Sports people have wishlists, too!
It’s that time of year when the sky can be the limit for kids (of all ages) to think of their hopes, goals and aspirations for the holiday season and for the new year fast approaching. People involved in some way with sports can have a huge variety of needs and wishes, like the necessity for more hockey officials or perhaps the desire for one’s wrist shot to somehow accomplish rising above that danged dasher board. The former wish might just have been me back in my own “squirt” (Mite, U-6, etc.) days as a young Manitowaning player (pre-Wolves?). Only those listed below will truly know if theirs or my wishes for them will come true in the end but here is hoping!
The Manitoulin Panther U18 girls have really been improving! They are steadily seeing themselves individually and as a team getting in on this age and spirit of continuous improvement. Thursday night saw them travel to the Thunderdome in Wiikwemkoong for the highly anticipated game against the Tribal Police Services (WTPS) Freeze. All of the good-natured heckling would finally come to a head as both teams squared off in what hopes to be an annual event.
Coach Scot Hughson filled me on some of the fun like, “One last taunt to our Lady Panthers was served by Constable Peltier just before the opening face-off and right after the players received awesome gifts from the WTPS. He gave the girls one last opportunity to back out of the challenge, but that was met with laughter as the starting lineups moved into position!”
The Lady Panthers opened the scoring in what proved to be a seesaw battle of great fun as the game progressed. Constable Jamie Peltier tied it up by scoring the first goal for the Freeze. The play continued back and forth but after getting up on the LPs 6-3, the Panthers battled back hard and, with their goalie pulled, ended up hitting the goal post as the final buzzer rang, ending the game at 6-5 with the Freeze prevailing.
With so many smiles on the faces of all involved, of course the score hardly mattered. It was a fantastic night that not only saw some great hockey play-making from both sides but provided the opportunity for the Lady Panthers to give back to the community. Admission fees were only two dollars or a non-perishable food item. They ended up with a couple of food boxes collected as well as being able to make a monetary donation of $130 from admission fees to the Wiikwemkoong food bank.
Of note was the game MVP, as selected by the Lady Panthers, to Greg Mishibinijima, who was presented with their trademark pink hard hat and he wore it with pride during the post-game presentations. Coach Scot also noted that a meal of Wiky tacos was provided to all participants afterwards. They were absolutely delicious and we would like to thank Jennifer Recollet for catering the great meal. Also, a thank you goes out to Seraphine Aibens for organizing this part of the event.
He also wanted to thank a couple of call-ups who helped fill out their injury/sickness-shortened bench. Victoria Pitawanakwat, who relished at the opportunity to play against her dad Jeff, and Carlyn Simon, who fit in quite nicely on our team and maybe someday we will see her don the Lady Panther jersey again!?
Chi-Miigwech to everyone who came out to enjoy this night, making it a huge success. They will now take a Christmas break and resume game action on January 6 with a double header in North Bay vs. the Junior Laker B squad. This should prove to be a great couple games as we battle against our rivals, whom they will see again to play-off against for a chance to represent our region at the OWHA Provincial Championships, Scot relayed. As well, the team wanted to wish you a “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all our players and staff. Thank you for your continued support. It is greatly appreciated!”
Carter George is a 17-year-old net-minder with deep Manitoulin roots. His Dad, Mike, was a standout goalie here back in the day but his son may have eclipsed him! Carter has had many accolades and awards in the last while, including a gold medal playing for Team Canada at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup to an ‘OHL Player of the Week’ nod. Carter’s stats are amazing, all the while playing in a tough division for the Owen Sound Attack who are not front-runners. His save percentage is currently .910 with three shut-outs.
He was also selected to attend the prestigious OHL Prospects Game coming up on January 24th. Carter is currently rated by Central Scouting with a “B” designation, which generally translates to a second or third-round selection in this spring’s NHL draft! Just before the draft Carter will also get to attend the NHL Combine to give a front-row seat to scouts.
I had a brief chance to talk to the very polite Carter last week and when pressed for some possible wishes or goals for the near future, he said without hesitation: “Make the playoffs!” The Attack are lucky to have such a team-minded player despite all his personal accomplishments. A quick web search for Carter has him talked of very highly.
One blogger (Steelflyers) has him as his second-ranked goalie but “is my favourite of this draft class,” and “unlike most guys featured in this article, Carter can win games all by himself.” Carter has “become unbelievably patient between the pipes. I believe this trait has most scouts drooling because it is George’s innate ability to wait until the opposing player makes a move before he decides to counter it that sees him being labeled a bit of a shootout prodigy.” And on and on! Best wishes, Carter, and may you make the playoffs and much more—your hard work will be rewarded.
For Kohyn Eshkawkogan, let’s see: his team, the North York Rangers U16 AAA, just beat the No. 1-ranked team in the world—the Vaughan Kings. They also just beat the No. 3 team in Canada, the Toronto Marlies. For his wishlist, he and his team are playing in the Toronto Marlies Holiday Classic and they all wish to win the tournament.
The behind-the-scenes people, of course, have wishes, too! Mindemoya’s Sean and Delray McCarthy have an often thankless job on the minor hockey executive. Sean says that as an organization that is run by volunteers, we are always looking for more to help out. Especially with their 3-on-3 tournament that they hold over Easter weekend in Little Current. This event brings in a large portion of their budget for the season which helps to keep the registration fee low. So, “If we had a wish, I think it would be to get lots of volunteers to help out with our 3-on-3 tournament as well as have a good amount of teams participate. We are also looking for team sponsors to purchase new game jerseys for our Mindemoya teams. We can be contacted at mindemoyathunder@gmail.com.”
Wiikwemkoong’s Kelly Babstock has signed with Lugano in Switzerland to finish off this season. Babstock started this season with the PWHL’s New York squad. Best wishes and luck in Switzerland, Kelly!
Finally, a wish from someone who knows the sporting world inside and out, Jackie White. She has been an athlete and a tireless volunteer and champion of keeping Assiginack active in her duties with the town for years. When I asked if she had a wish, she took it in a generous direction and it is a great way to sum it up for anyone, at any age and in any position.
“As I get older but not necessarily wiser, I have learned a few life lessons. One of the most valuable ones is to try the stuff you want to do, don’t worry about being embarrassed or failing or being made fun of. Simply try it. Who cares if you fail, but you may just discover a new career, a new passion or a new hobby.
Living on Manitoulin provides you with unique opportunities you won’t find anywhere else. There are amazing parks all over the Island, some open year-round like McLean’s Park in Assiginack that has groomed trails in the winter. Give snowshoeing or cross-country skiing a try. If crafts are your thing, check out the Island municipal websites, they all have great activities throughout the year (assiginack.ca is one)! But most importantly, don’t not try something based on fear. Go for it.
A good sport is good for sports.
chipstoquips@gmail.com
