The annual Boxing Day hockey game took place on the afternoon of (you guessed it) Dec. 26 – and with 22 players and over 50 spectators, it was again deemed a huge success.
Longtime organizer and steady (albeit slowing) defenceman Ted Stabback said the 2014 game itself was a bit of a wash.
If one is to believe Stabback’s overview of the contest, he was adamant his team was vastly superior in skill, and I’m pretty sure he even said they were sharper dressers off the ice, too!
Nevertheless, the game saw three goalies splitting duties between the two teams – team black and team white. These goaltenders were Davey Roberts, Lance Chartrand and, from the AAA Norman Northstars, Mark Steeves.
Stabback maintained that no matter how well any of the goalies for team black played, they faced superior and intense firepower from team white.
“In what was a foregone conclusion, and soon after the opening faceoff, the ‘white’ team handed their counterparts a sound trashing,” said Stabback.
“I’m hoping that before next year they can come up with a little more effort and at least try to make the game a bit more interesting.”
On the topic of next year’s game, it will be the 50th anniversary of the first time this event was held. As such, some think it should involve a little pomp and circumstance, and perhaps a few more players and a lot more spectators!
Celebrated
Fifty years is a long time for something as unorganized as a hockey game made up of anyone home for Christmas to carry on, and it very likely should be celebrated on a larger and somewhat more structured basis.
That being said, the call will go out to the community in coming weeks and no doubt directly prior to the 50th anniversary, and hopefully they can do it up in a way that the players and community can be proud of.
Those playing in this year’s game were Ted Stabback; Tanner Korchinski; Jordan Crone; Jesse Enns; Jean Guy Trudeau; Danny Roberts; Danny Otto; Alex Francis; Dustin Lamontange; Nick Norlock; Jake Hunter; Rene Gagnon; Mark Steeves; Sadie Stabback (referee); Brianne McLaughlin; Riley Eastman; Calvin Cairns; Kaitlyn Drews; Davey Roberts; Kyle McLaughlin; Rick Stabback; Mitchell Reid; and Lance Chartrand.
Of note, the coming year will feature one other 50th celebration: the Golden anniversary of the first Snow Lake high school graduation.
Up until the graduation class of 1965, students could only attain a Grade 11 education in Snow Lake. Anyone wanting to further his or her studies had to travel elsewhere to graduate.
Apparently there were a number of youths in the 1964-65 Grade 12 class, but only six graduated. They were Jim Syms, Dave Wooley, Keith Miller, Doreen Rachuk, Karen Johannson and Cheryl Bitzer.
The three gents graduated with a University Entrance (UE) standing and went on to earn Master’s degrees in various disciplines.
My Take on Snow Lake runs Fridays.
