Team remembers beloved coach
Players recall a mentor who was always urging them to maintain positive outlook
Head coach Tom Copeland invited his team of Bantam AA hockey players to a sorrowful supper on Wednesday. The Estevan Bruins were grieving. They’d just lost an “irreplaceable” mentor — assistant coach Mike Sarada.
“I told the kids, you know, Mike wouldn’t want us sitting around and pouting,” Copeland said. “We’re not looking to replace him. We’re looking to celebrate him and live on with the legacy that he’s set.”
So the team went to practice that evening. It’s what Mike would have wanted, Copeland said. In five seasons with the Bruins, Sarada hardly ever missed a practice — until he didn’t show up this Monday evening.
Police reported that a 44-yearold Midale man pulled his car over to the side of the road, got out, and was struck by a passing semi just before 6 p.m. Monday. The RCMP didn’t officially release Sarada’s name.
Copeland found out that his friend died that night. He thinks Sarada must have been on his way to the rink.
“I can tell you, the news, certainly, it was hard on me,” Copeland said.
“I think it’s something we just have to work through.”
He called Sarada a man with a strong sense of morality who earned the respect of everyone he worked with.
Sarada worked for Richardson Pioneer. He earned the nickname “Grain Merchant Mike” and often presented cheques to a variety of community organizations on behalf of the Richardson Pioneer Foundation.
He’d recently moved to Midale with his girlfriend, Tammy.
Copeland said Sarada was someone who “believed in kids.” That dedication helped send several of the defencemen he coached to the WHL, Copeland said.
“There’s a legacy there,” he said. “I’m telling you, he’s touched a lot of people’s lives through hockey.”
Two former Bruins now skate for the Prince Albert Raiders. Cole Fonstad and Brayden Pachal both passed under Sarada and Copeland’s wing on their way to the WHL.
Fonstad, now 17, remembers Sarada as someone who “always had a smile on his face.” He was always open to talk, and taught Fonstad life lessons that helped him grow into a mature player.
As a defenceman, Pachal spent far more time on the ice under Sarada’s guidance. He remembers him as someone who would tell his players to “stay positive” and “keep your head up” in the face of adversary.
“It’s a sad time for anyone who knew Mike. He’s an unbelievable guy and he’s going to be missed,” Pachal said.
“His passion and love for the game were infectious. He always made it fun to come to the rink, and when things weren’t going well, he always brought your spirits up.”
Sarada was someone who saw talent that others might miss, Pachal said. He said he still remembers Sarada’s words as he plays for the Raiders.
“Whenever I have a bad game or a bad shift, I kind of still see myself getting that little pat on the back by Mike, ‘Just keep your head up,’ ” he said. “Always stay positive. Mike taught me that.”
Copeland wants Sarada’s life lessons to inspire the next crop of players as the team works through the grief left by his passing. Before practice on Wednesday, he told them they could hardly go wrong living their lives by Sarada’s example.
“If you can ask yourself what Mike would do, more often than not, you’re going to make the right decisions for your life,” Copeland remembers saying, “because he was a great human being, and I respect and admire him.”