The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Whether you are a national award-winning hockey broadcaster, former captain of CanadaÕs gold medal womenÕs Olympic hockey team, a Stanley Cup champion or a regular hockey fan, every Canadian has a story to tell about how CanadaÕs great frozen game has shaped and changed their lives. For CBCÕs Hockey Day in Canada host Ron MacLean and analyst Cassie Campbell, as well as Edmonton Oilers forward Dustin Penner, the game of hockey has taken them on many memorable journeys, whether a simple road trip or a bigger journey through life itself. From Iqaluit, Nunavut to Anaheim, California to Torino, Italy Ð from Hockey Day in Canada, to the Stanley Cup Final, to the Olympic Winter Games, Ron MacLean has traveled around the world covering the good olÕ hockey game. But, RonÕs most memorable hockey journey took place in Alberta, long before he became one of CanadaÕs favourite hockey broadcasters. ÒIÕve been blessed to have hockey take me many places, but the greatest trip, as for most, remains my first road trip in minor hockey,Ó said MacLean. ÒProudly wearing my royal blue and gold Red Deer Optimist BantamÕs team jacket, boarding a bus Ð just like the one in the movie Slapshot Ð and heading to Leduc 80 miles away. ÒItÕs never been larger. To this day, I swear their rink burgers were the greatest anywhere. I can picture everything about that journey...except for the final score!Ó Similar to MacLean, hockey has been a huge part of Cassie CampbellÕs life for as long as she can remember. Campbell laced up her first pair of skates at the age of five, and many people tried to discourage her from playing hockey because she was a girl. But, the three-time Olympic medalist continued on her journey. She knew it did not matter what people thought; what mattered to her was that she was having fun playing the game. Journey And, what a journey it turned out to be: during CampbellÕs career, she earned 21 medals in total, including 17 gold medals and four silver medals. ÒThe Olympic medals and the championships have all been very meaningful,Ó said Campbell. ÒBut for me, the things I learned from playing the sport of hockey have been the biggest blessings. Learning values and skills like hard work, teamwork, and having respect for oneself and for others are my most memorable things when I think about my career in hockey. ÒIt is the life lessons and the great friendships I have developed along the way that have made my journey in hockey the best journey of my life.Ó Hockey has also taken Edmonton Oilers forward Dustin Penner Ð a 2007 Stanley Cup champion and native of Winkler, Manitoba (the host location for the 2008 edition of CBCÕs Hockey Day in Canada) - on several journeys. The most important one, however, was his bigger life journey which began at the rink in Winkler when he was a high school player, and finished with him hoisting the Stanley Cup in Anaheim in June 2007. Cut three times by the Winkler Flyers, his hometownÕs junior squad, and told by many minor league coaches that he was too small, Penner persevered. He walked on with the Minot State Bottineau Lumberjacks, a junior college team in North Dakota, and was then offered a scholarship by the University of Maine Black Bears. In May 2004, Penner signed with the NHLÕs Anaheim Ducks, and his journey culminated in June 2007 as he helped Anaheim win the first Stanley Cup in their franchise history. ÒAs a young boy playing hockey in Winkler, Manitoba, I never thought that one day IÕd be playing in the NHL, and have my name engraved on the Stanley Cup,Ó said Penner. ÒYour wildest hockey dreams can come true as long as youÕre willing to work hard, dedicate yourself, and be the best player that you can be.Ó Hockey fans can catch Ron MacLean, Cassie Campbell and Dustin Penner on CBCÕs Hockey Day in Canada on CBC Television, Feb. 9, 2008, beginning at 12 noon ET. Known as CanadaÕs unofficial hockey holiday, the eighth annual CBCÕs Hockey Day in Canada celebration, presented by Tim Hortons, will celebrate ÒThe JourneyÓ and feature individuals and communities sharing their stories on a national stage. The 13.5 hour-long broadcast will also include amateur hockey games and the traditional NHL tripleheader featuring all of CanadaÕs NHL teams. Special community events and an online auction can be found at cbcsports.ca/hockeyday
