Carter George is amazing!
Carter George has been having quite a year while others just get a minute of recognition. Thanks to wise decisions and a lot of hard work, Carter deserves all the accolades. Having been drafted by the Owen Sound Attack, the coaching staff suggested to Carter and his parents that they send him to take a year to play Junior “B”. Their thinking was that a stint at the lower level would get him more playing time and more development instead of the frustration of trying to crack the line-up in his first year.
Carter credits that decision with allowing him to progress to where he is today. His accelerated growth then allowed him to turn heads at the National level. Picked up as the third string goalie for the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup tournament, with his play there, Carter ended up as the top minder and played through the finals to win the gold medal.
Fast forward to last month’s IIHF World Championship in Espoo, Finland. George was not a shoe-in there either, but thanks to his consistently amazing play at the OHL level (leading statistical categories like shut-outs and save percentage) he was selected as their go-to guy in the important games of the tourney.
So, it was Carter backing up his undefeated team in Sunday’s Gold medal match versus their arch rivals, the United States. The highly touted Americans were as advertised in early going, badly outshooting the Canucks and were up 3–1 in the second period. Even at this stage, TSN commentator, Craig Button, was effusive in his praise for George, saying things like, “Canada’s MVP” and “thanks to Carter” for keeping them in the game against the hard-pressing USA.
Soon after, the announcers declared a goal-line, paddle-down stop as “the save of the tournament!” Perhaps, it was a TSN Turning Point because Canada ramped up the pressure, scored three power-play goals on a major penalty, man-advantage. Canada was now up by two!
Carter even picked up an assist after making a heads-up play to clear the zone with a tape-to-tape pass with tournament leading scorer, Gavin McKenna who completed his hat-trick with a laser shot into the empty net. The goal set a new IIHF tournament goal-scoring record. The buzzer goes, final score was 6–4! Cue the celebrations! Congratulations, Carter, you have done everything you could do, you get to relax a bit and be ready to see your name early in the draft!
Just a quick background on Carter’s parents. Many of you will know Mike and his family from the Little Current area. Mike George played rep hockey here and then in the NOJHL. Many may not know that Carter is drawing from both parents’ sporting genetics. His Mom, Tara George, is a decorated competitor out of Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay. She played for three of four of Krista McCarville’s first Ontario women’s championships. McCarville and George won bronze at the 2009 Olympic Trials and bronze at the 2010 Scotties Tournament of Hearts! Congrats to you as well, Mike and Tara!
Manitoulin runners tune up on track
Runners from MSS were present at Track North’s Twilight 1 Black Flies meet on May 3. Runners were Brodie Pennie, Mackenzie Green, TJ (Thomas) Green, Wyatt Williamson Wright, Saraya Eshkawkogan, and Alan Wilkin. C.M.P.S. Elementary student, Nova Debassige also was at the meet. Results will be found on Track North’s site, but quickly from Coach Gerry Holliday, “Brodie ran a PB in the 3000 metre and Wyatt ran some exceptional races. He also competed in all 4 distance events (400, 800, 1500 and 3000). Good start to the season!” Indeed!
Wiky Fastball League!?
Gerard Baibomcowai is back at it for 2024, trying to get some sort of fastball league started again. With no fastball on the Island, he is looking at four teams! Games will be Sundays starting at 5:00 pm over eight weeks. Gerry notes that there may be some games during the week if the field is available. Fees are just $60.00 per player and have to be paid before the league starts! He is asking that players be ages 15+, ladies are more than welcome to play, and new players are encouraged to come and learn to play. Also, home plate umpires get $45.00 and it is the home team’s responsibility. FYI, all games are 7 innings or 1.5 hours.
