A long bucket list for the Calgary visit
Stewiacke’s Duffy travels the country playing softball
As a recent flight from Halifax to Calgary was descending, I was quite excited.
It had been four years since my wife Susan and I had been west to visit our son James and his family, and another son Rob. Besides a commitment to family, my bucket list appeared long, as I anticipated my next move.
To be honest, I was fantasizing – about how enjoyable it would be to put together a team “Colchester County Connections,” to be made up of Colchester County athletes and former athletes now living in Calgary or close by. I realized it would take some research and that available roster candidates have changed somewhat over the years.
To build this team, let’s name Geoff Carter (this writer’s cousin) playing coach. A defenceman with Truro Bearcats during their junior A inaugural year in the Maritime Junior Hockey League (1997-98) Carter has kept up on the modern-day aspects of coaching and the Calgary midget coach has accumulated an amazing wealth of hockey knowledge. Truro’s Matt Brown, a high scoring forward in college hockey with Mount Royal Cougars, would be a good choice to wear the ‘C’ for captain.
We’ll work to sign Chris Crowell and Craig Reddick, former standouts with Brookfield Elks in junior B hockey. Crowell and Reddick both reside in nearby Airdrie.
Josh Taylor would be a good draft pick, the former Elks forward is a real grinder who comes to play. My son Rob, who played goal for both the Elks and the Bearcats, once removing some rust, will also be a welcome addition.
Fast skating Andrew Benison, of Upper Musquodoboit, who played his minor hockey in Brookfield, will bring lots of hustle.
Also signing on the dotted line will be Calgarians and Colchester County products Chris Hazelton, Jerry Hale and one-time Truro badminton sensation Ken Poole. The five members of the Pender family from Bible Hill, will add character: Joan, Donna, Greg, Mark and Rob all have fine athletic backgrounds. These competitors are the daughters and sons of Gerry Pender, a former longtime Truro District Hockey League player.
As I tried convincing myself “this team could win at several sports” – a veteran athlete’s name came to mind. Middle Stewiacke’s Glendon Dickey, a former Truro Bearcats junior performer who went on to play varsity hockey with Saint Mary’s Huskies, would bring valuable experience.
From early outlooks, this just might be an awesome team with Colchester County athletes stepping up and having a big presence in Calgary and area.
Make way for an athlete I have had high on my list of outstanding achievers for quite some time.
Before watching the Calgary Flames fall 4-2 to Carolina Hurricanes at the Scotiabank Saddledome recently, I enjoyed a hot stove league session with Stewiacke’s Jay Duffy. An apprentice carpenter, Duffy has lived in Calgary for two years and works for general contractor Akela Construction, a family-oriented Calgary company. An athlete with an impressive resume, during the early 2000s the starry forward played four seasons with Brookfield Elks of the Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League.
“When I think back to those junior B years with Brookfield, I think of playing with a lot of good friends I grew up with,” Duffy, 29, said. “Guys like Patrick Stewart, Ike and Ben Burgess, Justin Smith, Josh Taylor, Chris Armsworthy and Cody Reid, what great teammates. I really enjoyed playing under Danny Burgess as coach; Danny was one of the best coaches I ever played under.”
Duffy would later become an assistant coach for three seasons with the Elks. These days, the only hockey Duffy plays is the pickup brand at rinks where ice is available around the city. The No. 1 for the likeable athlete is fastpitch softball and during warm summer weather, the outstanding second baseman travels across North America.
“My friend Patrick Stewart and I played for East Hants Mastodons in the Canadian Senior Men’s Fastpitch Championship in St. John’s, N.L. in August,” said Duffy. “In representing Nova Scotia, we finished third.”
Duffy enjoyed a great tournament, batting .270, while pounding out a home run, a triple and a double.
“It was crazy, I played so much ball last summer. Besides playing for the Mastodons, I played tournament ball for Sooke Loggers out of B.C., I played for Irma Tigers, an Alberta team and I went to the ISC Fastpitch Championship in Moline, Ill., with NB Petro Hawks, a Saskatchewan team.”
Duffy has played the past four seasons for the Mastodons. In 2015, at nationals, he was a tournament all-star second baseman.
The 2006 graduate of South Colchester Academy and his partner, Sienade Earle, of Shubenacadie, are enjoying the west.
“I can drive 10 minutes down the highway and watch the Flames play – there seems to be everything within reach; Calgary is a really great city to live in.”