Bearcats cap championship season with banquet
A celebration of life for Al ‘Moose’ Campbell
Tuesday night at the Rath Eastlink Community Centre, 187 people attended a rousing banquet for the Truro Bearcats, the 2016-17 Maritime Hockey League champions.
Gerry Hale, the master of ceremonies, said the season extended several weeks longer than last year with the team eventually claiming a fourth Maritime Hockey League championship in its 20-year duration.
Following dinner, Bearcats owner Stu Rath and Dave Ritcey, of the MHL, brought positive remarks.
Individual presentations included: best attitude, Ryan Porter; hardest worker, Matt Forslund; most dedicated Cam MacLeod; unsung hero, Luke MacMillan and player’s player award, Kyle Tibbo.
Tibbo, a Newfoundland native, was also honoured forsetting a new regular-season goal-scoring mark, 47. Lateseason addition G Blackmore and young, promising defenceman Leon Denny, also received awards.
The Will Sutherland Memorial Bursary was presented in memory of the devoted sportsman by his wife Jody and son Greg Sutherland to outstanding goaltender Jason Rioux.
Coach Shawn Evans handled the commentary as returning players were presented with mementos.
The highlight of the evening came with Evans introducing the graduating Bearcats – Tibbo, Rioux, Nate Leger, Nic Blanchard, Brandon Hughes, Justin Doiron, Zach Moody, Connor Morrison and Denver Lynds. Each player fared well with the microphone.
Blanchard presented an especially interesting speech, thanking many people, including his girlfriend and the family pet.
“It’s the first time in my 15 years with the Bearcats I’ve ever heard a player thank his dog,” Evans remarked as the audience roared.
Tibbo, borderline emotional, stunned the audience with a powerful talk. Lynds, just as each player before him had done, thoughtfully thanked owner Rath and the coaching staff. It was his final thank you that brought the house down.
“And, I’d like to thank my grandfather (Kenny Lynds). He comes to every home game. He’s as blind as a bat and he can’t see a thing, but he still comes.”
The room quickly filled with laughter.
Alan Sibley Campbell, 67, Middle Stewiacke, passed away April 21 while watching an NHL game on television.
A celebration of life for Al, or Moose, as he was known by his teammates, will be held Sunday, May 28 with the burial of his ashes taking place at the Bellton Farms in Middle Stewiacke at 1 p.m.
This will be followed by pizza, soft drinks and storytelling to take place at 465 Cottage Lane, Shortts Lake. Friends and former teammates will be invited to drive golf balls out on the lake in Al’s honour.
Campbell’s life included many highlights. In 1967-68 he played the first of two seasons on defence in junior hockey for the Hugh Matheson-coached Truro Bearcats. Campbell went on to play varsity hockey for University of New Brunswick Red Devils.
He captained the Summerside Combines in intermediate hockey and was playing coach with Summerside in softball.
Campbell enjoyed several seasons with the Brookfield Elks, and was inducted into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame as a member of the 1980 Elks, the Canadian senior men’s fastball champions.
In farming, Campbell developed a successful Registered Holstein breeding program which saw his breeding stock sold all over North America. Diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 1994, with support from his partner Jane McDonald, he worked and played through it.
“Moose and I played sports together from day one,” Jim Dickey, of Halifax, and formerly of Middle Stewiacke, said.
“After playing high school hockey for Keith MacKenzie, we played junior for the Bearcats. We also played intermediate softball for the Elks. Moose was a great competitor and a great teammate.”
Herb McCallum, a former goaltender, played high school and junior hockey with Campbell.
“Moose was pretty feisty, he certainly didn’t like to lose. If there was going to be trouble, I hoped that Moose was on the ice.”
Former Bearcats scoring standout Randy Crowell added: “Moose was a big boy on defence, he added some important muscle to our back end. Moose was quiet and well liked.”
Terry Henderson, who coached the Elks for 39 years and was coach of the 1980 Canadian championship team, commented: “Moose was a tremendous competitor. He made the adjustment to the outfield after being a catcher, just to help the team. Moose was a tough out at the plate. He played the game hard. Young players really looked up to Moose.”