There will undoubtedly be feelings of nostalgia for many locals during a Saturday night hockey game at the McIntyre Arena.
The Timmins Rock have confirmed that on Feb. 3 they will be wearing the familiar colours of the Timmins Golden Bears in a game against defending NOJHL champions, the Powassan Voodoos.
"I brought up the idea at the beginning of this season, of having a third jersey, or alternative jersey night, like they do in the NHL. We thought it over, and tried to incorporate the history of the club, and what a better way to do that than bring back a Golden Bears jersey," said Timmins Rock President Ted Gooch.
Wheels have been in motion throughout the first half of this season, and a sponsor recently came on board to fund the uniforms. They are expected to arrive next week.
The Rock will become the first franchise in the NOJHL to have a third jersey, which required permission from league Commissioner Robert Mazzuca. Gooch also reached out to Voodoos brass for their approval.
"We got the clearance from them, and we're excited to be the first team to introduce one, and bring back memories of the past for fans of the team and people who were involved with the club."
The Golden Bears, who won the NOJHL championship in the 1994-95 season, entered the league in 1991. Playing plenty of Friday night home games at the Archie Dillon Sportsplex, and led by future NHLers in centre Steve Sullivan and goaltender Dan Cloutier, the Bears were once the toast of the town and a perennial powerhouse.
The uniforms were based on the St. Louis Blues uniforms of the time, and feature plenty of gold.
Gooch has fond memories of attending Golden Bears games himself.
"That inaugural '91 season, I was 17 and playing hockey, of course not blessed with the skills to play junior hockey, I definitely went to a lot of games, and have a lot of fond memories. Especially the second season, when they had a stacked team with some future NHLers."
Indeed, the 1992-93 Golden Bears were one of the most dominant teams in the league's history. They finished the season with 42 wins, four losses, and two ties. They scored 407 goals, which averages to a staggering 8.48 goals per game. However, they were upset in the league final, losing to the Powassan Hawks in six games.
"A lot of people don't realize that we're still the same franchise as the Timmins Golden Bears. Although the team did move to Iroquois Falls in 1999 and had a long run there, it is still the same incorporation from 1991. So it's exciting to have that history attached to the Timmins Rock, and see it come back full circle," said Gooch.
It will be a significantly different look for the Rock, who will trade their familiar maroon jerseys for the blue Golden Bears throwbacks on February 3rd. Andrew Autio for TimminsTodayHe said former Golden Bears Team President Mike Kentish has been reaching out to some of the alumni, to hopefully have them make an appearance at the game.
"A lot of players are excited about it, and some are making the trip back to Timmins. We're hoping to have them as our guests for the evening, and give fans the chance to meet some of the old players from the 90s, talk to them, see what they're up to. Some of them are still involved in hockey in various capacities, like coaching and scouting, and some of them of have gone on to a non-hockey life. We're excited to have them."
The team hasn't decided what the future will hold for the throwback jerseys, but there are two ideas in the air. The team may keep them as a permanent third jersey, or they could auction them off for charity.
At this point, there won't be any Golden Bears jerseys available for the public to purchase, however custom orders can be made through the club.
"I won't be able to have them arrive before the end of this season, as they take eight to 10 weeks to customize and ship. If fans are interested in purchasing their own, and personalizing them with names and numbers, we could certainly accommodate that request."
He said there is now a running joke with the Rock's Board of Directors.
"It seems like every time we do a special event, a fundraiser event, bringing a celebrity or NHL player, the scheduling always lines up when Powassan is in Timmins. They always seem to benefit from all the great things the club is doing with the community. It's certainly not intentional, to the other teams in the league, it's just a coincidence with the way the last two seasons have been scheduled."
The Voodoos were also in town last November when Timmins was in the national spotlight during Rogers Hometown Hockey. The team is excited to be a part of another marquee game.
"It's always nice to recognize the heritage and history of our league through events like this," said Voodoos General Manager Chris Dawson.
The Timmins Rock's new mascot was unveiled to the public two weeks ago, and the subsequent contest to find his name has reached its conclusion. Gooch said the name has been chosen, and the team is preparing something for the winning suggestion. The name will be released before this weekend.
The Rock will also be bringing in a "very well known ex-NHL star" as part of their next celebrity fundraiser. Final details are being ironed out, but the event will include a dinner, and Gooch said hockey fans "won't want to miss this." The identity of the guest will be announced in the coming weeks.
For now, the excitement of the throwback Golden Bears jerseys is flooding him with emotions of days past.
"It brings back a lot of memories just looking at the jerseys and I can't wait to see them."
