playing a mid-season game. He appeared to be very relaxed, and it paid off for him. He won the award as the most valuable player in the Stanley Cup finals, and rightly so. The trophy is named after Conn Smythe, the former owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Thomas received his trophy from the Commissioner of the National Hockey League, Gary Bettman. Now I can understand why the fans in the rink in Vancouver were upset after losing the final game. What I cannot comprehend is the animosity toward the diminutive Commish. Gary has put a lot of money into the pockets of young Canadian men. There are literally hundreds, perhaps thousands, of hockey players who owe a debt of gratitude to Bettman. He has helped orchestrate the expansion of hockey in the United States. All of these young Canadian studs would be working menial jobs were it not for the game.

After the game in Vancouver, the idiots went to town. They smashed windows, they looted, and they overturned cars. They were not hockey fans. Some carried face masks and gasoline cans into the downtown area to create havoc following the game. Anarchists, nihilists, whatever. For some of them, the consequences will be devastating. Apparently, one young rioter was slated to attend university this fall on an athletic scholarship. His photograph was taken at the scene. He has lost his scholarship.

Many of these young people do not think these things through very carefully. Then again, many of us were in the same position years ago, perhaps not to that extent; however, there were no cell phones to take pictures of us being idiots. Nowadays, there are cameras everywhere. Like it or not, Big Brother is never too far away. In a matter of fifteen seconds, one can do something stupid that will be recorded, and will haunt you for the rest of your life. You would be better off not shoving that rag in that bottle of gasoline before you head to town.

The gentle giant of the Boston Red Sox, “Big Papi” David Ortiz was captured on television last night hoisting the Cup in Boston. The Bruins had taken Lord Stanley’s mug to Fenway Park as part of the celebration. And there it will stay until next June, when we as fans will be treated to another great playoff. Kudos to the Bruins.

James Hurst
June 21, 2011.

Peter Newman at the Belleville Club

2011-06-14T07:53:00.000-07:00

Peter Newman told the near-capacity audience at the Belleville Club last Thursday that the archives of the Hudson’s Bay Company weighed sixty-eight tons. They were shipped from London, England, to Winnipeg. He is a bit of an authority on those manuscripts. He spent ten years with those files, as he was composing the history of the Company.

Newman was born in Austria in 1929, and moved to Canada prior to the Second World War. Hogtown became his home, and he immersed himself in studies at Upper Canada College and the University of Toronto. He then began his most illustrious career in journalism.

To try to list his main accomplishments would be utter folly. He has sold more than two and one-half million books, primarily non-fiction, often dealing with Canada’s political and financial leaders. In 1975, he published The Canadian Establishment, following years of observations and notes about the power brokers across the country.

But it was in 1959 that he found his niche for writing about Canadians. His book, Flame of Power: Intimate Profiles of Canada’s Greatest Businessmen, launched his career in the book world. He began his writing career as a humble ink-stained wretch with the Financial Post. He edited for the Toronto Star, then moved to McLean’s, and still writes a column for the weekly magazine.

To say that he has annoyed a few politicians in this land over the years would be an understatement. John George Diefenbaker was crushed when he faced Newman’s Renegade in Power: The Diefenbaker Years. His 2005 book, The Secret Mulroney Tapes: Unguarded Confessions of a Prime Minister, severely damaged Mulroney’s political career.

Now an octogenarian, he revels in the opportunity of chatting with a few friends about his life, and his work. He helped raise significant funds for the new Community Archives of Belleville and Hastings County at the Club. He pressed the point that archives are the key to the scribes who write the history books.

More than anything, he enjoyed telling mischievous tales from his own past, intermingled with untrue jokes about his friends. An example: In his latter years, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau visited Israel. He was most impressed with a cemetery there, and called Prime Minister Begin to enquire about availability. Begin told him there was room, but that it was expensive.
“How much?” asked Pierre.
“A million dollars,” replied Begin.
“That’s a bit steep,” answered Trudeau. “After all, I’m only going to be there three days!”
Yikes! At that point, I realized that little is sacred with Peter C. Newman.

He took a little shot at Bill Clinton. At his trial, Clinton had a problem. He was asked to “Tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth,” he could not decide. He thought they were three different things!

He addressed the Canadian mission in Afghanistan. A Canadian soldier found a genie in the sands near Kandahar. The genie granted him one wish. The soldier asked for a good map of the country, so that he could better understand the mountains, and valleys and local terrain. The genie thought it was a simple wish, so he told the soldier he could have another more grandiose wish. The soldier replied, “In that case, because of all the bloodshed, I want peace in the world.” The genie paused, then added, “We’d better get that map out again.”

With his sparkling wit, great timing, and enormous stockpile of Canadian history and affairs, Newman can entertain. And it was thoroughly enjoyed by all in attendance. He now makes his home in Belleville, and we are the better for it.

James Hurst
June 14, 2011.

Dallas Mavericks-2011 NBA Champions

2011-06-14T07:50:00.000-07:00

I am quite sure I was not the only basketball fan in North America who sat stunned in front of the television set while the seconds counted down Sunday night. The Mavs defeated the Miami Heat in six games to win the crown.

The end result was completely unexpected. Most NBA fans hoped the Heat would lose. They just did not expect it would happen. The Heat had enjoyed a very successful season, perhaps not as spectacular as they would have liked. They had pinned their hopes on the “Big Three” at the beginning of the season: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. James had arrived ceremoniously from Cleveland, Bosh from Toronto. Wade was the sparkplug. When the season began, most observers felt that the Heat had the key components to win it all.

Naturally, the injury factor had to be considered. If either of the three experienced a serious injury, the expected result could change. Most injuries are now well concealed by major sports franchises. Once the games are finished, players step up to the microphone and announce, “I didn't play as well as I could because I have a torn Achilles tendon, a shattered patella, a torn rotator cuff, and a serious concussion.” Reporters drop their inquiring heads and mumble, “Ah, now I understand why you played so poorly”.

Such was not the case with the Miami Heat. They were healthy, they were hungry, and yes, they were cocky. They just did not get the job done. They struggled greatly in the fourth quarter of all six final games. Here are a few observations in that regard: Lebron made only one three point shot in all six games in the fourth quarter. Dirk Nowitzki, the one superstar in the Mavs lineup, outscored James 62-18 during the same period. The main reason for the difference is experience.

Given another opportunity, James will be there, and he will get the job done. He played poorly, and he realizes that fact. He also knows that, even though he has been under the media spotlight the entire season, things are different in the playoffs in basketball, especially in the finals. He tries to be accessible and obliging to his fans and to the media. He Tweets and Twitters. He now realizes that every word that he puts out in the public will be misconstrued, analyzed, and misinterpreted to make him look bad. He should keep his Balckberry in his gym bag.

James was overwhelmed down the stretch. In his confusion, he failed to play the game he knows best: an aggressive, passionate game. He stood still. He was easy to guard. He failed to make perimeter shots under pressure.

Kudos must go to the Mavs coach, Rick Carlisle, for his work. He orchestrated great defence, and prepared his team to play one of the best lineups in NBA history. They moved well, they spaced themselves well, they ran intriguing picks and rolls and hedges to find good opportunities to score.

Both teams suffered cases of nerves near the end of the game. There were bad passes, poor shot choices, hurried attempts at the buzzer. Even Dwyane Wade dribbled the ball off his foot. He stared at it as it rolled out of bounds, as if to say, “Did I do that?”

Nowtizki ran to the locker room as the game ended. A few of the other players milled about on the court. Basketball needs to take a page from hockey in this regard. Players should remain on the court, line up, and shake hands at the end of the game. The court should be clear of all of the non-playing personnel that are involved in the game.

Fans should not be allowed on the court. In fact fans should not be allowed to sit as close to the court as they do. There should be no seating closer than twenty feet from the court. Too often people in those seats have an effect on the game. Jason Kidd had to clear fans out of his way to throw the ball into the court at the end of the game.

Kidd will relish this championship. He has been around the league a long time, not always as a fan favourite. But in these finals he played hard, and let his play on the court speak for itself.

Nowitzki also earned the MVP title for his play in the finals, and rightly so. He adjusted his game by playing more aggressively. He showed strength getting to the rim. He fought off all of the defensive strategies the Heat threw at him. He emerged victorious.

Job well done. In this case the Mavs did indeed take the Heat!

James Hurst
June 13, 2011

Stanley Cup Finals-2011

2011-06-14T07:46:00.000-07:00

They have put away their brooms in Vancouver. Those on Canada’s West Coast who thought their Canucks would cruise to a sweep of the Bruins got a rude awakening Monday night. After a scoreless first period, the Bostonians stormed out of the gate, and hammered the Canucks. The final score was 8-1.

The first two games in Vancouver were very close. No one expected the Canucks to run away with the series; however, there might have been a hint of over confidence in the minds of some of the players heading into Monday night’s game.

It was a little surprising that Coach Vigneault did not pull goalie Roberto Luongo after the fourth or fifth goal. Luongo stayed until the very bitter end, and raced to the bench after the buzzer sounded. He looked a little shell-shocked at that point. Perfectly understandable.

At the other end of the ice, the venerable Tim Thomas stood on his head on a couple of occasions, indicating to his teammates that he was giving them a chance to win. Not only did he keep the puck out of the net, he also decked one of the Sedin twins in the third period with a fairly solid forearm shiver. The puck was dangerously close to the goal line, Sedin was concentrating on scoring, the Bruins’ defenceman was in a position to clear the puck, and Thomas decided to assert his authority.

There was a crucial moment in the first period when the Bruins might have faltered. One of their key forwards, Nathan Horton, had been decked coming over the blue line, and had been carried off the ice. The Bruins took that opportunity to regroup, and never looked back.

I suspect that the rest of the series will be rough and tumble hockey. There is nothing wrong with that. There will be a few occasions when the men in stripes will have to step in to cool some jets. (That is a small “j”. The naming process in Winnipeg has not yet been completed.) One can only hope that the officials will not get “whistle happy” and call each and every minor infraction.

The style of hockey played in game three might be considered to be Boston Bruins hockey. The Canucks will not shy away from the rugged activity. I do not believe that the Canucks have bitten off more than they can chew. This will be a great hockey series. I suspect we will lose a little sleep now and again, as they battle through overtime sessions.

Those of you who prefer the round ball game will follow the exploits of the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks. Up to this point, it has been interesting. I suspect that Lebron and Wade will impose a little more as this series progresses, and it will mark the beginning of a very controversial dynasty.
James Hurst June 7, 2011

The Blue Jay Roller Coaster Ride-2011

2011-05-31T04:53:00.001-07:00

The 2011 baseball season is well under way. The Jays have played 54 games and are currently hovering around the .500 mark. They have won 28 games, and have lost 26 games. They are a couple of games behind the Yankees and the Red Sox. What else is new?

That has been the case for many years. The parts change, but the result is usually the same.

For the local fan who seizes the opportunity and heads to the ball park a few times a year, there are always occasions that make the trip worthwhile. For the past two years, most of those bright spots have Jose Bautista’s name written all over them.

He has systematically figured out how to hit major league pitching better than any other player the last couple of years. He approaches the plate in his usual composed manner. He digs in, gets set, awaits the pitch. At that point, he does something that very few other batters have been able to manage: he begins his swing a fraction of a second before other hitters. In a nutshell, that is his secret.

Last year he hit 54 home runs and led the major leagues. He is on pace to hit at least that many this year. Understandably, he is accused of cheating quite often by a host of non-believers. Last year, near the end of the season, I stood, with a group of other baseball scribes, three feet away from Bautista. One of the writers suggested that he might be enhancing his numbers with external medication. He glared at the group and quietly denied the allegation. I believed him.

I am not about to compare him to other home run greats. I hope his picture does not appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. That is the ultimate jinx. But it is foolish to suggest that he is in the same company with Hank Aaron, Roger Maris, or Babe Ruth. Bautista is thirty years old. He had only 113 home runs to start this season, including the ones he hit last year. He will finish his career with decent numbers, but nowhere near the totals put up by the greats.

The surprise team of the early season was the Cleveland Indians. They flew out of the gate, distancing themselves from the rest of the pack. Then May arrived, and they are now 13-12 this month, with a couple of rain outs. They play well at home on the turf at Progressive Field, with 19 wins and 6 losses. They have a losing record on the road, and have given up the huge lead they established in April. Historically, that was to be expected.

Last Monday night, the Jays continued to pound the ball. They put eleven markers on the board, while the Indians could only manage a single run. The starting pitcher for the game was Jo-Jo Reyes, and he also finished the game---the first time he has done that in his career. He was also elated because he emerged victorious. It was the first time in 29 starts that he was able to win. He was mobbed by his teammates after the game. Always keep in mind that it is a boys’ game.

After the game, Reyes shared his message: “I was able to keep my composure, and stick with it”. When asked about his success, he continued: “Hopefully, I can start another streak. Hopefully, for the good!”

What will it take for the Jays to lead the Eastern Division of the American League? Solid pitching, which they get, for the most part. Timely hitting from all batters in the lineup, which has not always been the case. Strong bullpen support, again, leaves something to be desired.

Both the Jays and the Indians wore different caps for the game. They should be collected and placed in the nearest dumpster. Truly ugly, and unnecessary.

As long as the Jays wear their hitting caps, as they did last Monday night, Toronto fans will not care how they cover their heads. The three game series with the Tribe concludes Wednesday night.

James Hurst
May 30, 2011

Memorial Cup 2011

2011-05-24T05:24:00.000-07:00

This year’s version of the Memorial Cup is winding down in Mississauga. Last night, Jonathan Huberdeau scored at the 17:35 mark of the first overtime period to propel the Saint John Sea Dogs into the final on Sunday. The victory over the Owen Sound Attack was a heartbreaker, especially for Belleville’s Andrew Shaw.

Andrew has had an outstanding year. With his robust style of play, he is always at the forefront when it comes to action on the ice.

In Monday’s game against the Sea Dogs, he got his team off on the right foot by scoring a goal, and setting up another in the first period. That lead held up until the third period, when the Sea Dogs tied the score to send the game into overtime.

Shaw has never been known to shy away from the rough stuff, and contributed throughout the game with his feisty play. Occasionally, he pays the price for his exuberance. The Attack won the league title this year, with “Shawsie” in the press box. He had been given a holiday by league commissioner Dave Branch for his play.

I have chatted with Andrew on several occasions during this playoff run with the Attack. Naturally, he is thrilled to be participating in the Memorial Cup. “It was tough to sit and watch the guys during the Ontario Hockey League finals. But when we scored that final goal against the Majors, I knew it was all worthwhile.”

Andrew comes by his style of play honestly. His father, Doug, was a fine hockey player who came up through the ranks in Belleville. He took no prisoners when he played for the Junior “A” Bobcats in Belleville.

Andrew also got a taste for football in Belleville while playing in the Belleville Minor Football League. In 2003, he played on the Procter and Gamble Raiders with his brothers, Jason and Josh. Doug helped coach the team.

About a week ago, it was announced that Andrew had been selected as Belleville’s “Athlete of the Year”, the winner of the Robinson-Kelleher Trophy.
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There are four teams involved in the hunt for the Memorial Cup: the Attack, the Sea Dogs, the Kootenay Ice, and the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors, the host team. All games take place at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga.

The tournament is really a showcase for some of the fine hockey talent from around the world. There are scouts from every NHL franchise keeping on eye on the players. They like to see how highly regarded players perform on the big stage, at a critical time of the season.

The Majors have a storied hockey history that dates back to 1907. The Roman Catholic School in downtown Toronto iced its first team that year. In 1934, the team added the moniker “Majors”, and also added the second team the “Buzzers” to play at the Junior “B” level. In 2007, current owner Eugene Melnyk moved the franchise to Mississauga. Dave Cameron has served as the coach for the last ten years. He is a familiar face in the Quinte area, as his son Connor played for the Dukes. James Boyd, a perennial favourite with the Belleville Bulls, serves as his assistant coach.

The St. Michaels’ alumni is almost a “Who’s Who” in the hockey world: Tim Horton, Dick Duff, Senator Frank Mahovlich, Dave Keon, Ted Lindsay, Red Kelly, Gerry Cheevers, to name just a few. There are photographs of all alumni who have ever played in the NHL inside the old barn in downtown Toronto.

The Majors also have a couple of familiar faces on their roster: Kingston’s Cory Bureau was once a Duke, while Marc Cantin began his junior career with the Belleville Bulls.

The tournament wraps up this coming Sunday. As is always the case with the round robin format, anything can (and does) happen. The semi-final will determine who will face the Sea Dogs on Sunday. After that game, our focus will be held exclusively by the Stanley Cup playoffs. And the French Open. And baseball…..

James Hurst
May 24, 2011.

Playoff Excitement 2011

2011-05-17T06:14:00.000-07:00

This is always a great time of year for sports fans. The Stanley Cup semi-finals are under way, as are the playoffs in the National Basketball Association.

The NBA began the season with a bucketful of hype surrounding the Miami Heat. The team convinced last year’s MVP, LeBron James, to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers to join his new teammates in Florida. Chris Bosh left the Toronto Raptors as well to play in Miami. They joined Dwyane Wade, certainly one of the most exciting players in the game today.

A significant amount of animosity was generated by the activity in Miami. Most Cleveland fans felt that LeBron had abandoned them. Toronto fans did not feel quite as strongly about losing Bosh. He had not exactly won the hearts of all the fans. He was the big fish in the small pond in Toronto. In Miami, it is a different story. Some basketball pundits south of the border have begun calling Bosh “Ringo”. This is in reference to the drummer from the Beatles. He just happened to be there when they became famous.

Bosh did not play the Ringo role in the first game of their series against the Chicago Bulls. He led the team in scoring, and pulled down a few rebounds. The rest of the Heat seemed confused on the court, and definitely did not play their game. The Bulls took full advantage, and completely outplayed the Heat, especially around the basket. The Bulls have home court advantage in this series, which may be the one key factor. In NBA history, the home team wins eighty per cent of the time.

Coach Tom Thibodeau may have the horses to stop the Heat. He is a defensive specialist, and he utilised his bench to perfection in the first game. Mind you, he also has Derrick Rose, this year’s MVP. Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, and Joakim Noah also had exceptional games for the Bulls.

One click on the “Return” button on the remote led me back to the Canucks game in Vancouver. They have earned the right to play the San Jose Sharks, by virtue of their wins over the Chicago Black Hawks and the pesky Nashville Predators. The Sharks outlasted the Detroit Red Wings in their most recent marathon series. Joe Thorton led the Sharks in the opening game, but Roberto Luongo was almost unbeatable in the Canucks net.

There are two other NHL teams remaining in the hunt for the Cup: the Boston Bruins and the Tampa Bay Lightning. This has been a turbulent year for the Lightning; however, they hired Steve Yzerman as their General Manager, and at this point in time, it appears that he has done all the right things. One of the first things he did was hire Guy Boucher as his head coach, and it appears as if they have great chemistry.

They are getting scoring from their stars: Vinny Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. But they are also getting wonderful results from lesser stars: Teddy Purcell, Steve Downie, and Sean Bergenheim, who leads all post season snipers with eight goals. It is only a matter of time before Steve Stamkos also finds the net.

The Bruins lost the first game against the Lightning, on home ice. They did attempt to intimidate the boys from the Gulf Coast, to no avail. I suspect that Milan Lucic and Zdeno Chara will curb their enthusiasm slightly in the rest of this series, avoiding costly penalties. Tim Thomas will need to be sharp between the pipes for the Bruins.

The Oklahoma City Thunder earned the right to play the Dallas Mavericks in the other NBA semi-final. I am certain that the winner of that series will have a tough time against the Bulls in the final.

No matter. Just a fine time to enjoy the playoffs!

James Hurst
May 15, 2011

Royal Bank Cup 2011

2011-05-10T07:54:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the Royal Bank Cup, one of the locals borrowed the title of a children’s book to describe the Wellington entry into the Canadian Championship: “The Little Engine That Could”.

After all was said and done, of course, the Pembroke Lumber Kings hailed as the Canadian Junior “A” Champions. They defeated the Vernon Vipers in a classic defensive duel in the tournament’s final game by a score of 2-0. Both tallies were notched in the final period, one an empty-netter.

The Vipers came into the final as two-time Canadian Champions. They had gone through the tournament undefeated, and had polished off the Dukes in one of the semi-finals. The Lumber Kings, on the other hand, had clawed and scratched their way into the final. In the major upset of the tournament, they defeated the host team, the Camrose Kodiaks, to gain a berth into the final.

The two finalists skated well, and passed the puck well in the first two periods. There were, however, few quality scoring chances. Players covered well for each other. The Vernon left winger, Marcus Basara, swept in on the Kings goalie Francis Dupuis several times, but could not find the net.

Then, at the 13:39 mark of the final period, a face-off took place in the Lumber Kings’ zone. The Vipers won the draw, scooping the puck back to the blue line to Ryan Renz. He momentarily fumbled the puck along the boards. That created the break the Kings required. Jonathan Milley stole the puck, raced untouched to the Vernon goal, and slid the biscuit into the basket under Halcrow’s left leg.

The marker energized the Kings. They checked voraciously, they raced back into their own zone to clear, they poured over the boards on line changes. They were not to be denied. Milley added an empty net goal to seal the deal.

The Lumber Kings had won their first National Championship. They had played ninety-two games, and emerged with the plum. Kings’ Coach Sheldon Keefe carried his baby son Landon around the rink on a victory lap. They accepted their medals graciously. “I was proud of our guys regardless of what happened, regardless of what the outcome was of this game,” he reported after the game.

There were more than a hundred Dukes’ fans at their final game in Camrose. Most had been there the entire week, with a large contingent holed up in Wetaskiwin, almost thirty kilometres from Camrose. The players constantly thanked their fans for the great support.

And so, for the second time, the Dukes have returned home proud to have been one of the top five teams in a league of 137 teams. In this case, the little engine that just came up a little short.

James Hurst
May 10, 2011

Dukes Dumped in RBC Semi Final

2011-05-07T22:37:00.000-07:00

If you felt the earth shake a little on Saturday night, it was because the Pembroke Lumber Kings upset the home town favourites---the Cambrose Kodiacs in the late semi-final game of the Royal Bank Cup. It was definitely not expected.

The Kodiacs had defeated the Kings in the preliminary round, and they were prepared to play the final on Sunday afternoon. The whole town expected nothing less. Camrose had been a gracious host to Wellington, Vernon, Portage, and Pembroke. Particpants had been through the formalities of anthems, awards, and banquets. Incidentally, the beef was delicious.

The Kings are now settling in for the night, preparing for their game tomorrow against the powerful Vernon Vipers. The Kings had defeated the Kodiaks 4-2, with their fourth marker an empty net tally.

The Vipers advanced to the final by defeating the Wellington Dukes in the other semi-final 4-1, also with an empty net goal. For most of the crowd at the Edgeworth Centre, the result was a foregone conclusion. The Dukes, however, were not prepared to throw in the towel at any point during the game.

Time after time in the first period, Jordan Ruby demonstrated why he is considered to be a premier goalie in this country. Darren Nowick raced in off the left wing, and was thwarted by Ruby. Kyle Murphy snuck in behind the Dukes’ defense, and was rejected by a brilliant glove save.

With only eight seconds left in the period, working on a power play, Bryce Kakoske teed the puck up at the blue line. The Vipers crowded the Dukes’ crease. Ruby did not see the puck as it creased the twine. The Dukes were outshot 17-7, and were outplayed.

Less than four minutes into the second period, Kakoske grabbed the puck on the boards, drifted into the slot, and ribbed another shot past Ruby that he did not see. The Dukes regained some momentum during a power play, and Steve Evans came close with a shot that was tipped over the net.
Kirby Halcrow made two fine saves in the Kodiak net when the Dukes had the man advantage. Credit must be given to the Kodiak defense: the Dukes were not able to get off second and third shots off rebounds, which were cleared. Several Dukes’ shots were tipped or blocked.

Halcrow had played well at the tournament. His goals against average was a sparkling 2.25, his save percentage was .910, and he led his team to four straight wins. The native of Grouard on Lesser Slave Lake had almost given up on hockey earlier in the season. “It was a dream come true,” he told me, when referring the trade that was made to land him in Vernon. He left his Kapow’eno First Nation home to attend school and play hockey in Grand Prairie, Alberta. He now intends to continue his hockey adventure.

Dukes’ Coach Abrams shuffled lines in the third period to attempt to achieve some results. At the midway point in the third period, Dukes’ blueliner Elliott Richardson lofted a shot from centre ice in the general direction of the Viper net. Halcrow crouched to play the puck. As is sometimes the case, it skidded to his left and entered the net.

Wellington’s joy was short-lived. Patrick McGillis gobbled up a rebound just out of Jordan Ruby’s reach, and ripped it into the net. With less than a minute remaining, David Robinson drifted a shot into the Dukes’ empty net to seal the deal.

Ruby was rewarded for his outstanding performance by being selected as the Dukes’ “Player of the Game”. Kakoske won the award for the Vipers.

The Vipers now face the Lumber Kings in the RBC final. On paper, it appears to be a mismatch; however, it is a one game, winner-take-all championship. Anything can happen.

Photo: Kirby Halcrow and Jordan Ruby after the game.

James Hurst May 8, 2011

Just another Bump in the Road

2011-05-06T09:54:00.000-07:00

The Wellington Dukes went into last night’s game with their proverbial backs to the wall. Quite simply: win, and play again, or lose, and go home.
They defeated the Portage Terriers 6-3, earning a spot in the semi-finals of the Royal Bank Cup championships in Camrose, Alberta. The Dukes will play the Vernon Vipers on Saturday afternoon at 2:00pm Alberta time.

The Vipers defeated the Dukes in the preliminary round. It was not, however, as humiliating as the locals would have it. “VIPERS TOY WITH DUKES” read the headline in the Thursday, May 5th edition of the Edmonton Sun. Then a sub headline added: “Doyle Cup champs put serious crimp in Ontario rep’s playoff aspirations.”

The Dukes are in the playoffs following their dramatic victory over the Terriers. In a nutshell, the Dukes, the Terriers, and the Pembroke Lumber Kings finished the round robin with a win and three losses each. The number crunchers at Hockey Canada huddled, punched the data into the laptop, and declared the semi-finalists.

Joe Zarbo got the Dukes off to a quick start at the four minute mark of the first period. Sean Rudy had won a battle in the corner for the puck, and fed it to Zarbo, who demonstrated a nifty deke before beating the Terrier starter Jason Kasdorf. Two minutes later, Steve Evans fired a shot which hit Kasdorf on the shoulder, then carried into the net. Terrier coach replaced Kasdorf with Kirk Crosswell at that time.

A questionable goalie interference call nullified a third Dukes’ goal at the end of the period.

The Dukes added to their total in the second period on Evans’ second goal, a neat shot from the slot with helpers from Rudy and Zarbo. The Terriers got on the board when Tyler Moore banged in a rebound at the edge of the crease five minutes into the period.

On the next Dukes’ power play, Brian Bunnett fed a nifty pass to Darcy Greenaway who made no mistake in putting the Dukes up 4-1. Bunnett then added a marker of his own on a power play, with help from Greenaway and Murphy.

Jordan Ruby demonstrated his athletic skills for the next several minutes. He robbed Brendan Harms at point blank range as he slid across the front of the net. Tanner Walvogel and Tyler Moore also went to the Terrier bench wondering how to beat the Dukes’ netminder.

Sean Rudy again found himself in the corner fighting for the puck to start the third period. Again, he won the battle. And once again, his feed to Zarbo was on the mark, resulting in the Dukes’ sixth marker.

Cory Moore was credited with the Terriers second goal, a point shot that changed direction in front of Ruby. On another deflected shot, Yvan Pattyn’s blue line drive eluded Ruby to put the score at 6-3.

And that, said the barker, was “all she wrote”. The Dukes had just enough markers on the board to earn a playoff berth.

Sean Rudy was naturally excited after learning of the Dukes’ success. “We started this game full of energy. We were ready to go. We knew what we had to do.” Linemate Zarbo had a slightly different approach: “We weren’t thinking about moving on or anything like that. We just wanted to play basic hockey.”

Marty Abrams was not surprised at the Dukes goal total. “We have been hot and cold all year, in terms of scoring. Better late than never! But I was really happy with our power play today.”

Notes: The Dukes had held the lead for only 9:33 in their first three games. They had taken the most shots on goal (100), with the fewest goals (6). The game was the first ever for the Dukes against a team from Manitoba.

Photo:
A relaxed and smiling Jordan Ruby leads his teammates through the phalanx created by Dukes’ supporters as the team boards the bus to the game. A tradition started in Charlottetown, in 2003, the rally seems to spur on the Dukes. Obviously, the result was satisfactory against Portage.

James Hurst
May 6, 2011
Camrose, Alberta.

The Fields Will be Ready in a Month

2011-05-05T09:31:00.000-07:00

There are great lakes in the middle of the wheat fields in central Alberta.

The Wellington Dukes have come up a little short at the RBC tournament, experiencing three straight losses for the first time in more than a year. For the most part, the games have been close. Last night’s loss to the Vernon Vipers was not reflected in the Edmonton Sun headline: “Vipers Toy with the Dukes!” Not in the slightest.

Steven Weinstein has been playing for the Vipers for three years. There are two Royal Bank Cups on his mantel. If he scores a third cup, it will be the first time in the history of the tournament that a team has done the three-pete. His father, a Detroit transplant to California, lives the game of hockey. He told me that his son, a diminutive defenseman, is on his way next year to Bentley, an NCAA Division One school in the Boston area.

A ticket to the NCAA is the ultimate goal for most players in Canadian Junior “A” hockey. Many of the players at this level, especially in this tournament, could be playing in the Canadian Hockey league. They lose their eligibility to receive an NCAA scholarship the instant they step on the ice in a regular season game in the CHL. So they choose to stay at the Junior “A” level.

Kyle Murphy opened the scoring for the Vipers on a rather weak shot from the left wing boards that seemed to handcuff Jordan Ruby in the Dukes’ net. To his credit, Ruby maintained his composure, and faced a barrage of shots in the next five minutes from the Vipers. At the half way point in the period, the Dukes were outshot 10 to 1.

With the Dukes a man short, Adam Thompson ripped a shot from the blue line that Ruby stopped, but lost in the traffic once the rebound hit the ice. Robinson was given credit for the goal that squirted into the net; however, it likely went in off the Dukes’ Rusty Hafner’s skate blade.

Jeff Stanton set up the Dukes first goal on a gritty effort along the right wing. He was crushed just over the Viper blue line, but managed to slip the puck onto the stick of Darcy Murphy. Murphy wrapped the puck around the net, saw the puck fly into the air, and trickle down behind the Viper goalie.

Later in the period, Joe Zarbo rang a shot off the post on a Dukes’ power play. Sean Rudy also had a good scoring opportunity as he approached the Viper goal in a two-on-one. He ripped a shot that singed the top of the crossbar

The Dukes were outshot 23-10 in the period, mysteriously changed from an original count of 18-8. The men in the striped shirts had too much to say about the outcome of the game, particularly in the early stages, calling far too many unnecessary penalties.
Just before the seven minute mark of the second period, the Dukes enjoyed a two man power play. The puck came back to the point in the Viper end, but trickled over the blue line. Patrick McGillis snatched the loose puck and headed for the Dukes goal on a two on zero break for the Vipers. Using Dylan Walchuk as a decoy, he fired the puck past Ruby to give the Vipers the lead they did not relinquish.

The Vipers made a habit of looking for scoring opportunities while playing short-handed. They had a couple of other similar opportunities late in the period, thwarted by Ruby.

The Dukes began the third period with a 5 on 3 power play, and a fresh sheet of ice, but could not convert the opportunity; however, with less than four minutes gone in the period, Joe Zarbo converted a pass from Rudy, to cut the lead to 3-2.
The Dukes were unable to find the equalizer, and saw two Viper pucks enter the net near the end of the game. Both could be attributed in failure to control the pucks in their own zone.

After the game, Vipers head coach Mark Ferner commented on his team’s performance: “We knew we were facing a great goalie in Ruby. We got our defense to get pucks to the net, and were able to convert from there.”

Dukes head coach Marty Abrams was left scratching his head after the game. “You have to play with a sense of urgency every single minute in a game like this. We lost some opportunities on our power play. It has gone south on us this week.” Assistant Coach Todd Reid described the short-handed goal against the Dukes as a “heartbreaker”.

At this point, the Dukes are looking for a small miracle to propel them into Saturday’s semi finals. Stranger things have happened, but it certainly is an uphill battle.

There will not be any “toying around” the rest of the way at the Edgeworth Centre in Camrose.

Photo note: Jack Miller broadcasting from the upper level of the Edgeworth Centre, with OHA President Brent Ladds supplying the Colour for the game.

James Hurst
May 5, 2011

Notes From Camrose-Royal Bank Cup 2011

2011-05-03T08:38:00.000-07:00

The Wellington Dukes’ second game at the Royal Bank Cup in Camrose, Alberta, was dubbed “The Battle of Ontario”. The Dukes faced the Pembroke Lumber Kings, representing the eastern regions of Canada.
Both teams entered the game on a losing note, having lost their first game of the Round-Robin part of the tournament. With one team being cast aside after preliminary round play, the game with Pembroke appeared critical. The winner would leave the game with a one and one record, the loser winless in two games.
The Dukes had been upset in their first game against the host team, the Camrose Kodiacs. Always a critical factor in any short series, the Kodiacs’ goaltender stood on his head in the first period, allowing the Dukes but one goal on 18 shots. Joe Zarbo smacked a perfect pass from Sean Rudy and Steve Evans on a Dukes’ power play to put the Dukes on the scoresheet.
Camrose countered with a goal early in the second period, bringing the home crowd to life. The Dukes responded a couple of minutes later on a goal by Evans from Rudy and Bunnett. The Kodiaks notched a couple of goals before the end of the second period, and that was “all she wrote.”
Wellington fired everything but the kitchen sink at Flette in the Camrose goal, but could not beat him. Flette was selected as player of the game for the Kodiacs. Rudy won the award for the Dukes.
In the second game, the Lumber Kings opened the scoring on a goal by Gallant on a soft pass from Matthew Zay. It was the only goal in the period, leaving the Dukes to consider minor adjustments in the second period; however, at that point things took a nasty turn. The Lumber Kings refused to follow the script designed by the Dukes’ coaching staff.

They banged home two goals to take a 3-0 lead with less than six minutes gone in the period. Cam Yuill responded with his first goal prior to the half way point in the period. Yuill had picked up the puck as he trailed the play, and snapped the puck by Dupuis. The Lumber Kings replied less than a minute later when Matthew Peca beat Rylett, who had replaced Jordan Ruby in the Dukes’ net. Yuill notched his second goal at 17:08 of the second period, leaving the Dukes trailing 4-2.
While playing short-handed in the dying seconds of the period, Simon Bessette grabbed up a loose puck and raced in alone on Dupuis in the Kings’ goal. His shot grazed the post. From that point on, it appeared that the Dukes had little left in their tanks.

The Dukes had been saddled with eight minor penalties in the first two periods, forcing Coach Abrams to make adjustments to his lines. They played tentatively in the latter stages of the game. They took ill-advised shots, and passed up good shooting chances.
After the game, Coach Sheldon Keefe praised the efforts of Peca and Jonathan Milley. “Those guys led the way, We lean heavily on them, and they responded. Our goaltender played much better tonight. We challenged him after the first game. I also liked the play of our depth guys. Tonight’s game was a good step in the right direction.”
Dukes’ assistant coach Todd Reid felt that the Dukes lacked focus in the game. “We got away from our game plan. We will regroup and we will be ready to play on Wednesday.”

Hanging over their heads all this time was Don Cherry’s prediction on the Coaches’ Corner that the Dukes would win the Cup. The fat lady has not begun to sing, but at this point, it does not bode well for the Dukes.

Post script: The photograph at the top of the article is a picture of a large board listing all of the teams eligible to play for the Cup. All things considered, it is a great accomplishment to get this far.

James Hurst
May 2, 2011

An evening with the Senator

2011-04-30T12:02:00.000-07:00

Senator Jacques Demers recently spoke to a group of businessmen in Belleville. Now approaching his sixty-seventh birthday, he spends a little time nowadays on the road, sharing a message or two with anyone who cares to listen.

To say that he has had a fascinating trip to the present is a serious understatement.

He was appointed to the Canadian Senate by Prime Minister Harper on August 27, 2009. At that time, more than a few questions arose regarding the appointment. Most hockey observers knew that he had coached for many years. We had heard his analysis on television during intermissions. Other than that, we knew very little about the man.

In 2005, Demers revealed that he was “functionally illiterate”. In essence, he was incapable of reading anything of significance. In his address to the Belleville Men’s Sales and Ad Club, he admitted that he could decipher sufficiently to get by, to get the significance of a newspaper article, for example.

The crux of the matter stemmed from a difficult childhood. “My father was an alcoholic,” he said, “and he was abusive”. “He was always telling me that I was stupid, and dumb. It was very difficult for me to grow through that. Then my mother died of leukemia when I was sixteen. That made it really tough.”

Demers remembered the trouble he had at school. He was terrified, and anxious. “I was a loner. I did not want to deal with people. I never liked being judged by other people.” As a result, he slipped through the educational cracks in Quebec and became successful as a hockey coach, unable to read.

He began his coaching career in the minor ranks in Quebec, and caught on with the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association. He coached the Cincinnati Stingers in 1977-1978, then headed to Fredericton to coach the Express in the American League. He coached the Chicago Cougars and the Quebec Nordiques in the WHA.

The Nordiques then entered the NHL, with Demers at the helm. He followed that stint with years in St. Louis, Detroit, Montreal, and Tampa Bay. He coached the Habs to a Stanley Cup victory in 1993.

Demers always insisted upon respect from his players as a coach. “Three things are most important,” he told the gathering. “Character, discipline, and drive.”

When he took over the Red Wings, they were in rough shape. “The Dead Wings,” he called them. They had not been in the playoffs for seven years in a row. He asked the players to “pay the price”, and to “make the commitment to success”. At that time, he knew he needed a leader for his team. He did not have to look too far. Steve Yzerman was ready for the task.

After the Wings first training camp in Flint under Demers, changes were in order. “I told them that I did not care if they liked me. I told them that they must not think that any of them is bigger than the team. I knew I had to get rid of some of them, even a 40 goal scorer. On player threw his sweater on the floor, in disgust. It did not take me long to get rid of him.”

Demers believes that adversity can bring out the best in people. In a series against the Nordiques, the Wings lost the first two games. He then told his players: “Now we have them exactly where we want them.” There was a little doubt; however, the Nordiques took the Wings lightly, the Wings dug deep, and they won the next four games.

Demers excused himself quickly after his speech. The “tweeters” in the crowd told him the Habs were ahead of the Bruins 2-1 in the second period of the sixth game. He just had to watch the rest of the game. He answered a question about the former Belleville Bull P. K. Subban. “I know that he has had a tough time occasionally this year.” He said that Subban has had to deal with a lot of different issues, some with racial undertones. But Demers did predict that some day Subban will win the Norris Trophy as the best defenceman in the NHL.

In an interesting twist to his life, he revealed that he reads quite well now, but that he learned to read English before French. He recognized the efforts of his Anglophone wife.

He finished by telling the group that winning the Stanley Cup was “the icing on the cake”, then bolted for the exit to watch his beloved Habs. His big disappointment came a day later, when the Habs were eliminated. No worries. Still lots of great hockey to follow!

James Hurst
May 1, 2011.

Stanley Cup Playoffs 2011

2011-04-26T10:01:00.001-07:00

This year’s version of the Stanley Cup Playoffs has been the most exciting in years. The first round has not yet been completed. Many of our favourite teams are still hanging in there, some by mighty fine threads.

Latest results show that television ratings are through the roof, particularly because the two Canadian teams still in the hunt are in real dog fights.

The Habs are involved with their friends from Boston. The Big Bad Bruins of old are starting to bare their gums, and the Canadiens are ready for them. It has been a most entertaining series, back and forth.

Those of us in the Quinte area have a special interest in Montreal, because of a certain P. K. Subban. Subban spent his entire Ontario Hockey League career with the Belleville Bulls, and made believers out of many Bulls’ fans along the way. There are others who still have not been convinced about P. K.’s style of play. He has driven coaches mad with his free-wheeling ways. For the most part, however, he has learned enough about the game to qualify as a fine blue-liner for the Habs.

Prior to Game Six, he spoke with Sun Media about their prospects, and about the play of Habs’ goalie Carey Price: “He’s played so well for us. He’s been our best player every night.” Price, however, has lost seven straight playoff games at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Subban added, in reference to Tuesday’s game in Montreal; “We will get that win”. Perhaps a little more fuel for the Bruins!

But that is Pernell Karl’s style, and he isn’t about to change. “When my team has put me in that situation so many times, I know they need me to play that way. I know I have to bring it every night.”

Another local player has already wrapped up the first round of the playoffs. A very special win, at that. The Nashville Predators have won a playoff round for the first time in their history. Shane O’Brien has been a rock on defence for the Predators all year long. He toiled for the Canucks last season. He began his career with the Ducks, moved to Tampa Bay, then Vancouver.

A most affable guy off the ice, O’Brien spends his summers in the area, often working out with Brad Richardson, now with the Los Angeles Kings. O’Brien is a tough customer on the ice, and often comes under the scrutiny of Colin Campbell and the other league officials who determine right from wrong in the NHL. O’Brien has been asked to sit for a game or two during his career. He plays, as they say, “with an edge”. He is almost six feet, three inches tall, and tips the scales at more than 220 pounds, and has never shied away from the rough stuff.

In the current set of O Pee Chee hockey cards, there are fifteen cards of interest to local collectors. Dwayne Roloson, a former Belleville Bobcat, is pictured on card # 415. He is doing his best to keep Penguin pucks out of his Lightning net, with game seven slated for Wednesday night. If the Penguins advance, Matt Cooke, the Wellington Duke graduate on card # 227, will dress for the Pens, following his suspension.

Daniel Cleary is pictured on card # 471. He and his Wings have been resting following their first round success. It says here the Wings will be a force in the playoffs this year. Matt Beleskey, another former Bull on card # 451, has been getting plenty of ice time this year with the Ducks. He and his team mates are now on holidays, following their loss to the Predators.

The other game that will garner most of the nation’s attention will be the battle between the Chicago Black Hawks and the Vancouver Canucks. It has been a mystery, to be sure. Just when the Canucks had pretty well aced the Hawks with three straight wins, the Windy City boys have clawed their way back into the fray. The pundits have questioned the goaltending of Roberto Luongo. He has even been benched this series. Nerves are seriously frayed on the West Coast.

By the time you read this, the die will be cast. The winners will be moving on, the losers will be polishing their golf clubs.

This will all be settled some time in June.

James Hurst
April 26, 2011

Bundle Up in Beantown!

2011-04-18T13:18:00.000-07:00

The Blue Jays were in Boston last weekend for a four game series. They are winding down a road trip that has been satisfactory, although a little bumpy in Seattle. Any time you lose a game, after leading 7-0 in the latter stages……They will remember that on for a long time.

They ran up the steps of the dugout in Fenway only to find very nasty weather. Certainly not baseball weather. Even on the television screens, cuddled in our favourite blankets with a hot cup of cocoa, we could see the players’ breath. Pitchers were given special dispensation to blow (spit?) on their hands, while standing on the mound.

The game was not designed to be played in such conditions. We know that. That is why there is a dome in Toronto. There is also a retractable roof. We like that because we can go to the ballpark in the summer and bask in the great Canadian sun while watching the game. But we also know that if we have driven a couple of hundred kilometres to get to the stadium, there will be a game. No rain outs here.

Any team that plans to build a baseball park north of the Mason-Dixon Line must have a roof on the stadium. Plans must be submitted to Bud Selig for his approval. That will cut down on rain outs, and snow outs. It just makes sense.

Last Friday night, Brett Cecil did not have his overwhelming stuff. But he used what he had effectively, and picked up the win over the Red Sox. Jays fans were kept on the edge of their seats as there was a partial meltdown by the bullpen. But the Sox fell short by one run, and their record fell to 2-10.

As one of the teams that spend a considerable amount of money on its players, the Sox are not thrilled with failure. Their affable giant, “Big Papi” David Ortiz spoke about his concern before the game. Rarely do players speak about failure. Bobby Jenks has arrived in Boston from the Chicago White Sox. His comment: “When is it time to worry? I think we’re there now. To come back now, it’s going to take all year long.”

The Blue Jays have been hit with a rash of injuries already this season, and they were hoping to get a few things in place before facing the Yankees this week. The Bronx Bombers lead the division by a whisker ahead of the Jays. The Jays bolted from the gate to start the season, and are keeping pace with a .500 road trip.

New manager, John Farrell, has brought a refreshing change to the way of doing business on the field. The Jays are running the bases. They are stretching their leads, they are taking more risks. They lead the American League in stolen bases. They are playing exciting baseball.

Last year, they led the Major Leagues in home runs, led by the incomparable Jose Bautista. All Blue Jays fans enjoyed his exploits throughout the season. The rest of the team followed suit, swinging from their heels, on occasion, to bang out round trippers. It became infectious, and successful. But they did not win the division, and they knew that more was required.

So they are now running, with success. And they are receiving unexpected dividends from their bullpen. Time after time, at this early juncture in the season, the bullpen gate has been opened to usher in another successful stopper to the mound for the Jays. The best in the American League, at this point.

Alas, the best laid plans of mice and men can sometimes go array. The Red Sox decided enough was enough, and proceeded to bomb the Jays in the last three games of the series. Not a thing went right for the Jays. All went well for the Sox.

The Jays will try to get back on the winning track this week, starting with the Yankees Tuesday night. They certainly got schooled by the Sox, and there must be a few fragile egos at this time.

The dialogue in the Toronto papers will run along the lines of “It is still early in the season”, or “The Sox were due for a turn around”, or “We must be patient with all of the young players in the lineup”. All well and good, but the size of the Blue Jay faithful will dwindle if they continue to stumble.

A couple of wins against the Yankees would be the perfect tonic to get back to good health.

James Hurst
April 18, 2011

Hockey Playoffs in the ECHL

2011-04-10T09:26:00.001-07:00

During my winter visit to the south, I focused on the teams in Florida. Let me take a moment of your time, with your permission, and update you on the current status of those teams. First of all, the Panthers are not headed for the playoffs, having lost more games by one goal than any other team in the history of the NHL. Always so close, no cigar. The Tampa Bay Lightning finished the season quite strongly, and they anticipate a long playoff run. Their captain, “Vinnie” Lecavalier, has picked up the pace.

The Everblades have their backs to the wall in the opening round of the playoffs. They are playing the Kalamazoo Wings, from Michigan. Nick Bootland, whom we remember from his days with the Guelph Storm, coaches the Wings. You will also find Justin Taylor’s name on the roster.

Justin played for the Wellington Dukes for the entire 2005-2006 season. He started the following season with the Dukes, but was called up to the OHL to play for the London Knights, much to the chagrin of Dukes’ fans and coaching staff. He played four seasons for the Knights, putting up impressive numbers throughout his OHL career. He was a fine player, and continues to play well, spending some time this season with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League.

The Wheeling Nailers are also involved in the ECHL playoffs. They lead the South Carolina Sting Rays two games to one in their opening round playoff series. Stan Drulia stands behind the Nailers’ bench. This is his first season in Wheeling, but he has been in the coaching ranks for almost ten years. He began with the Orlando Seals in 2002, following a successful playing career.

Local hockey pundits remember Drulia from his playing days with the Belleville Bulls. In his rookie season in 1984-85, he had 55 points including 25 goals. As a sophomore, he potted 43 goals for the Bulls. He played two years with the Hamilton Steelhawks and then finished his OHL career with the Niagara Falls Thunder. In his final year in the Falls, he did not dress for all of the games. But in 47 games, he had 52 goals, 93 assists, averaging more than three points per game! As a final result, he still holds the career record for scoring the most points in the OHL.

Drulia spent the next several years in professional hockey, either in the AHL or in the NHL with the Tampa Bay Lightning. His career was shortened by a back injury suffered in a game in Detroit while he was playing with the Lightning.

Always a classy individual, Drulia reminisced about his days in Belleville when I caught up with him prior to his game against the Everblades. “I lived with the Dolans, and I still keep in touch with them. They were great billets!”

He proudly told me that seventeen of his players had been called up to the American Hockey League this past season. He also reaffirmed my opinion that the ECHL is a big step up, even for players from the CHL. “Men and boys”, he put it succinctly.

He has kept track of the Belleville Bulls over the years. “I really loved the place,” he told me, “and I would love to work there.” In the meantime, he will try to get his troops into a position to take home the Kelly Cup.

James Hurst
April 9, 2011

NCAA Basketball Finals 2011

2011-04-05T16:51:00.000-07:00

There is a certain fanaticism surrounding the college basketball championships every spring in the United States. The entire nation embraces the game, and the hype surrounding the annual tournament never diminishes.

There are sixty-eight teams invited to participate in the championship tournament, often referred to as “The Dance”. Four teams are eliminated, resulting in the brackets. The sixty-four remaining teams are seeded, and the games begin: win, and you play again, lose, and you go home.

Even President Obama got into the action. He was interviewed while he carefully made his bracket selections, hoping to end up choosing the eventual winner. Alas, he did not choose perfectly, nor did most of the other basketball experts. In one contest consisting of five million entries, only two participants chose correctly.

I was pleased to be invited to take part in the process at poolside in Florida. There was a good deal of banter surrounding the process. One expert quipped, “What does the Canadian know about basketball?” Another suggested I stick to hockey pools. Ah! The challenge! So many choices, so little time.

I buckled down and gave a lot of consideration to my choices. Ohio State was a given. They led the country, and could be counted on to advance to the finals. Kentucky was strong, but faced Ohio State in the early going. Kansas was also a sure thing, as was BYU, led by “Jimmer” Fredette. (Fredette was named the outstanding player of the year, and received the Naismith Trophy at half time in the final.)

One by one, teams were eliminated as the tournament progressed. This is serious stuff, south of the Canadian border. One of the residents at our complex, the congenial Kentucky Colonel whose real name is “Phil from Louisville”, was devastated when his beloved Cardinals were eliminated by Morehead State in the first round.

When the final eight teams moved on, I was eliminated from the pool, the only player in that position. As luck would have it, all of the experts at Majestic Palms also went home empty handed. Carlo took home the cash. He is a wonderful guy, but very Italian, and has no interest whatsoever in basketball. He basically made his selections with coin flips.

Butler gained entry into the final with a victory over Virginia Commonwealth. Considered to be a Cinderella team to some extent, Butler was playing in its second consecutive National Championship. They would play the Connecticut Huskies, a powerful squad that had knocked off Kentucky in the semi-final.

NBA players take a keen interest in the game, especially if their colleges are represented. Ben Gordon of the Detroit Pistons, played for the Huskies. Butler got support from Gordon Hayward, now with the Utah Jazz.

When the final buzzer sounded last Monday night, the Huskies prevailed over the Butler Bulldogs 53-41. For a variety of reasons, Butler had difficulty putting the ball in the hoop. They made less than 20 % of their shots from the floor, the worst shooting percentage in the history of the tournament.

Kemba Walker hit key three point shots for the Huskies, and earned the player of the game award. His coach, Jim Calhoun had won his third NCAA Championship. He is, in fact, at 68 years of age, twice as old as the Butler coach, Brad Stevens.

The ladders were in place under the baskets at the trophy presentation. According to tradition, players on the winning team climb the ladders and cut the twine from the hoops. A most satisfying conclusion to a rather bizarre championship game.

James Hurst April 5, 2011
Sportslices.blogspot.com

Opening Day-2011

2011-03-28T14:17:00.001-07:00

They are packing their bags here in Florida for the annual trek north. On Friday, the Blue Jays open their regular season against the Minnesota Twins. As has usually been the case, the Rogers Centre is sold out for the first game; however, rest assured there will be plenty of seats for all eighty subsequent games.

The Jays have made some moves in the off-season, some quite unpopular. Vernon Wells will not be patrolling centre field this year for the Jays. As you might expect, that has freed up some necessary cash to fill the void. Other notables who have taken their skills elsewhere include: John Buck, Scott Downs, Kevin Gregg, Fred Lewis, Shaun Marcum, Bryan Tallet, and Dewayne Wise.

Last Friday night the Jays travelled south to tangle with the mighty Red Sox. The Sox fielded a strong lineup for their fans at City of Palms Stadium. There is a little political intrigue at work here in Fort Myers. Next year the team is moving to a completely new complex, not entirely supported by everyone in the community. Their current home is not yet 25 years old, and is in fine condition. But the practice fields are almost three miles down the road. There are very few “money boxes”, suites for better income. The current neighbourhood around the ball park was supposed to develop as a result of the building of the stadium. No such luck.

In many ways, the teams hold the cities hostage in the game of location, no matter what the sport, or the time of year. To turn a phrase from the wonderful baseball movie, Field of Dreams, the baseball moguls insist, “If you don’t build it where we want, we won’t come”.

Starting for the Red Sox: Ellsbury, Pedroia, new addition Carl Crawford, Gonzalez, Youkilis, Ortiz, J.D. Drew, Varitek, and Marco Scutaro. First rate squad. The Jays countered with: Corey Patterson, Mike McCoy, Eric Thames, Encarnacion, Cooper, Arencibia, Adam Loewen, Jonathan Diaz, and Anthony Gose. On paper, it looked like a complete mismatch.

The Jays started Jesse Litsch, the Sox Josh Beckett. This had the potential to be a strong pitcher’s duel. As the final score of 11-8 indicates, nothing could have been further from the truth. The Jays had 15 hits, the Sox 17 hits. There were stolen bases, hit batsmen, catcher interference, the whole gambit of baseball goodies.

With such a lineup of relative newcomers, I had a chance to focus on a couple of relatively new players. Adam Loewen has spent the last couple of years digging into the batter’s box for a chance to play major league baseball. His mission began almost ten years ago when he was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles, fourth overall, as a pitcher. He is presently 26 years old, and is working hard to re-invent himself as a player.

A native of British Columbia, Loewen knew he could hit. But it had been several years since he had stood at home plate. In the Orioles chain, up until 2008, he had been a pitcher. A stress fracture in his throwing arm kept him on the sidelines. In July of that year, he announced that he would convert to the outfield, or first base, or any place else except the mound.

He has spent the past three springs in the Jays’ spring training camps, vying for a position on the big league squad. Last Friday night, he clobbered a double of Josh Beckett, then sent a towering blast into the Florida sky. His batting average hovers around the .400 mark.

Could the Jays use such a bat? Are there others also lurking in the shadows, waiting for that opportunity to run the bases at the Rogers? You bet there are. That is why they are here.

Both the Jays and the Red Sox got hits from every position in the lineup. Pitching coaches got the night off. Don’t be surprised to see some of the aforementioned names in the starting lineup for the Jays in a week or two. Spring training is also an exercise in finding that “diamond in the rough”. That refers to the talent, not the field. Perhaps another metaphor would have been more appropriate!

Vladimir Guerrero. Carl Crawford. David Ortiz. Justin Morneau. Joe Mauer. Jim Thome. Just a few of the baseball personalities that we have seen this spring. Primed and ready to knock the cover off the ball. On the stage at Spring Training, 2011, now heading north.

James Hurst
March 28, 2011

All Good Reasons!

2011-03-20T13:32:00.001-07:00

At this point in the National Hockey League season, with less than a dozen games left, teams and individual players have a variety of motivations. Some teams are on the brink of elimination from post-season play, and are desperate to win to make the playoffs. Others have discovered that they cannot make the playoffs, and assume a spoiler role, trying to beat the teams that are above them.

Individually, some players are in the last year of their contracts, and they like to play well at the end of the regular season, and into the playoffs, to leave a good impression for contract talks coming up after the season.

Last week we headed over to Fort Lauderdale to see our final game before heading north. The Panthers were hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers are in the process of jockeying for position at the top of the heap, playing hard to help determine whom they might play in the first round of the post-season games. The Panthers are playing for pride.

As has been the case with so many of the Panthers’ games this year, the result was in doubt until the final seconds. With more than 70 games under their belts in this 82 game season, the Panthers have had almost fifty games determined by one goal. There have been a few empty net games built into this statistic. They have had more than their share of overtime games, mostly losses. They have struggled with shootouts. They are close, but they do not emerge with the cigar.

Between Sections 115 and 120 at the Bank/Atlantic Centre, you will find an impressive display of Florida Panther memorabilia. That zone has been dubbed the “Den of Honour”, and features everything from soup to nuts about the history of the young Florida franchise. There is a special plaque at the front of the area acknowledging the contribution of Bill Torrey. He can be rightfully considered as the father of the franchise, as he oversaw the building of the team from its infancy. I chatted with him between periods about his days with the Islanders.

He built the Islander franchise, and was there for their series of Stanley Cups, sipping the champagne with the likes of Bossy, Bourne, Potvin, Clark Gillies, and Billy Smith. He would love history to repeat itself in Florida. No such luck up to this point in time; however, that myth about a southern team not being able to win the big one has been shattered a couple of times: Tampa Bay and the West Coast Ducks sport gaudy rings.

The “Den of Honour” pays tribute to players who have donned the Panther sweater in the past, and an impressive cast it is. Goaltenders: Roberto Luongo and John Van Biesbrouck. Skaters: Kirk Muller, Dino Ciccarelli, Olli Jokinen, Gord Murphy, Rob Niedermayer, Viktor Kozlov, Igor Larionov, and the Bure brothers-Valeri and Pavel. Current Panther colour man on the telecasts Bill Lindsay is also recognized. Scott Mellanby’s goal on the sixth of October, 1993 was the Panther first.

Torrey was at the helm, Bobby Clarke was the first GM, and Roger Nielsen was behind the bench when Mellanby lit the lamp. An impressive array of suits. Last year, Dale Tallon took over the reins as GM. He is a Quebec lad, from the Rouen-Noranda mines. We discussed his early days as he perused an email from a mutual friend. “I remember all those days with those guys,” he stated. He has the monstrous job of turning this franchise into a winner. He did so in Chicago, helping the Hawks to their first Cup since the early sixties. He has his work cut out for him, with a fine core of young players on which to build.

Two nights later, the Panthers blanked the Leafs 4-0, making it a little more difficult for the Blue and White to head into the playoffs. Then again, that is the nature of late season play. For all those good reasons!

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com March 20, 2011

Great Sports Traditions

2011-03-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

From the time that games began, several centuries ago, sport traditions have become an important part of life. Consider soccer without its cheers, and songs, and yes, its hooligans. Cricket goers always assemble on the lawn during a break to consume their cucumber sandwiches. And football without tailgating? That just won’t work.

There are a few great songs related to hockey, none more important than “The good old hockey game”, warbled from rink to rink by Prince Edward Islander Stompin’ Tom Connors. Baseball also has its great traditional songs. The prime example? “Take me out to the ball game!” It is sung at nearly every baseball park from coast to coast, usually during the seventh inning stretch-another fine baseball given.

A great tradition at Wrigley Field in Chicago is to have a celebrity sing “Take me out to the ball game”. It is someone’s responsibility to make sure that the singer knows some of the words, and is relatively sober when asked to step before the microphone. Naturally, that has not always been the case. Stars of stage and screen have been honoured with the task. One of racing’s Bush brothers, Kurt, (I think), sang the song for the Cubs’ faithful when I attended their game several years ago. He did a credible job, politely applauded.

Several years ago, another fine song hit the streets entitled, “Talkin’ Baseball”. It stirred the blood with references to the greats of the game. The Toronto Blue Jays adopted the tune, “O K, Blue Jays, Let’s play ball!” I am not exactly certain when that became a staple. Fans are encouraged to stand, sing the song, and wave their arms according to the gestures from on-field kids who know what they are doing. I am always a bar or two behind in the gesturing business.

For many years, the grounds crew in Detroit stopped at second base while grooming the field between innings. They then performed the traditional arm movements to the music of the Village Peoples’ “YMCA”, blaring from the sound system. Most of the grounds crew tip the scale near the 300 pound mark, adding a little extra to the exercise.

Another baseball tradition developed after the 9/11 tragedy in New York. Fans in American baseball parks rise and sing the most patriotic song, “God Bless America,”many with their hands on their hearts. The song was also used during the playoff runs of the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1980s. It was a stirring rendition by Kate Reid, often achieving the desired effect of raising the spirit of the fans to an absolute frenzy.

And what would Yankee Stadium be without the strains of “New York, New York” after every game from Frank Sinatra?

Kevin Millar recently retired as a major league baseball player. They have not yet cast his plaque for Cooperstown, and that is not likely to happen in the near future. But he was well respected as a player, and as a character. Fans loved him. He was not shy about cutting up a little to ease the tension. There are snippets on You Tube of Kevin performing “Born in the USA” a la Bruce Springsteen.

Apparently, Kevin also belted out “Sweet Caroline” occasionally to entertain his teammates. Duly recorded, it became a hit on the big screen at Fenway. The Red Sox Nation loved it. It became tradition. Nowadays, at every Boston game, they play Neil Diamond’s version of the hit, and the fans sing along. Last year, on or about July Fourth, Diamond snuck out of the Red Sox dugout to lead the fans in the singing of his song. It was well received, needless to say.

Even in Spring Training, traditions are maintained. Neil Caldeira is a Bostonian who winters in Fort Myers, and works as an usher for the Red Sox. He appeared in front of the bleachers and led us in a stirring rendition of “Sweet Caroline”, in fine voice. He may be ready for La Scala in Milan. The fans loved his enthusiasm, and his charm.

Yet another tradition from the great game of baseball.

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com March 14, 2011

Topps Baseball Cards-2011

2011-03-06T06:24:00.000-08:00

My hands always tremble a little when I open my first pack of cards from a new issue. While checking out of the local Target store, I happened to spot a rack of trading cards near the news stand.

There was the usual mix of sport and non-sport cards. Surprisingly, there were packs of Upper Deck Series Two hockey cards. Included in the packs were Stanley Cup winner Patrick Sharp from the Black Hawks and the Leafs Nikolai Kelemin. The Hawks are in a dog fight just to make the playoffs this year in the seriously competitive west. The Leafs are making some waves, but have a mountain to climb before they decide on the parade route on Yonge Street.

I was surprised to find Donruss hockey cards as well, making their first appearance in several years. I only purchased a couple of packs, but netted a card of Dwayne Roloson, a veteran goalie who played a year with the Belleville Bobcats. David Booth, a spectacular young forward with the Florida Panthers, was in the second pack I cracked. Mike Smith, who has almost as many relatives in “The County” as Tod Lavender, is captured in his Lightning uniform with a picture of “Storm” from the X-Men movie on his mask. Storm as you will recall, was played by Halle Berry, never a bad thing.

Topps has been marketing baseball cards for 60 years. The 1952 series is the one most treasured by card collectors. The Mickey Mantle card in that series has truly driven the hobby for many years. Part of the mystique arose from Mantle’s prowess on the field. He played for the New York Yankees, who dominated baseball when Mantle roamed the outfield.

The Brooklyn Dodgers can rightfully be considered the main competitor of the Yankees during that period. Sadly, one of the great Dodger players passed away this past week. Duke Snider, a member of baseball’s Hall of Fame, became a fan favourite of Canadians following his storied career. He worked with Dave Van Horne on Montreal Expo broadcasts.
Personally, I really enjoyed rain delays during the Expo games. That gave Duke a chance to spin a yarn or two about the game. He was informative, humourous, and easily related wonderful stories about the game and its players. He had played for the Montreal Royals in the International League before joining the Dodgers.

Jackie Robinson also played for the Royals before moving up to the Dodgers. He was the first African American to break the colour barrier. A replica of Robinson’s 1952 topps was included in the packs I opened. Naturally, I would have preferred the original, with a value of several thousand dollars.

On the back of Jackie’s card, there is a wealth of information. He was the Rookie of the Year in 1947, when he played 151 games as a first baseman. In 1949, he was the league’s MVP, and an all star for the next three years, but as a second baseman. He led the way for so many other truly great African American players, and was a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Stephen Strasburg, the towering fireballer with the Washington Nationals, is pictured on card # 10. On the back of the card are the words: “Steven may miss 2011 as he rehabs from elbow surgery.” You may strike the word “may” from that sentence. He had “Tommy John” surgery, effectively eliminating him from play this season. The Senators, in effect, the transplanted Expos, will struggle again this season. They look forward to the arrival of Bryce Harper, the first overall draft choice out of Nevada.

Harper will start in the Nationals’ farm system, as he has yet to celebrate his nineteenth birthday. He does bring hope to the woeful Nationals, and every baseball fan will be watching his progress carefully.

Less than a month from now, the rosters will be filled, and the games will begin-all 162 for every team. In the meantime, I will enjoy four March games here in Fort Myers.

James Hurst---March 5, 2011

Life's Mysteries from the Twilight Zone

2011-02-26T10:36:00.000-08:00

The Minnesota Twins Spring Training Complex is located in the heart of Fort Myers. There are several baseball fields, a main stadium, and other locations for players to ply the trade. You enter the ball park off Six Mile Cypress Expressway, and you can park at any of the crossroads, named after Twins’ great players: Carew, Allison, Perry, and Blyleven, to name a few. (Bert Blyleven is one of this year’s inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame.)

I watched talented outfielder Michael Cuddyer stroking balls in a batting cage under the grandstand of Hammond Stadium. Although only the pitchers and catchers are required to report first to spring training facilities, other players come to get an early jump on the season. One of the coaches lobbed balls underhanded to Cuddyer, who was trying to tweak his stroke.

On one of the practice fields, the coaches had positioned the gun at home plate to work with the catchers. Balls were rocketed into the heavens, much like the recent launch. (That’s a bit much! Sorry about that!) Catchers lined up for their turn to catch these artificial foul popups. Years ago, these were done with fungo bats. Nowadays, such a beast is not in evidence anywhere.

Manager Ron Gardenhire supervised this activity. One by one, the catchers were required to work the drill: remove the mask, fire it out of harm’s way, shield the sun with the glove, circle under the ball, and catch it. A five step exercise. Several got to number four, and dropped the ball, especially if it landed next to the screen. Rookies and veterans alike participated in the exercise: # 27 Steve Holm, # 32 Rene Rivera, # 79 Danny Rams, # 80 Jair Fernandez, # 81 Danny Lehman, # 82 Chris Herrman, and # 7 Joe Mauer. Rookies usually get the higher numbers. Mauer can wear Mickey Mantle’s number because he is an exceptional player, and he has 23 million reasons to acknowledge that fact in his bank account this year.

Gardenhire barked words of encouragement at his catchers. From behind the screen a fan shouted: “Show them how it’s done, Ron!” Gardenhire replied: “No way. It would probably hit me on the head.”

Fans line a gauntlet, perhaps ten feet wide, to seek autographs from players and coaches. One coach signed for a few people, and I enquired as to who he might be. I was told his name was Phil Roof, which I recognized. I wrote his name on my pad. A minute or two passed, and I decided, for all the time it takes, to get his autograph. I passed him my book, and a pen.

He said: “I’ve already signed this,” and returned the book to me. Stunned, I replied, “No, I wrote your name there in my book.” He looked at it carefully, then stated; “I can’t believe it. Pretty darn close.” He signed his name below. It was in fact, spooky close. He moved on, shaking his head.

Roof spent fifteen years in the Major Leagues, primarily as a catcher. He finished his career with the Blue Jays, after stints with the Milwaukee Braves, California, Cleveland, Kansas City, Oakland, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota, and the Chicago White Sox.

Mauer and the rest of the backstops also ran the gauntlet, signing here and there for young and old---baseball fans gearing up for another summer to enjoy the “great game of baseball”.

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
February 26, 2011

Take me out to the Hockey Game, Please

2011-02-20T08:40:00.000-08:00

At the game: (Left to right) Joanne Hurst, Rhonda Ulrich, Doug Ulrich

Forty years ago, I climbed a tower to the top of Big Walker Mountain. They said that you could see five states from that viewpoint. Since then, they have pared that number down to three. Thus I was able to see North Carolina, and West Virginia, and I was standing in the state of Virginia.

Lynchburg, Virginia, lies just off Interstate # 81 in the eastern confines of the state. A wonderful, friendly place with streets lined with honeysuckle. On any Saturday afternoon, from April to October, you will have to get in line for great ice cream at “Mister Goodies”. You will be met by Rhonda or Doug Ulrich, and they will take good care of you. Up until last Friday night, neither had ever been to a hockey game. And thus began their excellent adventure.

The Florida Everblades of the East Coast League stood eight points ahead of the Gwinnett Gladiators (from Georgia) who were coming to the Germain Arena for a double header on Friday and Saturday nights. Both teams are in the same division of the eastern conference; therefore, these games would be considered to be “four pointers”.

As an aside, may I point out the enormity of the league. There is a Western Conference in the East Coast League. (Somewhat like having the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Eastern Conference of the CFL!) A few of the teams in the west are: Alaska, Victoria, Bakersfield, and Las Vegas.

The arena holds almost 8, 000 fans, and there was a decent crowd on hand. We rose for the anthem played by a local elementary school band, in fine stirring American fashion. The Ulriches were ready for hockey. Naturally, they had a few questions about the game. But after an explanation or two about offsides, and icing calls, they became immersed in the game.

I think we did a decent job selling the product. They shared the experience with everyone at poolside the next day.

Unfortunately, it was not such a great experience for Edward Pasquale, former Wellington Duke. As I am sure you will recall, Edward tended the twine for the Dukes before he got the call to play for the Belleville Bulls. He was later traded to the Saginaw Spirit, where he finished his OHL career. He began this season with the Chicago Wolves, and recently joined the Gladiators to get more time in game situations.

I spoke with Edward after the game, in the company of his parents Jane and Richard. They made me swear that I would pass on their best to all of the Van Vlacks. They were well aware that most of the family now lived on the same street. What they did not know was that Coach Abrams and his family also resided there, just to keep everyone onside, in a hockey sense. He is there to settle road hockey disputes. Edward rolled his eyes at that piece of information.

Another player stopped me in the dressing room and stated, quite firmly: “I also played for the Dukes!” It was Sam Roberts, captain of the Galdiators. I asked him where he had stayed in Welly. He asked me if I knew “Ma” Lloyd. Roberts attended university in the maritimes before continuing his hockey career.

The Everblades prevailed in both of the weekend games. There was a lot of hooting and shouting with each goal, as the fans won chicken wings, or pizza, or something or other with each Blades counter. No mistake about it, the fans are supportive. They chant the chants, they wear the team sweaters, they boo the officials when necessary. They are hockey fans, even though they leave the rink in shorts and sandals.

I presented Rhonda with a puck at the end of the game. No one dropped the gloves the entire game, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Rhonda was looking for a little rough stuff, and she enjoyed the play of # 47 from the Gladiators. Danick Paquette is from Montreal, and played for Quebec in the CHL last year. He has a rambunctious style, and leads his team with 147 minutes in penalties.

Rhonda had thoroughly enjoyed her first hockey experience, an adventure she recommends to anyone.

Sportslices.blogspot.com
February 20, 2011

Fighting in Hockey? It Happens.

2011-02-17T05:56:00.000-08:00

Three recent National Hockey League games have sparked the fires of controversy yet again concerning the violence of the game. In one match, goaltenders for the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Islanders entered the fray. With one swift and mighty punch, the Penguins’ goalie Brent Johnson decked the Islanders’ Rick Di Pietro. Unfortunately, the Islanders’ tender was injured with the punch, and will be out of commission for several weeks.

In a return match, one Pittsburgh player, Eric Godard jumped off his bench to come to the aid of his goaltender, Johnson, who was challenged to combat by a skater from the Islanders. That is against the code of the NHL. I cannot think of a coach who would not approve Godard’s action. Godard received a ten game suspension for his action.

In another nasty tilt, the Montreal Canadiens and the Boston Bruins renewed rivalries that have lasted for decades for these “Original Six” teams. There were words; there were skirmishes; there were line brawls that resulted in more penalties than could be accounted for with two Crayola crayons.

In actuality, more minutes in penalties were incurred in those games than have been recorded for three games in more than ten years. Those of you with short memories, or with little experience, might have been amazed at the battles. We older observers are not shocked. I referred to the tilts as “line brawls”. Serious hockey fights involved “bench brawls”.

In both instances, referees and linesmen have their hands full. They try to record the numbers of the culprits as the battles ensue. They try to separate the battlers, and send them to designated locations: penalty boxes, benches, dressing rooms. They try to restore order. Not always an easy task.

The Canadiens were seriously undermanned for their game against the “Big Bad Bruins”. They did not ice their toughest squad, and they paid for it. Former player, general manager, and commentator Dave Maloney summed up the Canadiens’ game preparation thusly: “The Canadiens brought slingshots to a gun fight!” That will not likely happen again this year. Every team in the NHL has enforcers in the minors. Rest assured that the Habs will make a few calls before they again face the Bruins.
There are reasons why these situations develop. One is history. Hockey players have pretty good memories. Coaches warn their players not to retaliate, especially in playoff games. Nowadays, teams have such awesome power plays that opponents cannot afford to play short-handed for any length of time. So, when speared, or slashed, or cross-checked, or maligned in some way, most of the time, players take numbers. It’s as if to say to an opponent, “Thank you for that. I will see you again. My coach has me handcuffed at the present moment. But there will a time. By the way, keep your head up.”

Gordie Howe one pummeled an opponent into submission after a brief encounter on the ice. When asked about it after the game, he simply told the reporters: “Payback.”

“Payback? Payback for what?” they asked. Gordie replied, “That guy speared me.”

No one had noticed any contact whatsoever in the game. They asked again. Gordie told them. “Payback for when he speared me SEVEN YEARS AGO!”

History.

Reason number two: Equipment. This includes sticks.

Hockey sticks have been classified as weapons outside the confines of an arena. One cannot use a hockey stick to settle an argument legally on Fifth Avenue. During a game, however, players are entitled to tap, rap, bang away on each other with their sticks. It is all part of the game. Up to a certain point. Beyond that point, infractions occur. Some are witnessed, resulting in stick penalties. Others go unnoticed, but are remembered.

Other equipment worn today is far superior to that used a decade ago, and for many years prior to that. Shoulder pads and elbow pads are as hard as a bullet. A well-placed elbow to an opponent’s head can be lethal, as we have seen. More than a few careers have been shortened by such blows. Helmets are now far superior. Players skate with greater abandon now, far less fear of serious head injuries. There were days, Gertrude, when players did not wear head protection. There was more respect among the players. But fewer teeth.

Reason Number Three: Respect

Fringe players, journeymen who live on the edge of spending their careers in the minor leagues, tend to take greater chances in playing a violent game than do those who have been in the NHL for several seasons. There are also the prototypical bullies who have always played with their sticks held high. They know they are hunted. They play with self-defense.

For the most part, players do respect their opponents. They often see opponents in the off-season at charitable events. Hockey players are more approachable in social situations than are athletes from all other athletic areas. So they mix and mingle, and hoist a few bubblies in the summer, then beat on each other in the winter. It has always been that way. It will not change, not with a suspension, or a fine.

Several years ago, players policed themselves. There were limits, and the limits were respected.

But there are also bad apples in every barrel. In hockey, there are loose cannons who will “go’ at the drop of a hat. Some will even try to take out the best player of the opposition, just to make a name for themselves. Goofy, very goofy.

Number Four: The Instigator Rule

As it sits, any time a players starts an altercation, and fights, he (or she) will get two minutes for instigating, five for fighting, and a ten minute misconduct. This is especially critical in playoff situations. But these situations are usually precipitated by plenty of stick work and goading prior to the retaliation. The charged instigator is simply the one who gets caught.

Number Five: Skates and Speed

The game is played on skates. If you have never been challenged to a fight on skates, and the situation arises, call a cop. Most players would prefer not to scrap wearing their “Air Jordans”, let alone on blades. Fighting on two pieces of steel, on a frozen pond, is an art.

Once a player dons the blades, he or she is capable of moving quickly. Rough measurements have clocked some players at thirty miles per hour. Think about it. A twenty-five year old man, weighing 265 pounds, is at top speed, and is about to plant your face into the glass at the end of the rink. My advice? Keep your head up.

Obviously, the game is not for everyone. For those of us that have played a little, and have observed a lot, there is no better game. Occasionally, the gloves will come off. Usually with mention some justification. Should fighting be banned? Just damned silly to even mention it.

It does not necessarily make it right when one refers to the argument that fans do not vacate their seats when there are fistacuffs; however, the stance taken by Mario Lemieux, the Penguins owner, leaves me mystified.

The former league superstar stated that he thought the Islanders should have been punished more severely for their actions in a subsequent game against the Pens. Now one must remember that “Super Mario” was a very big man on the ice, and could command respect by his size. If you stand five feet ten inches, and weigh 185 pounds, you rethink your position when it comes to dropping the gloves with someone more than 6’ 6”, and in the 250 pound range.

Lemieux says that he “might rethink being part of the league”. A little over the top.

Stu Grimson played tough, really tough. Tough enough to earn the name “The Grim Reaper”. He is quoted in the Tuesday, February 15th edition of USA today: “I would ask everyone to dial down the temperature a little bit. We ask these guys to play on a razor’s edge, and we love it.” He adds that players may slip over the edge from time to time, and lose control.

Mountains out of molehills?

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
February 15, 2011

Cody McCormick-a Perfect Role

2011-02-12T08:18:00.000-08:00

The head honchos of the Buffalo Sabres huddled together about half an hour after their recent victory over the Florida Panthers. The teams had played evenly for four minutes and fifty-five seconds of overtime. Tyler Myers had slipped over the Cats blueline, and had blasted a slap shot at the Panthers’ net. Vokoun reacted just a tad slowly. The biscuit was in the basket. The red light scorched the plexiglass. Game over.

I caught up with Sabres’ coach Lindy Ruff in the coach’s room after the game. I told him I was penning some words on Cody McCormick. He beamed: “Cody has been a great role player for us. He is a fine two-way player.” Great praise from the veteran coach.

Last fall, McCormick went into the Sabres camp looking for employment in the NHL. He had spent the previous season with the AHL affiliate Portland team, and had played three playoff games for the Sabres. He had registered almost 200 games in the NHL in previous years, and another 200 in the AHL with a variety of teams: Hershey, Lowell, Albany, Lake Erie, and Portland.

McCormick had arrived in Buffalo as a free agent in August, 2009. But he began his quest to become a bona fide NHL player in 2001, after a brilliant OHL career with the Belleville Bulls. He was drafted in the Fifth Round, 144th overall in that draft by the Colorado Avalanche. In his final year with the Bulls, he was chosen as an OHL First Team All Star, and led the team in goals and penalty minutes. He was selected in a coaches’ poll as the “Hardest Worker” in the Conference. That, in a nut shell, tells you something about Cody McCormick.

In the recent game in Florida, Cody had a brief encounter with Darcy Hordichuk, the Panthers designated scrapper. This was early in the first period, they danced for a moment or two, then headed to the penalty box to serve five minute majors. At six feet three inches, tipping the scales at around two hundred and twenty pounds, McCormick does not shy away from the tough stuff. He leads the Sabres in penalties, and commands great respect from the opposition while on the ice.

Stirling’s Rob Roy has seen his fair share of hockey in Buffalo for many years, both as a player and as a media observer. He often does colour for Sabres television, and has become a well respected analyst. He did not mince words when assessing Cody’s performance this year. “Cody McCormick has done an awesome job this year,” he told me. “He has been the most consistent performer with the team. He works his tail off each and every game.”

When asked about his own personal performance this season, Cody deferred to the team approach. “At this point in the season, we are trying to get into the playoffs. This was a game we really needed,” he told me after the overtime win.

The Sabres were accompanied on the trip by several family members. I recognized Cody’s dad from his many visits to the Quinte Sports Centre. He had made the trip from Mount Brydges, near London, and he told me that he has enjoyed several games in Buffalo this year. “It’s closer than Belleville,” he told me, with a hint of justifiable pride in his voice.

The Sabres left the Sunshine State with two victories under their belts. They are on a bit of a roll, having won five of their last six games. In their game against Tampa Bay, McCormick tussled for the puck behind the Lightning net. He slid the slickest pass out to Thomas Vanek to earn an assist, and his fifteenth point this season. Yet another way in which McCormick contributes to the Sabres’ fortunes this year.

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
February 12, 2011

NFL Hall of Fame Inductees-2011

2011-02-08T09:59:00.000-08:00

“Turn out the lights! The party’s over!”

Those were the words of “Dandy” Don Meredith, a former Dallas Cowboy. Every Monday night, when there was no doubt in the outcome of a National Football League contest, Meredith would sing that tune, horribly.

The Super Bowl party is over in Dallas. The Packers emerged victorious, and Aaron Rogers, the Packer quarterback, won the award as the Most Valuable Player.

Unless cooler heads prevail, the lights could be out for quite some time. The owners and the players are miles apart in terms of a settlement on a collective agreement. The 2011 season is in serious jeopardy.

Last Saturday, the NFL announced the latest group of inductees to enter the NFL Hall of Fame. The selection committee had done their work, and had come up with the chosen few. The envelope was passed to the master of ceremonies, and the names were read.

I have a concern or two about the process.

First of all, the timing of the announcement is just not right. The league is in the midst of a furor of media activity about the big game. The hall of fame announcements pale in comparison to the big game hype. Wait a couple of months before releasing the information. The Induction Ceremony is held in August, so there is no great rush.

Secondly, one of the inductees announced is Ed Sabol. Ed never pulled on the shoulder pads nor laced up the boots. But I would venture to say he did more for the game than any of the other inductees. He was a filmmaker, and began filming NFL games in 1962. He masterminded the brilliant films and documentaries that promote the game, revolutionizing the manner in which sports are presented. His company has won 52 Emmy awards. There was some grumbling from players that they didn’t like a cameraman taking one of the hall of fame slots that should have gone to a player.

Unfortunately, the selection committee is limited to choosing players, owners, builders, officials, and filmmakers in one category. Most other sports halls of fame have several pigeon holes for selection. The format needs to be changed for football.

The Hall does have a wonderful induction ceremony at which each inductee gets the “yellow jacket”, is inducted, and has a chance to respond. Quite often, the response speeches are priceless.

Here are the other six inductees, alphabetically:

Richard Dent-Defensive End. He played fifteen seasons, mostly with the Bears.

Marshall Faulk-Running Back. He split his time of twelve seasons between the Rams and the Colts.

Chris Hanburger-Linebacker. All fourteen seasons were with the Redskins.

Les Richter-Linebacker. He began his career in 1954, and spent nine seasons with the Rams.

Deion Sanders-Cornerback-Kick Returner. He played for the Falcons, the 49ers, the Cowboys, the Redskins, and the ravens for fourteen seasons.

Shannon Sharpe-Tight end. He played fourteen seasons with the Broncos and the Ravens.

It is indeed a great honour to be inducted into the hall of fame in one’s particular sport. Players do not begin their careers with that in mind. At the end of a fine career, an athlete might wonder, for a moment about the possibility. For these chosen ones, that is now about to come to fruition. Thursday, August 6th, in Canton, Ohio.

Super Bowl XLV

2011-02-01T17:35:00.001-08:00

A man had 50 yard line tickets for the Super Bowl.

As he sat down, he noticed that the seat next to him was empty.

He asked the man on the other side of the empty seat whether anyone was sitting there.

"No," the man replied, "The seat is empty."

"This is incredible," said the first man.

"Who in their right mind would have a seat like this for the Super Bowl, the biggest sporting event in the world and not use it?"

The second man replied, "Well, actually, the seat belongs to me. I was supposed to come with my wife, but she passed away. This will be the first Super bowl we haven't been together since we got married in 1967."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. That's terrible. But couldn't you find someone else -- a friend or relative, or even a neighbor to take the seat?"

The man shook his head. "No, they're all at the funeral."

I just couldn’t resist that one! Hope you appreciate it!

I trust that you have recovered from the two dynamic sports events last weekend: the NHL All Star game and the NFL Pro Bowl. So much to do, so little time. Truthfully, I passed on both of them.

Come Sunday, I will be firmly seated for the big game. This will be the first time that I will be able to see the American ads as I will be watching the game in Florida. Personally, not a big deal.

I will not try to intimidate my guests with a “Terrible Towel” from Pittsburgh, nor a “Cheese Head” from Green Bay. For me, the game’s the thing.

I look forward to the classic battle between the quarterbacks. Big Ben Rothlisberger, the Steelers quarterback, already has two Super Bowl rings. He has indicated he has room on his hands for another bauble. Aaron Rogers, on the other hand, has yet to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

Many Packer fans still believe he walks, (Runs, passes---take your pick) in the shadow of the other guy who preceded him in Green Bay. Lest you have forgotten, Brett Favre also won only one Super Bowl championship. So if Rogers wins the game, he will be tied with Brett Favre.

Rothlisberger is also chasing a legend in some respects. Terry Bradshaw won the big one three times wearing the Steeler jersey. I am certain Rothlisberger would be comfortable slipping on another ring.

These teams are in the big game because of their defensive accomplishments. They are the top two defensive teams in the NFL. A player from each team has been nominated as the top defensive player of the year: Polamalu for the Steelers, and Clay Matthews for the Packers. Both play with wild and reckless abandon, often creating havoc when least expected.

The Steelers arrived first at the Dallas airport. As is the case with the modern athlete, many wandered around the airport with their “handcams”. One American radio pundit figured these guys would watch these videos about as often as they would watch wedding videos. Right!

Rothlisberger was interviewed at the airport. He began the verbal jousting by indicating that the Steelers had an advantage because they have been through the “Super Bowl Circus” on previous occasions.

Sunday from Dallas. You will likely need to record the game on a VCR or some such device. The Dukes play at the same time. Pickering at 6:30pm at the Essroc. Make your friends maintain silence about the outcome of the game. Mug the announcer. Don’t let him announce the score!

Enjoy!

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
Monday, January 31, 2011

At the All star Break with Shawn Matthias

2011-01-30T06:07:00.000-08:00

Shawn Matthias is currently in the midst of his third National Hockey League campaign with the Florida Panthers. This season, however, is slightly different, and much more exciting for the young centre. He has been with the club since the opening of training camp.

In his first two seasons, he was subject to the roller coaster ride experienced by most young players in the league: the old “call up, sent down” syndrome. In fact, in his first NHL season, he did the trip on four separate occasions between the parent club and the American League affiliate in Rochester.

“I’m having a great time here,” he told me after a recent game at the Bank/Atlantic Centre in Florida. He is living the dream of so many young Canadian hopefuls now closing out their seasons in North America. Come to think of it, in many parts of the world. With the advent of players in the game from around the globe, the level of competition has increased as well.

Matthias experienced gradual growth in his Ontario Hockey League career. He joined the Belleville Bulls in 2004, and spent the next four years with the team. In his rookie campaign, he dressed for 37 games, and recorded one goal and one assist. The following year, he picked it up a notch, recording 34 points. In his third season with the Bulls, he recorded 73 points in regular season play. More importantly, he led the team to the Memorial Cup finals with 18 points in 15 games. In 53 games in his final year with the Bulls, he tallied 79 points.

When we chatted recently, he reminisced fondly about his days in Belleville. “It was a great place to play. The fans were unbelievable. Please give my best to my billets, Bill and Phyllis Ferguson.” He then chuckled and added, “They hate it when I mention their names!”

In the most recent official blurb from the Panthers, it is noted that the team is enjoying success on and off the ice, and is nicely following GM Dale Tallon’s “Blueprint” for success. Dallon recently helped guide the Chicago Black Hawks to the Stanley Cup. His predecessor, Bill Torrey, was successful in building the New York Islander franchise in its heyday.

Matthias is approaching this year as another learning year. He is asked to play a lot of different roles on the team, and enjoys that aspect of the game. He has become a most proficient face-off artist. I remarked that he had won almost all of the face-offs he had during the recent game in Florida. He glared at me, raised an eyebrow, and stated, “I thought I had won them all!” That elicited a series of mumbles from this scribe.

The Panthers sit at the .500 mark at this time. They have been beset with a series of injuries, naturally affecting their success on the ice. Bryan McCabe is out with a broken jaw. Byron Bitz has been unavailable since training camp with a sports hernia. Chris Higgins has just returned to the lineup after missing several games. Dmitry Kulikov is listed as “day to day” with a rib injury. They are out of the playoff picture at this time, but with a string of victories, they could be in the hunt within the month.

They have a host of fine young prospects on the roster: Mike Santorelli, Keaton Ellerby, Michael Frolik, Kulikov,Evgeny Dadonov, and Matthias. Then there are several other younger players ready to step up to the big time: Erik Gudbranson from the Kingston Frontenacs, his teammate Quinton Howden from the Team Canada Juniors, Nick Bjugstad and Drew Shore from Team USA, and Joonas Donskoi from Team Finland.

It is a most competitive world. Every player in the NHL is aware of that. Matthias averages about twelve minutes per game, and has almost twenty points in less than fifty games at the Break. At six feet, four inches, he commands a fair amount of space on the ice. The Panthers can use his size, his fine hands, and his growing expertise to gain a foothold in their quest for a playoff berth this year. They face the Leafs and the Habs on the road right after the Break, play in New Jersey, then return home for two weeks. Needless to say, a most critical time for the Cats.

All Belleville Bulls fans wish him well.

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
January 30, 2011

Florida Panther Hockey

2011-01-24T18:43:00.000-08:00

(Left to right) Jim Hulton, Jamie Pringle, David Hurst

With little difficulty, we were able to leave Fort Myers and reach the Bank Atlantic Centre in less than two hours. It does involve a route that goes due south on the “I 75” to begin with, followed by a dogleg to the left. Then it’s a matter of straight ahead through “Alligator Alley”.

They are serious about this. On a warm afternoon, you can see the gators sunning on the sides of the creeks alongside the highway. There are fences on the right hand side of the highway to keep the alligators contained. There are higher fencers on the left hand side to keep the panthers off the road. The alligators have learned to respect their situation; however, the same cannot be said for the panthers. According to the latest edition of the Fort Myers News Press, there have been two panthers killed on that stretch of road already this year.

A former Picton resident, Jamie Pringle, is an assistant coach with the Panthers. Pringle began his coaching career in the County, at one time wrestling with a Bantam House League team, with Jason Parks as an assistant coach. Darren Dayton, Mike Foley, Kelly Haight, Tyler Carter, David Hurst and a host of other county boys made Pringle’s life interesting at that time. He is in his third season with the Cats, following stints with Hockey Canada in its National Program, with the Belleville Bulls and with the Kingston Frontenacs.

Another assistant coach is also a familiar figure in the Belleville area. Jim Hulton coached the Bulls from 2000-2003, then moved on to coach the Frontenacs. The York University graduate also coached the Royal Military College Redmen for a year. A couple of stints in the OHL with Mississauga are also on his resume.

The Panthers have just completed a lengthy home stand. The last three game at home were enough to put head coach Peter DeBoer in the cardiac ward. All were lost by one goal: one on a shootout goal, one in overtime, and one in the last minute of regulation play. Mind you, the Panthers have won a slew of games this year by slim margins.

That does not alleviate the frustration for the coaches, the fans, and the players. After the second game, coach DeBoer had this to say: “We need to find a way to win a few of these types of games, and build on it. It seems that when we get the lead, the other team pushes back, and we don’t. It’s a matter of instilling some confidence in the players. With a break or two, we could have extended the lead. Then the players could loosen up a little bit, and play a little looser.”

The Panthers wrap up the first half of the season on Wednesday against the Bruins in Boston. The all Star game is on the 29th of February. They then face the Leafs on the first of February, and the Habs on the second. They return home on the eighth of February to face the Blues.

For those of you heading to sunny climes for a week or two this winter, a Panthers game should be a must. There are many great attractions at the rink itself, including a dozen very perky cheerleaders. Better still, the deal of a lifetime: tickets, hot dogs, sodas, for four people for less than sixty bucks! I wonder what the damage would be in Hogtown for the same deal, once you pay the scalper.

We chatted briefly with Shawn Matthias, the fine young Belleville Bulls’ graduate after the game. He was busy preparing for the three game road trip before the break.
We left Jamie Pringle in the midst of it: rounding up his kids to get them home to bed, and preparing to watch hours of video to help his team in the weeks to come.
All in all, a most worthwhile hockey experience in Fort Lauderdale. And right beside the largest Mall in Florida! (Oops! Maybe I shouldn’t have written that!)

James Hurst
January 24, 2011
Sportslices.blogspot.com

Baseball's Grapefruit League

2011-01-17T20:28:00.001-08:00

They are gearing up for the baseball season in South West Florida, affectionately known as the Grapefruit League
Mind you, the players will not show up for about a month. Pitchers and catchers first, thank you, followed by the rest of the gang about a week later.
Preparations are well under way for the 2011 baseball season, at least the Spring Training aspect of the adventure. Tickets have been printed, locker rooms are cleaned and ready to go.
Fans lined up for hours a couple of weeks ago in Fort Myers to buy a chance to see their beloved Red Sox before they head north to Boston for the summer.
Naples resident Mark Griffiths was rewarded for his patience. At 10:00am on Saturday morning, they sold him the first tickets for the pre-season games. He was almost giddy as he raised his eight tickets in the air to signify the gates had opened.
He told me that he had been in line for eighty-four hours, having taken his position the previous Wednesday. We showed up at 9:15am, expecting to move into serious contention for reasonable seats.
“The first thing I am going to do is go home and have a hot shower,” he told me after carefully pocketing the tickets. He had snapped up Row 1, Seats 4, 5,6, and 7 for the game against the Yankees. That left me to wonder who got seats 1 and 2.
We were positioned down the street and around the corner at City of Palms Park, the site of Red sox baseball in the spring for the last twenty-five years. Time marches on, and the powers-that-be have decided to build a new stadium, with more luxury boxes to accommodate the Bostonians next spring. By the time we had reached the corner, with another hundred yards to go, it was time for lunch.
By late evening, almost three thousand tickets had been sold through the windows of the stadium. Another 25 000 had been sold online and by phone. Team sources indicated that ticket sales were the highest in six years. In 2007, more than 30 000 tickets were sold on the first day.
Griffiths did not hesitate when I asked him to name his favourite player. “Big Papi,” he beamed. “And I got tickets to see him on St. Patrick’s Day.”
The Minnesota Twins also warm up for the season in Fort Myers. They play their exhibition games at Hammond Stadium, and begin with three games against the Sox, two at the end of February and one on the First of March.
The Red Sox will play the rest of their games at a variety of venues in Florida: Tampa, Sarasota, Port St. Lucie, Jupiter, Port Charlotte, Bradenton, Clearwater, and Dunedin. They conclude with a game against Houston in Texas.
We managed to score tickets for games against the Orioles, the Phillies, and the Blue Jays in late March. I am embarrassed to say that it took me five minutes to get those tickets by phone, after waiting in line for more than two hours.
Team representatives distributed photographs of Wally, the team mascot, and Jonathan Papelbon, the fire-balling reliever. Papelbon has elected to involve himself in the arbitration process this spring, but will take the mound this summer when required.
Thomas Edison wintered here, beginning in the early part of the twentieth century. He had 120 palms transplanted from Cuba to line the main thoroughfare in Fort Myers. Since then, many other palm trees have taken root here: hence the city’s moniker “The City of Palms”.
A first class place to take in the great game of baseball, and yes, catch a few rays at the same time!

James Hurst
sportslices.bogspot.com

Hockey---Southern Stlye!

2011-01-13T05:43:00.000-08:00

Over the years, I have tasted hockey in the South. Almost twenty years ago, we watched Brent Gretzky with the Knights in Atlanta. Fifteen years ago, the Orlando Solar Bears played before miniscule crowds in Southern Florida, with Alan Bester tending the twine for the Bears.

The East Coast Hockey League has a team located between Fort Myers and Naples on the western coast of the state of Florida. The Florida Everblades play at the Germain Arena, just off Interstate Highway # 75.

If you happen to be in the area, and the opportunity arises, get to the rink. The hockey is exciting, and at a very high level. Both the Blades and the visiting Cinncinatti Cyclones would have little trouble disposing of any of the junior teams in the Canadian Hockey League. Great seats available for twelve bucks.

Players from this league move up and down from the American Hockey League. I am certain this fact drives coaches to distraction. Just when the coach finally has adjusted his lines, he will lose a key player. Understandably, injuries will also affect a team’s starting lineup.

The league is made up of two conferences, one in the east and the other in the west. From the north come the Alaska Aces, with the lone Canadian team, the Salmon Kings from Vancouver Island. There are three teams in California, one in Vegas, and the Grizzlies in Utah.

There are eleven teams in the east, with the Elmira Jackals from New York State to the Blades in Florida. Due to the vast area covered by the teams, there are often occasions when teams host an opponent for three straight games. I thought that would be a recipe for disaster, but when the Cyclones were recently in for their trio, such was not the case.

There were skirmishes in the third game, and some minor dustups, but no serious line brawls. Following the second game, I sat in on the interview with rookie coach Greg Poss of the Blades. A Wisconsin native, he played a few years in the American Hockey League after graduating from the University of Wisconsin. He recently coached several years in Europe.

His team had just lost the second game of the series. “We did not spend enough time in the offensive zone. We have to play simpler and smarter. We need to let them make the mistakes with the puck.” Certainly recipes for success.

Poss was joined on the bench by Brad Tapper, a familiar face to those of us who follow the fortunes of the Ontario Junior Hockey League. He coached the North York Rangers in the OJHL last year. He had spent parts of three seasons with the Atlanta Thrashers in the NHL before departing for Europe. He played for Poss while with the Nuremberg Ice Tigers.

Another familiar face was that of Mike McKenzie of the Blades. When I told him I was from Wellington, his eyes lit up and he remarked, “I remember that place!” He had experienced the wonders of the old Duke Dome as a Toronto kid in a playoff series.

He told me he suffered with the rest of us following the national Junior team loss. “We played that night so I was not able to watch the game. Because of the result, I am almost glad I didn’t watch it.” Mckenzie had just received the nod as the league’s outstanding .rookie for the month of December. “I’m really enjoying it here,” he told me. Although one of the youngsters on the team, he did not shy away from the rough stuff, dropping the gloves in the third game of the series.

Jarod Skalde is the head coach of the Cyclones. He fondly remembered his days as a Belleville Bull. Incidentally he excelled with the Bulls, and had a fine NHL career. “I talk to Dr. Vaughn every year on Christmas Day. It is a yearly tradition. I really enjoyed my days in Belleville.”

We spoke briefly about the quality of play in the ECHL. “A lot of young players come into the league from college, or from the CHL expecting to find it easy going. They have drafted by NHL teams, and are sent here for seasoning. They quickly learn that the play is faster here, and a little tougher.”

Next week the Reading Royals head this way, again for a three game series. They lead the Atlantic Division of the eastern loop. Rob Kwiet, former Wellington Duke, led that team in plus/minus last year. He had moved on to St. Mike’s from the Dukes, then won the Memorial Cup with the Spitfires in 2009.

There is no “Whiskey Corner” at the Germain; nonetheless, a fine place to watch the greatest game.

James Hurst
January 12, 2011

Just Another Game!

2011-01-06T09:07:00.000-08:00

I am certain that Coach Dave Cameron had a strong inkling that something was amiss when he called “Time Out” after the Russian Juniors had potted their third goal to tie the game in the third period.
The Canadians had roared to a three goal lead to start the third period. They had the home field advantage, with ninety-two percent of the crowd in Buffalo, Ontario, firmly behind them. And then? And then? (That Buffalo, Ontario, thing is fairly cute. Then again, nothing is really funny during “The Morning After”. Sorry about that.)
The old Paul Simon song must have been ringing around Cameron’s head: “Slip sliding away… the nearer the destination, the more it’s slip sliding away.” Oh boy, was it ever!
More than 25 ex-patriate Canadians had filed into Ron Dao’s bar in Fort Myers, Florida to watch the game. There are 65 television sets in the place, with a sporting event on each one. To be honest, some “almost” sporting events: a little Nascar, some darts, billiards, ultimate scrapping---the things we pay big money to watch on “Sports” Channels.
There is one gigantic screen-front and centre. With by far the largest number of interested patrons in the place, I politely requested that the bar put the hockey game on that screen. No such luck. We were beaten to the draw by three fans from Kentucky who wanted to watch the Louisville-Seton Hall college basketball game. By the three minute mark of that game, the fans had lost interest. Something like 26-4 for Louisville.
So they graciously turned over the big screen to the Canadian faithful. Fred Martin led the Windsor contingent, by far outnumbering the rest of the party. Gary Newman represented the Ottawa Valley. Phil and Noreen Corey, faithful members of the Consecon Royal Canadian Legion, represented Wellar’s Bay.
As I am sure you can well imagine, faces began to droop in the third period as the Ruskies potted two goals eleven seconds apart. They had lost their first two games, one to the Canadians. No need to panic. Damn, they scored again! The game was tied. We watched Coach Cameron valiantly try to motivate the kids during the time out. To no avail.
With 1:16 left in the game, patrons filed from the arena. The Russians scored their fifth goal, and were on their way to Champagne and Grey Goose. The Canadian squad had been schooled by the Russians, and that was that. Same score incidentally, as the Russian-Wellington Dukes game the night before in Prince Edward County. Coincidence? I will leave that up to you.
In my last blog, there was a hint that something like this might happen. The Russians have always something in reserve, although it does not always manifest itself. On this occasion, it did, in spades.
The members of the Canadian team will wear silver medals. They will return to their respective teams throughout North America. For some, the experience will be the highlight of their hockey career. For others, just another bump on the road, another brick in the wall.
Would you mind passing the bottle of aspirin?

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
January 6, 2011

The Russians are Coming!

2010-12-26T21:59:00.000-08:00

The Russians are Coming!

The title of this column is the title of a movie produced in 1966. The East and the West were in the midst of a Cold War of nerves, following several potentially serious political crises.

The comedy, starring Carl Reiner, Brian Keith, and Eva Marie Saint, dealt with a Russian submarine that was grounded off the American coast. It sent the local inhabitants into a frenzy. Well worth watching.

The Russians are indeed coming, but this time to Prince Edward County. On this occasion, it will be a team of Junior Russian hockey players, on tour in North America. The team is comprised of outstanding junior players who were the last cuts from the Russian Junior team involved in the World Junior Championships in Buffalo.

They will play the Wellington Dukes on January 4th at the Essroc Centre. There are tickets available at Lavender Furniture on Main Street in Wellington. You may also call Betty at 613-399-1573.

The team is coached by two former National Hockey League players: Alexander Semak, and Vyacheslav Butsayev.

They played together for several Russian teams, including Olympic teams.

Semak had a more extended NHL career, as he played in 289 games with a variety of teams: New Jersey, Tampa Bay, New York Islanders, and Vancouver. He also had stints in a host of American Hockey League cities. He finished his professional career with half a dozen seasons in the Russian league.

Semak posted respectable totals in the NNL, netting 83 goals with 91 helpers in his career. His best year was in 92-93 when he had 37 goals and 42 helpers in 82 games.

Butsayev was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1990. He moved on from there to play for the Sharks, the Mighty Ducks, the Panthers, the Senators and the Tampa Bay Lightning. He returned to Russia in 2001, and continued to play there.

On Boxing Day, the Canadians and the Russians were knotted at three goals each heading into the third period. The Canadians prevailed; however, they are still in the preliminary rounds, and the Russians have often emerged from opening rounds to play much better at later stages in international tournaments.

The game in Wellington will be the first international contest at the Essroc Centre. The Dukes are grateful to the corporate sponsors of the game: McDougall-Stanton Insurance, Picton Home Hardware building Centre, and Prinzen Ford from Bloomfield.

The Russian Red Stars team will also have some graduates from their junior program. It is expected that the Dukes will bolster their lineup with a few players from other teams in the league.

Game time is 7:30pm. The following weekend the Dukes will play Kingston on Friday night, and Lindsay on Sunday. Enjoy!

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
27 December 2010

Pictures and Words-2010

2010-12-21T07:30:00.001-08:00

Local bookstores may have that perfect gift on the shelves for you. There are plenty of hockey books that have hit the market this year, many by well respected hockey people.

As can be expected, Don Cherry has yet another revenue stream heading his way with Hockey Stories Part 2. I think he also has “Rock ‘em, Sock ‘em
-the Seventy-eight Edition” ready for you as well. Cherry’s book connects hockey to early England, and contains a look at his personal journey into the Junior hockey world.

Bill Fitsell, the eminent hockey historian from the Limestone city, has compiled a look at really basic hockey roots-all the way back to ancient Rome, where field hockey was played, and where the losers had to face the lions in the Colisseum! (Fine, I apologize! I made that last part up!) Fitsell has always been at the forefront of the Society for International Hockey Research, and was a wonderful resource for all of the Belleville McFarlands activities last year. Look for his book: How Hockey Happened.

The Society, known in polite circles as “SIHR”, has also released its own publication through Quarry Heritage Books of Kingston. Pucklore: The Hockey Research Anthology. This book, compiled by the president of SIHR, James Milks, contains a collection of articles from twenty-two authors. For the true hockey fan, this book is a must.

Another group from the Society has assembled a volume strictly for Toronto Maple Leaf fans. It is entitled Diary of a Dynasty, 1957-67. Within that period of time, the Leafs won four Stanley Cups, and dominated the game just as television was making its appearance in every Canadian household.

As a young teenager, I remember once lying in front of a tiny black and white set at the home of a friend, Rod Turner, in Belleville. It was in the late 1950s, and amongst the group was Dennis Hull. An American network was broadcasting the Hawks game, and every time Bobby Hull hit the screen, Dennis let us know who was on the ice: “That’s my brother!” Not too long afterwards, Dennis was also destined to star for the Hawks.

A fine picture book about Bobby Hull has also hit the shelves. It covers his entire career from the third of January, 1939. He was born and raised in Point Anne, almost across the Bay of Quinte from Big Island in Prince Edward County. Hull still maintains his roots in this area, primarily through his cattle farming.

There are wonderful photos in the book of Bobby from a babe to a veteran of the hockey wars, now helping the Black Hawk cause as an ambassador for the game. On page six, there is a photo of Bobby’s Bantam team, the Bruins, with his coaches: Lloyd “Red” Doran, Dan Cowley, and his father Bob. Bobby is in the front row on the left, and Charlie Rowbotham is on the right.

I spoke with Charlie recently in Belleville. “Bobby was a great player in those days. He really didn’t stay around very long after that. He would finish the football season at BCI, then head off to Hespeler or Woodstock.”

Charlie remembered Bobby in the classroom. “He always had a portable radio. That was important to us during the World Series. Bobby would keep us posted with the latest scores.” Hully likely would have been discreet with the radio, as he avoided the eagle eye of Miss Mary Dwyer.

Bob Vaughan, the venerable doctor who brought the Belleville Bulls to prominence, grew up with Hull, and played against him. “On one occasion, our goalie didn’t show up. I’d always wanted to try that position. I strapped on the pads, and headed for the goal. Bobby scored eight times on me that game. That was the last time I was ever between the pipes!”

Alas, there are countless stories, and a hockey bag full of books awaiting your eyes. Happy holidays, and happy reading!

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
December 21, 2010

Ultimate Fighting-Just Plain Wrong

2010-12-14T06:27:00.000-08:00

Last weekend patrons filled the Bell Centre in Montreal to watch the latest Canadian chapter in the ultimate fighting experience. It was entitled UFC 124, indicating that one of the sponsoring organizations had promoted one hundred and twenty-three previous experiences.

For a certain segment of society, these are cool events. There is an element of competition, as two opponents enter the cage and battle. Ultimately, and unfortunately, it comes down to money. The province of Ontario had banned these events until recently.

Premier Dalton McGuinty has indicated that it is “very unlikely” that he would be attending the first regulated fight in Ontario to be held in Toronto in late April. As quoted in a recent article in the Toronto Star, he stated: “I’m pleased that Ontarians who have a real interest in this will now have this option available to them”. With very little imaginative thought, I can come up with half a dozen ideas that people in Ontario might be interested in, but will never be regulated in this province. You may have your own suggestions in that area.

McGuinty was pleased that the match in Ontario would generate about six million dollars in revenue for the province. Big deal. It’s still blood money.

I am not opposed to combat in the ring. I have followed boxing for fifty years, and enjoyed the likes of Jersey Joe Walcott, Kid Gallivan, Archie Moore, Rocky Marciano, Ali, Spinks, and Lennox Lewis. I have always chuckled at the exploits of the professional wrestling world, although I knew every match was pre-determined.

The mixed martial arts contests take the whole human personal combat experience several steps further. If I had young children, I would try to shelter them from the experience. Most of the competitors are boisterous and rude. Most are tattooed from stem to stern. Many have had plenty of experience with steroids and other illegal drugs. I would not like my kids to think this activity is acceptable.

The fights have been shown on televisions in bars in Ontario for several years. Bar staff find these nights to be a real challenge. Patrons hoot and holler throughout the fight, then carry the aggression onto the parking lot.

Granted, there is an audience for the events. It borders on a lunatic fringe. Tickets for the last event in Montreal sold for $ 550 each on the Ultimate Fighting Challenge website. You can get two weeks in Cuba in February for the same amount!

Some of the quotes from the Star article were truly disturbing. Matthew Fidalgo is described as a “road warrior for the Ultimate Fighting Championship”. His thoughts? “It’s a big deal. It’s what everyone in Ontario wants, and …now we have it in our home turf and it’s the best thing ever.” I don’t quite agree with your every word, Matthew. There is always sliced bread!

Slick marketers have done a good job selling this product. They garnered television rights; they hyped the “blood and guts” nature of the product; they emphasized the sizzle.

The activity does not belong on the front page of a sports section of a major Canadian newspaper. It does not belong on any page of a sports section. It is not a sport. Nor is professional wrestling. They are for entertainment. If that is your choice for entertainment, go for it. Tickets will be on sale soon for the event in Toronto. More than fifty thousand fans are expected at the event. That does not make it right.

But since this is a sports column, and not an entertainment feature, this concludes my weekly rant.

James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com

December 14, 2010

Good Bye to the Grand Old Girl!

2010-12-10T04:51:00.000-08:00

It is never easy to say good-bye. But like an old pair of sneakers, the Wellington and District Community Centre on Niles Street is tired, and weary, and the time has come to bid farewell.

That occasion will be this coming Friday night for the Wellington Dukes.

They will take the ice at 7:30pm to play the Cobourg Cougars, seeking a touch of revenge. The Cougars tripped the Dukes up in overtime, last Monday night, ending another incredible string of Dukes’ victories.

There will be seats available at the Duke Dome. Please carry your blankets with you to the rink. The tradition of laying down your comforter to save your place went out the window years ago, but still lives in the hearts and minds of a few faithful. There are more than three hundred season ticket holders for the Dukes, and their seats are designated; understandably, the remaining seats are available on the old “first come, first with your bum on the bench” basis.

There are hundreds of seats available for the first game in the new arena, the Essroc Centre. No hard wooden planks in this palace, thank you. Individual seats for almost a thousand patrons, as well as plenty of standing room. That place will be rocking on Friday, December 17th, when the Dukes host the Whitby Fury in their first game at the new Duke Dome.

The memories flood back from the first days at the old barn. Before it was constructed, funding was achieved in a variety of ways, but none more persistent than a certain Foster Bailey. I am pleased to write that last week I sold Foster a ticket for the Dukes Super Sports Draw. One of the most satisfying moments in my entire life. Most of us have a drawer of losing tickets that we purchased from Foster over the years.

I spent a few years coaching and managing teams in the old barn. “County Kings” went on the road to other venerable barns for a little shinny: Tweed, Douro, Warkworth, Marmora, Madoc, Frankford, Tamworth, Belleville, Trenton, Napanee. The list is not complete. One gets a chill thinking of the conditions in some of those facilities.

I can still see the faces of many of those youngsters, learning the game, making friends, growing. Some were chasing the dream to play at higher levels, perhaps to the National Hockey League. (None ever reached that goal. For the record, no one born and raised in Prince Edward County has ever played one minute in a regular season NHL game. But they all had fun trying!)

We will also cherish our memories of afternoon skates with the family. It has been the home for countless Figure Skating pageants and spectacles over the years. White skates, black skates, blue skates, silver skates; they all cut the ice at the Dome.

As a school teacher and coach in elementary schools in Belleville, I often showed up late for practices for a team I managed at the Bantam level. On one occasion, a parent stormed at me just as I entered the arena. He was upset with the way his son had been treated. I brushed him off, and went to chat with the coach. He reported that the boy had caused trouble all practice: jabbing at the back of his teammates’ legs, whacking helmets, shoving skates to cause players to fall. He spoke with the culprit. He was told where to go, with an emphasis on the “Queen Mother of Swear Words”.

He then told me that the boy needed a little time to cool off, so he put him in the penalty box. I agreed with that decision. Then he added: “I forgot to open the door of the box!” Oops! Lessons learned, all around!

The list of names of Wellington Dukes, and players from other teams is endless. I have often run into young adults from the Toronto area who have fond memories of playing in the Duke Dome. They learned very quickly that the boards at the north end of the arena were quite unforgiving. They learned about “Whiskey Corner”. They learned about team support.

And that will not change in the new building. We will be there. In full force, with our maple syrup cans, and our bright red shirts. Go Dukes Go! Forever!

Bryan Helmer played for the Dukes when they first arrived from Belleville. He has always been a perennial fan favourite. It is expected that he will assist with Opening Ceremonies at the new arena.

James Hurst
7 December 2010
Sportslices.blogspot.com

Round Ball Notes-2010

2010-12-01T16:30:00.000-08:00

Despite the fact that I have not poured a lot of ink into basketball columns this year, that does not mean that I have ignored the game.
As a sports fan, that would be difficult to do. The news stream coming out of Miami in the last few days has grabbed headlines from coast to coast.
Apparently, the troops are a little disgruntled with their head coach. A relatively young coach, Erik Spoelstra cannot ignore the rumours surrounding his position with the team. Heat president Pat Riley has been through the NBA wars for many years, and could easily step in to right the ship. And it is a ship that contains the crew from the blockbuster deals before the season began.
Chris Bosh from the Raptors, and LeBron James from the Cleveland Cavaliers joined Dwyane Wade in Miami. These three are arguably on a list of the top ten players in the game today. Certainly, Wade is on the list, and James is near the top. The jury is still out on Bosh, probably because he is still a little hesitant to go to the basket when the occasion arises.
The Heat have left the gate slowly this year, trying to get all of the new pieces working together. LeBron recently assessed his progress in working with Wade as “slow”. He said that he and Wade are both “used to having the ball, making plays, finishing plays. It’s a process of having to still be aggressive, but playing off the ball. We are trying to figure this thing out.”
The Heat are just over the .500 mark at 9-8, but they are 4-6 in their last ten games.

Closer to home, the Raptors have been seriously bitten by the injury bug once again. Their best rebounder, Reggie Evans, fractured his foot last week. He will be out of the lineup for several weeks, perhaps months.
A week ago, the Raptors made a trade with New Orleans to unload Jarrett Jack, an unhappy camper who could not adjust to the role he was expected to play this year. In return, the Raptors received a seasoned veteran, Peja Stojakovic. And not a day too soon!
It is expected that Stojakovic will step right onto the court with little time to learn any particular Raptor systems. At six feet, ten inches, he can handle himself in traffic, and has an outstanding shooting range.
Exciting young sophmore DeMar DeRozan will benefit from Stojakovic’s experience.
In a recent interview, Coach Jay Triano discussed some of the challenges facing young payers in the NBA. “Back to back games are always a challenge. Learning how to adjust in that situation is part of their growth as young men. DeMar will learn how to get to the (free throw) line more often, he will improve his scoring in transition. He will find that he will have to add new moves to his game.” That would be in response to the amount of scouting that is done in the game. If you only have one great move, your opponents will learn how to defend that move, very quickly.
Triano knows that DeMar has a lot to learn, in his “on the job training”. It is not made any easier when you consider that “he has to guard the best positional players in the NBA”.

When discussing the game, on an internet interview, Triano added: “This game is full of mistakes. Your job is to limit the number of mistakes.”
The Raptors will rely on Jose Calderon, the Spanish playmaker. Andrea Bargnani, the seven foot Italian, has been playing much better lately, and leads Bosh in a points per game basis.
On any given night, the Raps can put it together, and beat the best. When their transition game is sound, there is real excitement in the Air Canada Centre.
They face the Washington Wizards Wednesday night. First tip at 7:00pm.

James Hurst
29 November 2010

2010 Grey Cup

2010-11-23T04:44:00.001-08:00

Last Sunday’s semi-final between the Saskatchewan Rough Riders and the Calgary Stampeders was played on the frozen tundra of Alberta, in the meanest weather conditions. At times, the mercury was registered at minus twenty degrees, give or take a few degrees with the wind chill factor.

Now we have not experienced those conditions in these parts so far this winter, but I am sure they are on their way. Naturally the game was affected by the weather. But the teams had practised all week in those conditions, gearing up for the big game.

Always a matter of inches, and a few lucky bounces, it is indeed rare that an important game between the Stamps and the Green Riders would disappoint. Not on this occasion either, for that matter. A tremendous punt from the Stamps’ Burke Dales was misplayed by returner Ryan Grice-Mullen. The ball rolled, and was cajoled into the end zone, and it looked as if the Stamps would pick up an easy six points on the fumble recovery. At the very last second, Saskatchewan’s Jerrell Freeman dove onto the ball, saving the day; otherwise, the Stamps would have regained the lead, with momentum.

The final score was 20-16 for the Riders, indicative of the play.

The football Getzlaf brother, Chris, had an outstanding day, pulling in important passes from Darian Durant, including a touchdown to seal the deal. (The hockey brother, Ryan, has had an impressive career with the Anaheim Ducks.)

The scribes and the fans of the Toronto Argonauts made threatening noises in the week before their contest against the Montreal Alouettes. They were ready, and they were hungry. They had beaten the Alouettes twice during the regular season, and they were tired of being perennial bridesmaids at the end of the season.

Someone forgot to tell the Alouettes that they were supposed to lose. They came out of the tunnel at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal ready to play. They led 17-0 before the game had passed the nine minute mark. They dominated every aspect of the game. They had 48 points at the end of the game, the Argos 17. Sometimes called a shellacking.

Coach Barker of the Argos summed up his team’s performance in this manner: “There are no excuses. This was a ‘we-are-not-at-their-stage-right-now issue’. We have to work our way to that point.”

About the only way that the Boatmen will get to that stage is when several Montreal players retire. As long as Anthony Calvillo is at the helm, the Alouettes will dominate. He has a bevy of outstanding receivers, complemented by a great running back. Avon Colbourne tore through the Argo defence, amassing 163 yards on the ground.

As a result, the great Canadian tradition of the Grey Cup Game is set for this Sunday in Edmonton. It will be the ninety-eighth time that teams have played for the silver jug.

The Green Riders and the horde from Quebec are ready to go. The Riders have a little revenge and redemption on their minds. In a goofy, quirky, and badly handled ending to last year’s final, Saskatchewan had too many men on the field for the final play, opening the door for the Alouettes to win the game.

That will not happen again this year. You will find designated counters working feverishly to make sure there are no extra bodies on the field. Twelve aside, in Canadian football, thank you. Kickoff time is 6:00pm. If you are heading out to Edmonton for the game, throw on an extra pair of Long Johns!

James Hurst
sportslices.blogspot.com
23 November 2010

Belleville Bulls 2010

2010-11-16T08:21:00.000-08:00

With twenty-one games under their belts, this year’s edition of the Belleville Bulls has earned itself a variety of adjectives: frustrating, exciting, interesting, boring, and, occasionally, victorious.

They now stand in the lower regions of the East Division of the Eastern Conference of the league with fourteen points. Peterborough has ten points, and Sudbury with eleven, and Barrie with nine, are just behind the Bulls.

Coach George Burnett has spent many hours adjusting his lines and his line up to put a competitive product on the ice. The team has a completely different makeup from last year’s squad, with an emphasis on the younger player.

That bodes well for the future, but in Junior hockey, the future never lasts too long. Players who gain super star status in junior hockey often move directly to the higher ranks, even to the National Hockey League before their junior eligibility has expired. The Toronto Maple Leafs tinkered with the idea of elevating Naz Kadri from the London Knights to the big time before reversing their decision at the last minute. Would it have been disastrous for Kadri’s career? Not my call. I threw out my crystal ball years ago.

In order for the younger players to succeed in the OHL, they need to rely on veteran players to “show the way”, on and off the ice. The Bulls will rely on the likes of Andy Bathgate, Bjorn Krupp, Luke Judson, Steven Silas and Michael Curtis to lead them this year. They gratefully welcomed back Kyle DeCoste, an overage forward who has recovered from off-season surgery

Burnett concedes that he may have put a little too much pressure on the younger core earlier in the season. But they have gone through their growing pains, and they now seem ready to take charge.

The rookies have shown well in the past couple of weeks. Malcolm Subban has played consistently well in goal, giving the Bulls a chance to win on most nights. First round draft choice Brendan Gaunce has been impressive at the Yardmen Arena the past few games. He is strong around the net, sees the ice very well, and makes fine passes at the right time. Adam Bignell, son of a former Bull Greg Bignell, improves with the amount of ice time he gets.

Scott Simmonds spent last season with the Dukes, and has made the step up to the OHL Bulls without a problem. He is a strong forward, and wins most of the battles along the boards. Dylan Corson is also in his first year in the league, with a fine hockey pedigree. His dad Shayne toiled at the NHL level for many years.

It is by no means an easy task for a sixteen or seventeen year old lad to play at the OHL level. Hometown fans demand excellence, game in and game out. They do not tolerate mistakes, they are not patient. They will scream at young players trying to learn the finer points of the game, trying to help their team. Most of us knew that this would be a tough season for the Bulls, with so many rookie and sophomore players.

Richard Panik, number twenty-eight on your score sheet, is worth the price of admission to any Bulls’ game. He is deceptively fast, and creates opportunities when none seem to exist. With a burst of speed, he winds his way around unsuspecting defencemen, and creates excellent scoring chances. He is pesky, always ready to jump into the action to free the puck. He brings a wonderful set of European puck handling skills to the rink, making outstanding plays.

Great news for Dukes fans! Doors will open at the new Duke Dome in a month! First game is slated to begin Friday night at 7:30pm against Whitby Fury. Tickets are now available from Betty Masterson at: 613-399-1573. Call now! They will not be available forever!

See you at the rink!
James Hurst
16 November 2010

Buffalo Bills 2010

2010-11-09T09:32:00.000-08:00

We set our clocks back last weekend to end Daylight Saving Time. On Sunday morning, dozens of Buffalo Bills fans from the area headed to the Rogers Centre in downtown Hogtown for the annual National Football League game. Most got to the game on time, almost fifty thousand.

At one o’clock, the fans were primed and ready for some football. The Burlington Teen Tour Band, a marching band with flags and majorettes had taken centre stage, did their thing, and had disappeared into the darkest regions of the building. The enormous Buffalo Bill mascot had been inflated in the north-east corner of the field, waiting to engorge a hundred football players. Members of the Canadian Armed Forces from Petawawa unfurled giant Canadian and American flags.

Daniel and his uncle Paul Svboda lined up in the VIP section at the 100 level for grub, clutching their $495 tickets. A tribute was paid to the only Canadian in the game, Israel Idonije, # 71 for the Chicago Bears. In true Canadian fashion, he was warmly greeted by friend and foe alike. The show was about to begin.

At the end of the first quarter, neither team had come close to scoring. It was almost six minutes before Roscoe Parrish caught a pass on the sidelines for a first down, the first of the game.

The Bears got on the score sheet midway through the second quarter. The Bills replied just before the half ended, on a pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick to Roscoe Parrish.

From that point on, the fans were entertained with a see saw battle that had the Bears emerging victorious at the end, 22-19.

Bills’ quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was the first player at the podium after the game. He had spent the past three hours desperately eluding three hundred pound linemen, and defensive backfielders. He had been pounded into the turf several times. He made no excuses. In the fourth quarter, he threw a deep pass to Steve Johnson. The Bills led by 19-14 at the time, a critical juncture in the game. The pass was errant, and intercepted.

“I just didn’t get the ball to him. Stevie made a great move. That play was the difference in the game.” The ball was juggled by the left corner linebacker Tim Jennings, then snagged for the interception. The Bears scored three minutes later: game, set, and match.

For his part, Johnson defended his quarterback. “It would have been a great play,” he stated after the game. When asked about the fact that they were playing a home game on the road, he smiled and admitted, “The atmosphere was kind of neutral here. The fans seemed happy to see football”. Toronto is not exactly London, England, or Frankfurt, Germany. Johnson knows there is plenty of football played in Toronto.

Idonije made several outstanding defensive plays in the game, none more critical than in the third quarter when he blocked a Buffalo convert attempt. It was the first time in his career that Rian Lindell had seen a convert blocked.

Bills’ Head Coach Chan Gailey told the media after the game that the blocked extra point attempt “changed the whole tenor of the game”. He summed up the loss; “We are not good enough to overcome the turnovers we made in the game. We tried to establish the run game early. We were not able to run the ball. We have to block better to create more opportunities for C. J. Spiller”. No kidding. The Bills amassed a total of 46 yards on the ground. The Bears’ Brian Urlacher and his friends had completely shut down the Bill’s running game.

A final play that broke the hearts of the Bills fans came just before the two minute warning to end the game. Maynard punted the ball for the Bears, an anaemic attempt that landed near the Bills’ twenty yard line. It bounced and rolled and squirmed down to the one yard line, putting the Bills in a deep hole with little time left on the clock. A true Argo bounce!

Canadian football resumes this weekend in Hamilton, when the Argos face the Ticats in the Eastern semi-final. The winner gets to play the Alouettes in Montreal! Good Luck.

James Hurst
sportslices.blogspot.com
November 9, 2010

Who Needs a Pair?

2010-11-02T05:22:00.001-07:00

For those of us who live outside the confines of the Greater Toronto Area, or outside the limits of any major metropolitan area, we are not often within earshot of the chants of ticket scalpers.

Alas, the ticket scalping business is now flooding the internet as well. There are several companies well established in North America that look like they are offering a deal on tickets for professional sports games. “Stubhub” is one example.

Patrons who have season tickets flog their extras on sites such as this. Ticket prices are simply insane on these sites. Even “Ticketmaster” has been in hot water recently for gouging unsuspecting buyers with obscene prices.

If you happen to have a pair of Toronto Maple Leaf tickets in the Lower Area of the Air Canada Centre, you probably paid more than $ 200 for each ticket, retail. You could easily get double that price outside the arena an hour before the game. You might get a thousand bucks for the pair on the internet. No need to ask who would pay such outrageous prices for these tickets. The ACC is packed for every Leafs’ game.

Through the generosity of friends, family and alumni of the Wellington Dukes, I have been able to provide the opportunity for sports fans to catch the action. The Third Annual “Super Sports Draw” tickets are now on sale.

There will be twenty-five great prizes in this draw, including tickets to all major sports events in this area: Leafs, Argos, Toronto Football Club (soccer), Senators, Habs, Tiger Cats, Blue Jays, Raptors, Belleville Bulls, and golfing opportunities at several local courses. There are also four tickets to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Prizes are still coming in, but there is a guarantee of at least 25 major prizes, totalling almost $ 5 000.

Tickets for the draw are now in the hands of all Dukes’ players and executive members. There are always tickets at Lavender Furniture. Occasionally, a player and/or an executive member may show up at a corner in the village, or at the Legion to flog the tickets.

Tickets will also be on sale at Belleville Bulls’ and Dukes’ home games.

Obviously, this is a fund-raising activity for the Dukes. It also offers you, the sports fan, a chance to attend a big league game without the hassle, nor the expense, of dealing with a big-time scalper.

Presently in the prize pouch are the following: golf at Trillium Wood, Picton Golf Club, Wellington-on-the lake Golf Club, and the Bay of Quinte Golf Club. Leafs against the following: Islanders, Tampa Bay (three sets), and Bruins. Senators against: the Rangers-four sets, the Capitals, the Flyers. Blue Jays against the Detroit Tigers, and four open tickets. Soccer tickets of your choice. Habs tickets are on their way.

If you have been perusing this column for the past ten years, you know that I strongly advocate “being there”. Now is your opportunity to see the action live at one of these great sporting events, with a little luck.

There is also a pair of Season tickets for the Dukes for 2011-2012. Obviously, these seats would be in the New Duke Dome, expected to open in mid-December.

Tickets are ten dollars each, three for twenty-five. More than a thousand tickets have already been sold, and the rest will not last through the Christmas season. (Great stocking stuffers!) The draw will take place at the last home game this season on Friday, February 11, 2011.

Who’s got a pair? The Wellington Dukes do, and they could be yours!

James Hurst
November 1, 2010

World Series 2010

2010-10-25T09:55:00.001-07:00

There are two teams remaining in the battle to be crowned as champions of North American baseball to become “World Series Champions”. The Texas Rangers and the San Francisco Giants will take the field on the West Coast Wednesday night to determine the victor in a best-of-seven final.

The Rangers disposed of the mighty New York Yankees in short order, with brilliant pitching, and timely hitting. The Giants outlasted the favoured Philadelphia Phillies to gain a berth in the final.

The Rangers and the Giants were not expected to get to the finals this year. In fact, if you were to lay your money down in Vegas last spring in support of that possibility, you would be a wealthy baseball fan. You might even be able to purchase a ticket for one of the games.

At the helm of the Texas Rangers is a wizened customer named Ron Washington. He assesses the Giants thusly, on the internet: “They are a very solid team. They can certainly pitch, and when you get to this point, pitching is the most important thing.” Sounds like a cool individual; however, if they focus on him when his base runners are in motion, he is certainly a whirling dervish. Keep your distance.

The Giants do have great pitching, led by Tim Lincecum. He has the credentials: two Cy Young Awards for being the best pitcher in the National League the last two years. He has the stuff: great control and a fastball that reaches into the upper nineties on most occasions. But he no more looks like major league pitcher than Rodney Dangerfield. Lincecum is not six feet tall, and weighs about one hundred and sixty pounds. He has droopy hair well past his shoulders. But he is the best.

Another interesting character emerges from the Giants’ bull pen in the late innings. Brian Wilson has one of the ugliest beards in baseball. There might be a touch of Grecian Formula in it, for effect. His hair is coiffed in the manner of Charlie Sheen, “Wild Thing” Vaughn from the movie Major League. He can mow batters down with great stuff. Like many other finishing pitchers, he often walks a batter or two in critical situations, driving Manager Bruce Bochy to distraction.

All Giants’ pitchers will be facing an awesome lineup when they take the field Wednesday. The first game is in San Francisco, as the National league won the All Star game this year, and the right to home field advantage in the World Series. That also means that Vladimar Guerrero will have to play outfield, rather than act as a designated hitter. The Giants may try to take advantage of Vladdy’s restricted mobility.

Guerrero is just one of the mighty bats in the Rangers’ dugout. Others include: Josh Hamilton, Jeff Francoeur, David Murphy, Nelson Cruz, Elvis Andrus, Ian Kinsler, and Michael Young. Don’t be surprised if you find Bengie Molina also rounding the bases for the Texans. He hit the for the most improbable cycle in baseball history this year, just a few games after he had been traded from the Giants to the Rangers.

The Rangers added Cliff Lee to their starting rotation this season. He will lead the troops into battle as their starting pitcher Wednesday night. All of the baseball pundits have him moving to the Yankees next season. That may be, but in the mean time, he has his work cut out for him in a Ranger uniform.

His duel with Lincecum will be a classic.

Buster Posey will be behind the plate for the Giants. One of the youngest players on the team at twenty-three, he is regarded as a major factor in their success, both with his bat and with his brilliant play in the field. Cody Ross came over to the Giants from the Marlins late in the season, but brought surprising pop to the lineup in the post season.

It is indeed a long season, with plenty of post season play. But we are now in the final leg, and these games are worth the price of admission. Pass the cracker jacks, if you don’t mind.

James Hurst
24 October 2010

Nathan Moon-Kingston Frontenacs

2010-10-18T08:46:00.000-07:00

A week ago, Nathan Moon was announced as the Canadian Hockey League Player of the Week. He had scored three goals and had six assists in three games.
I spoke with Nathan last week about his accomplishment.

He downplayed the honour, and indicated he hopes it is a step toward better things in his hockey future. “I really appreciated hearing that I had received the honour,” he told me, “but I still have a lot to accomplish”.

Way back in 2008, Nathan Moon was selected in the Fourth Round of the annual National Hockey League cattle call, sometimes called a draft. The NHL selects the best players from around the world by calling their names, and then posting their names on a board. From that moment on, for the next couple of years, a player’s fate is tied to that particular team. In Moon’s case, he was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Penguins had arisen to the top of the NHL about that time, thanks to a great group of players led by a couple of kids named Crosby and Malkin. Moon knew that he had his work cut out for him. If he were going to sign an NHL contract, he would have to convince the authorities in Pittsburgh that they had made a wise choice. He would have to fit into their plans for the future.

He told me that Stirling’s Matt Cooke took him under his wing at the camp. “Cookie told me to get in touch with him if I needed anything. He invited me to dinner. As a rookie, I really appreciated that.”

Following training camp, the Penguins decided not to sign the young Belleville native, releasing Moon from any contract obligations with the team. He is now a free agent, and can sign with any other professional organization. Certainly a disappointment for a nineteen year old kid, but also an opportunity to move ahead.

Moon has taken the situation as a challenge, and the proof is in the pudding. “This past summer I worked really hard to get ready for the season. I have been following regimented workouts, and have improved my eating habits.” As a result, in only the third week of the season, he was selected as the top player in the country.

He credits his teammates for their play. He credits his coach, Doug Gilmour, for his expertise and his encouragement. He knows he is in Kingston because of the efforts of their General Manager, Larry Mavety. At the end of the day, however, only Moon himself can get the job done.

Nathan Moon was an outstanding football player as a kid. He played three years in the Belleville Minor Football league, a real pleasure to watch. He loved his position as a running back. He took every play as a challenge, following his blockers, deking in and out of the holes in the defence. He credits a lot of his success to his coach, Dick Howe. “Mr. Howe taught me how to win. He demonstrated the importance of footwork, and deception. He taught me how to compete.” Moon also played briefly at Quinte Secondary School before leaving for Kingston. He had honed his hockey skills in the Quinte “AAA” system to prepare for his hockey future.

He also spent several nights in the Duke Dome, and played half a dozen games with the Dukes. He made a point to credit Coach Tod Lavender for a few valuable tips about positional play. “Tod emphasized playing hard at both ends of the rink. I appreciated his input.”

Nathan Moon has led the Frontenacs in scoring the past three years. He is now in his fifth year with the team, and plans to make a statement with his play this year. He is a durable commodity, only missing a handful of games in his OHL career.

The Frontenacs recently welcomed back Erik Gudbranson, the third overall pick in this year’s NHL draft. They added former Belleville Bulls netminder Philipp Grubauer before the start of the season.. For many years, they have trailed their arch rival Bulls. It appears as though they may outdistance the Bulls this season.

Moon wants to make a statement this year. Even if it is at the expense of the Bulls. “Sure, I get up a little extra for our games against the Bulls. They are special games. But I just try to do my best as a two-way player.”

James Hurst
sportslices.blogspot.com
October 18, 2010

Ben Cahoon-One Fine Receiver

2010-10-12T08:56:00.001-07:00

On a brilliant sunlit Thanksgiving Day in Montreal, Ben Cahoon celebrated a brief moment in his stellar career. He had just caught a pass from his old pal, Anthony Calvillo, the 1 007 pass he has received in the Canadian Football League. He now has the distinction of catching more passes than any receiver, ever, in the history of the CFL.

With that reception, he surpassed the mark established some years ago by Terry Vaughn. Another notables on that list include: Darren Flutie with 972, and Allen Pitts, with 966 receptions. Pitts spent his entire career in Calgary with the Stampeders. Cahoon has been with the Alouettes since day one, having been drafted in the first round of the 1998 draft.

That same year, the Alouettes went shopping for a quarterback. On March 18, 1998, they signed a young free agent who had been discarded by the Hamilton Tiger Cats. Anthony Calvillo, without question, has been the leader of the Alouettes since that time. He has also used Cahoon as a prime target for twelve years.

The game was halted last Monday,momentarily, as Commissioner Mark Cohon presented Cahoon with an award. Cahoon graciously accepted the award. “I’m glad that it is finally behind me,” he told the television audience, surrounded by his wife and family.

Although he was born in Orem, Utah, and is a devout Mormon, Cahoon spent much of his youth in southern Alberta, and qualifies as a “non import” within the rules of the CFL. In that same vein, he qualified as the “Most Outstanding Canadian” player in the league in 2002 and 2003. He was also the Most Outstanding Canadian in the Grey Cup games in 2002 and 2009, winning his second Grey Cup with the Alouettes in 2009. He is the all-time leading receiver in Grey Cup history with 632 yards.

Two of the most remarkable features about Calhoon are the following: he has played his entire CFL career with one team, almost unheard of in these transient days, and secondly, he stands five feet nine inches in thick socks and football cleats. He is relatively tiny in today’s game, especially for the type of game that he plays. He has always been willing to run patterns across the middle, and take the licks that opposing linebackers love to give.

In his thirteen year career, he has only missed nine games due to injury. He has always been resilient, and elusive. (At that size, he had to be to survive!)

The combination of Calvillo and Cahoon has been recognized by the CFL as one of the greatest of all time. Sam Etcheverry tossed a few fine passes over the years to Hal Patterson for the Alouettes. Russ Jackson found Whit Tucker on many occasions for the Ottawa Rough Riders. Warren Moon could always find Brian Kelly for the Eskimos. Saskatchewan Rough Rider fans remember the days when the ‘Little General” Ron Lancaster threw strikes to Hugh Campbell. All well and good, but none surpassed the marks set by Cahoon and Calvillo, for distance and for longevity.

There have been several outstanding receivers for the Alouettes over the past thirteen years. But they have come and gone, and Cahoon has survived and prospered.

The Alouettes have yet again clawed their way to the top of the Eastern Division, with their victory Monday over the Calgary Stampeders. They will likely play for the right to defend the Grey Cup in late November.

Cahoon will be wearing Number 86. Watch as he sneaks out of the backfield, snares a pass from Calvillo, and ends up under a pile of several three hundred pound tacklers. He will scramble to his feet, kick off the dust, and ready himself for the next play. Truly a remarkable athlete in the Canadian Football League.

James Hurst
12 October 2010

Baseball: Cito's Game

2010-10-05T07:01:00.001-07:00

Cito Gaston retired a couple of days ago as the Toronto Blue Jays’ Manager. He announced his intention in August, but stayed with the game until the end of his tenure.

The towering Texan, now sixty-six years old, wants to spend a little quality time with his wife and family. Last week the Blue Jays had a fan appreciation night for Clarence Edwin Gaston at the Rogers Centre. It preceded the Jays’ last home game of the season. (Cito told Toronto broadcasters that he took the nickname from a Mexican-American wrestler he watched as a young man in Texas). His baseball card printed in 1971 lists him as “Clarence”, and that is how he signed his name on the front of the card!)

In the second last game that Cito managed in Toronto, he was frustrated by one of the quirky rules in baseball. There is a lane, well designated with solid white lines, that runs parallel to the first base line in foul territory. All runners from home plate must run in that lane to first base.

In the second inning, Yankees’ centre fielder Curts Granderson struck out on a pitch in the dirt. Jays’ catcher, John Buck, gathered up the ball and threw it to first base to record the out. Granderson ran all the way to first in fair territory, on the left hand side of the first base line (Most players also do that, ignoring the lane in foul territory.) Buck’s throw went past first baseman Lyle Overbay into right field. Granderson ran on to second base. Buck was charged with a throwing error.

In the sixth inning, the Jays’ young designated hitter, J. P. Arencibia, raced to first base on a ball that he had hit. It landed in front of home plate. The Yankees’ catcher, Jorge Posada, scooped up the ball and threw it to first base. The ball hit J. P. in the back. He was called out because he had not entered the special lane in foul territory while running to first.

Cito stormed from the dugout. It was apparent that he wanted justice. It was not to be found. In fact, home plate umpire tossed him from the game. It was his third ejection this season. (Several weeks previously, I asked Cito about getting thrown out of games. He smiled, and said: “It’s a little uncomfortable. It’s like being sent to your room for being bad.”)

After the game, Cito stated: “Whenever there is a situation like that, I have to go out and protect my players. I really didn’t say anything to get run out of the game. But the line to first is a crazy rule. There are a lot of crazy rules in baseball that need to be addressed.”

In essence, that is Cito Gaston, a baseball guy through and through. Most concerned about one of the goofy rules in baseball the night before the big celebration of his retirement.

Off and on, Gaston has spent almost two decades in a Blue Jays uniform. He started as a hitting coach in 1982. He began his playing career in 1967 for the Atlanta Braves. Following stints in San Diego and Atlanta, he finished with the Pirates in 1978. He had a banner year as an All Star in 1970. On the back of his card it states: “Clarence virtually rewrote the Padres’ record book last season.”

His friends came out to pay respects on his final night in Toronto. Sitting in the second base area before the game: Pat Hentgen, Joe Carter, Devon White, George Bell, Vernon Wells, Blue Jays’ brass Alex Anthopoulos, Paul Beeston, and Nadir Mohamed, and Linda Gaston.

A video clip brought greetings from a host of baseball buddies: Paul Molitor, Tony Fernandez, Dave Winfield, Roberto Alomar, Jack Morris, Gord Ash, Jose Bautista, Bobby Cox, Bud Selig, Dusty Baker, and Hank Aaron. Selig got the “Bronx Cheer”.

Not a dry eye in the house. The great crowd appreciated Cito’s contributions to the game, and to Toronto. Cito showed his colours when he began his address; “I know that we have a game to play.” In other words, thanks, everyone. Now let’s get on with it.

As a wonderful tribute, many of the Jays’ players sported moustaches as a tribute to their manager. Young slugger Travis Snider looked magnificent as he trotted around the bases, the first batter in the game for the Jays, sporting his cookie duster.

Enjoy the off season, Cito. See you in the Spring!

James Hurst
October 5, 2010

Jennifer Botterill-Hockey Player

2010-09-26T13:14:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Botterill has had an impressive hockey career. She is pondering the future regarding National Team play leading to the Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Her entry into the hockey world really came through the ringette arena. Prior to that, she was like any other kid on the playgrounds of Winnipeg, Manitoba, keeping busy with a variety of activities. “I played soccer, and I ran track. I really liked the hundred and two hundred metre races”, she told me during a recent visit to Belleville.

She was in town as a part of a program from the Royal Bank of Canada. She met the public at McDonald’s throughout the day, and spoke with a smaller group in the evening. The RBC Olympians Program hires athletes to share the Olympic messages of excellence, teamwork, and leadership. The Bank also contributes financially to several Olympic Programs. Even as we watched the games from Down Under last winter, we got the messages from the little man in the top hat telling us where to bank.

She told me that two of her favourite athletes were Catriona LeMay Doan and Mark Tewksberry. She added that she was “heartbroken” when the Winnipeg Jets left town. She was a huge Teemu Selanne supporter.

As her hockey career began to unfold, she started to look at the possibilities. As the Olympics of 1998 approached, she sat in the kitchen at lunch time, discussing her options with her father. She told him her ultimate dream would be to play in the Olympics in 2002. “Why not in ’98, he asked?” She was fifteen years old, and could not foresee the possibility of playing for the National team at that age.

She went to the Canada Games as a ringette player. She then moved on to the Hockey Canada tryouts, with 28 spots still available. Twenty cuts were made, and she had survived. From a list of several hundred players, she was still in the running. “I knew I had to focus on what I could control in the practices,” she added.

She made the team, the youngest of the group. She was given the opportunity to play with many of Canada’s finest female hockey players: Jayna Hefford from Kingston, and the incomparable Hayley Wickeneiser, the greatest female hockey player ever, anywhere.

The team won Silver at the 1998 Games in Nagano, finishing second to the only other dynamic women’s team, the Americans. In the succeeding three Olympic tournaments, Botterill and her teammates have bested the Americans on all occasions. She proudly displays three Gold medals.

The 2002 final in Salt Lake City, Utah, was a particularly trying experience. The referee called thirteen penalties to the Canadians, two to the Americans. Botterill believed that the referee had been intimidated by the partial and hostile American crowd; however, when the final whistle blew, they raised the Canadian flag. “At the medal presentation,” she told me, “every person standing there knew they had helped every other person win.”

She added that they realized for the next two Olympic Games, They would be pushed to the limit by the Americans. They went through “Spring Boot Camps” to toughen physically and mentally. She said that it was important to “have the right perspective” entering the Games.

Just before the final game at the Games in Vancouver, Steve Yzerman dropped by the dressing room to speak to the team. “He told us to trust ourselves, to trust our preparation, to trust our teammates. He said that it was important to outwork our opponents on every single shift.” She added that he wasn’t too hard to look at either!

Don’t be too surprised to find her name on the roster of upcoming World Championships, or even the games in Sochi. Hockey is, after all, her game.

September 26, 2010
James Hurst

A Tribute to Daniel Cleary

2010-09-14T08:01:00.000-07:00

About a week ago, the Kingston Township Voyageurs paid tribute to one of their former players, Daniel Cleary. He was fourteen years old when he boarded the jet from Saint John’s, and headed to Toronto, his first flight.

“I was too excited over going away to play hockey. I didn’t think about leaving everything behind, my family and friends,” he recently reported to Patrick Kennedy of the QMI agency. “At 14, what did I know? At the time I never thought or considered how hard it must’ve been for my parents. I know now. If my child was going away at the age of 14…let’s just say I have a better understanding of how my folks felt the day I left.”

That was in the summer of 1993. Since that time, Danny Cleary has honed his skills to become one of the most effective forwards in the National Hockey League.

At the recent World Hockey Summit, I button-holed the Detroit Red Wings’ General Manager Ken Holland to ask about the contributions of Dan Cleary to the team.

“I followed Danny’s progress from the moment he was drafted into the NHL. He was a first round draft with great skills. But he was sixteen years old, and needed grooming. He had prodigious offensive skills. But he defensive play, and his conditioning were suspect; nonetheless, he had what it takes in raw skill to become successful at the NHL level.”

Those of us in the Quinte area knew that Cleary was destined to achieve success at the highest levels in hockey. He came to Belleville following his year with the Voyageurs, and spent three quality years with the Bulls, and even returned for a fourth year. The Chicago Black Hawks had drafted Cleary, and set him back to Belleville for a little more seasoning. He teamed well with Brian Second and Craig Mills, displaying great chemistry as a unit. They were all young, and feisty, and sometimes a challenge for Coach Mavety. But when the puck dropped at centre ice to start the game, they played so well together.

Cleary did score more than a hundred goals for the Bulls, but it was his deft play with the puck that amazed the fans, and the scouts alike. He always had the puck on the proverbial string, and knew how to protect it. I am sure it came from hours of shinny on the rock. It is from the old “Just try to take it from me,” challenge. He would set up behind the net in the offensive zone, and direct pucks to the other forwards as they sped around the net.

Holland continued: “Dan Cleary is a really good two way player. He is an excellent penalty killer. One thing about him that makes him unique is that he can play equally well with skilled players and with checkers. No matter what the situation, his coach can trust him. He will be most effective playing on the first line, or the fourth line.”

Dan Cleary was an enigma to many of the rulers in the National Hockey League for many years. From my personal perspective, he was a trickster from the rock. He loved to play, and he loved a good prank while with the Belleville Bulls.

He and his line mates drove over to Wellington for dinner one horrible winter evening. There were blizzard conditions, causing me to do a “360” on the Town Line Road. (Not the first, undoubtedly not the last!)

Almost exactly at supper time, Danny and his teammates arrived, with Danny at the wheel. “Great drive,’ he reported. His teammates were a little shaken by the adventure. Danny was approaching his sixteenth birthday.

Many have reported details of his woes off the ice: “growing pains” pretty well sums it up. A few mistakes, here and there. Nothing earth shattering. Growth, they call it. But now Danny is ready to play, and the confidence shown in him by Ken Holland will only lead to fine results on the ice for the kid from the Rock.

James Hurst
September 14, 2010.