After two immensely successful large-scale events — the Mushkegowuk Cup and Under 18 Canadian Curling Championships — Timmins is playing host to another large sporting event.
Timmins High and Vocational School is hosting this year's OFSAA A basketball championships. Eighteen of the province's best A-level teams will be here to contest the championships. Games will be played at TH&VS as well as Roland Michener Secondary School. The event kicks off with a banquet at the Dante Club on March 5, before the teams hit the hardwood on March 6-8. Right now Timmins High is the lone team assured of participating as they are the hosts. The complete schedule and list of teams who have qualified will be posted very soon. Teams are still to be determined in upcoming playdowns being held throughout Ontario.
Preliminary game passes are available for $10 for adults, while students are free. Championship passes are $5 for adults. Tickets are available at the host game venues.
High school sports continue to be one of the most exciting, entertaining and competitive spectacles in sports. The enthusiasm on display from the athletes and supporters regularly sends chills up the spines of anyone in attendance. Anytime a local team is hosting , a supportive crowd can be a huge benefit to the team. Let's hope the gyms are packed to cheer on our locals.
On Monday I attended the Blues practice at TH. Senior boy's head coach Peter Graham and assistant Wayne Bozzer were kind enough to extend an invitation to me for practice.
Peter and his staff have been working tirelessly and efficiently to prepare Timmins High for OFSSA. I had the chance to discuss a number of things with Peter and will have a full interview with him in an upcoming article.
Peter and Wayne had also made arrangements for me to meet two alumni who were home for the holiday. Owen Hagerty and brother Jack were on hand to speak to the players as they prepared for the championships. Jack is a Junior and Owen a freshman with the Nipissing Lakers basketball team in North Bay. Both will be featured in an interview next week.
From my hockey background, I learned a long time ago how important alumni are to your program. The ability for alumni to speak and interact with current athletes provides a huge resource to the young group. Their experience at their former and current levels can open a lot of eyes when it comes to the younger group. In the short time I spent talking to Jack and Owen, I could see how excited and honoured they were to speak with the players. And good for them. As alumni they realize they have a positive part to play in player development. These two are naturals with their humble, thoughtful and pleasant demeanour.
Timmins native Madison Brunet and her Norwich University teammates are moving on to the NEHC semi-finals, after a 5-0 win over Johnson & Wales in NCAA quarter-final action.
Norwich will play the University of Southern Maine this weekend for the right to play in the conference final. What an exciting time it must be for Madison and her team.
Well, Derek Seguin is home after a successful season in Germany. His Harsefeld Tigers were league champions this season. The league championship is awarded to the first-place team at the end of the regular season. Seguin finished the season averaging a hefty three points per game average. Derek told me he thoroughly enjoyed his time in Germany and all its culture and beauty that was on display.
I've been burning up the phone lines and my email lately, communicating with a variety of Timmins players plying their playing and coaching trades in the U.S. and Europe. One of my former players has agreed to do an upcoming interview and I am working on doing the same with a few others. A popular segment of my columns has always been relaying our local athletes success to readers. Us locals are always proud of our athletes who represent us so well. So stay tuned.
While reading a submission about recreational opportunities (written by an old friend), I came across this nugget: Creating a youth-friendly community. It doesn't say youth-friendly sports community, although that is inferred. Creating that environment sports-wise, culturally, economically, for population growth and maintenance, participation rates, health benefits , morale, and a safe community is vital to our city. And once again, while the submission was recreation-related, it carries a far bigger footprint regarding our future. If we deny our youth a friendly community, what will our future community look like?
I come from an age group where we were provided that chance and without the recreational opportunities afforded us, we may not have fared so well in life. The old cliche states, children are our future. Attaining that relies on what we do in the present.
Let us never fall into that trap that diminishes recreation's importance. Some of our leaders are forgetting, or have forgotten just how important recreation is to our communities. It's up to we as citizens to continue to inform them of its importance. Sure it comes at a financial cost, but the benefits have far outweighed the costs. Be it Canada or Czechia … it is a mainstay of a good country (province, city, township, etc).
Hats off to Sidney Crosby for his recent stance that the NHL return to a 1 vs 8 and descending playoff format. For a number of years now my friends and I have extolled the first round as maybe the best of the playoff rounds (even though we support the 1-8 type). Well I guess so! Divisional 2 vs 3's every year displace a few teams that were legitimate Cup contenders. As a result of two high seeds facing off so early, you know that those two very good teams are going to put on a high octane display. According to most experts Tampa and Toronto are among the top Cup contenders. Does it make sense that one will be gone in the freakin' first round? Never mind the fact that for some time now we have known that, barring a drastic change, the two will meet in round one. What excitement does that breed? I'm tired of Toronto-Tampa, Toronto-Boston first rounds.
At the time I wrote this here is what a 1-8 type playoff would be this year.
Boston versus either Pittsburgh, Florida or Washington.
Carolina versus Islanders.
New Jersey versus Tampa.
Toronto versus Rangers.
Just the Toronto versus Rangers match-up would be a sweet change.
It also puts five Metro division teams in. I don't know maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree. But I think Crosby knows a lot more than me or my friends. One of Crosby's reasons for going back to the old format is to make regular-season success more important. It's a long grind and your positioning should be rewarded.
Another thing is it keeps the interest very high til the end of the regular season and offers the opportunity for fresh early series.
It may not have a big effect for this season, but future seasons may be more interesting.
Every time I watch Winnipeg play, I am more and more impressed by how dominating Pierre-Luc Dubois and Josh Morrissey are. Always liked their play, but their new levels of play are an absolute gas to watch. Both major components of a strong Jets club.
Later, Skater.
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