Porter combines farm chores and junior hockey
On the eve of the Truro Bearcats opening their junior A training camp last weekend, I talked with third- year forward Ryan Porter.
e 20-year-old, who lives on the Belcher Holstein Ltd. Dairy Farm in Lower Onslow, is both modest and enthusiastic.
“It’s a real blessing to get to play hockey right here in my home area,” Porter said. “I can live at home, there’s not a better situation a young player could ask for. Truro is probably the best organization in the Maritime Hockey League; I’ve been given a real good opportunity. I was raised to work hard at anything I do – I believe that coming from a farming background plays a part.”
The five-foot-11 forward begins training camp weighing 195 pounds, down more than 10 pounds from last season.
“Between working out in the gym and working at home on the farm and with all the heat this summer, I’m in pretty good shape as far as my playing weight is concerned,” Porter explained.
The polite, interesting athlete advised that he does a bit of everything on the family farm, including taking part with milking, driving tractors and feeding and looking after cattle.
“I also enjoy taking part at the Nova Scotia Provincial Exhibition, we had 4H members take cattle from our farm and show them. I had a calf there, my brother and two sisters were also involved. e days were busy; it was an enjoyment, this is my 12th year with 4H, I love it.”
Porter shared a positive outlook regarding training camp.
“I’m always excited to get back into the hockey season. You get to see the guys returning from last year as well as the new faces. We’re all anxious to see how the team will shape up. I try to keep the same outlook as when I was a rookie; I’m going into training camp with the outlook I want to make this hockey team. e rookies and the newcomers will bring lots of enthusiasm, it’s good for a veteran player to try to match this.”
Porter and the Bearcats have been holding spirited scrimmages daily at the Rath Eastlink Community Centre since Sunday night. Forty talented hockey players have been bidding for positions. Saturday night, Sept. 1 – fans can enjoy an early season preview of the 2018-19 Bearcats. e Valley Wildcats are the visitors
for a 7 p.m. exhibition game at RECC.
Accepting an invitation recently, I joined former Halifax softball great Howie Spears,
his brother Gordie Spears, Ron Hanna and Mike Henderson following
their golf outing at the Brook eld Golf & Country Club.
e Spears brothers and Henderson all have a great background in senior and national fastball. Hanna is best remembered as a top junior hockey prospect, he played some fastball as well. Some great players were recalled, related stories featuring the likes of Cecil Jackson, Ernie Dugay, Wayne Maxnor, Donald Ross, Hugh Matheson and Terry Gallomore brought both praise and laughter.
“I enjoyed it immensely,” Howie, who coached Dartmouth Dairy Queen to ve straight N.S. titles and ve trips to the nationals, said. “ is is something that doesn’t happen often enough, it’s nice to get together and chat about the old days, especially in considering that most of us aren’t getting any younger.”
Howie, the oldest of the outstanding Spears ball family from Ketch Harbour, was joined on the ball diamond by brothers Gerry, Gordie, John and Kevin. Their father, Gerry Spears ( senior), coached the Halifax Cardinals in senior baseball.
“I thoroughly enjoyed hearing so many great old stories especially from the senior A softball days,” Gordie, visiting from Grand Valley, Ont., said. “I played the 1977 season with Brookfield Elks following playing for years out of Halifax. What I remember is how much fun it was playing with those young guys – Mike Henderson, Robbie Cook, Robert Putnam and Bobby Campbell, these guys were just young kids at the time.
“I would have been about 33, it’s still a great memory. Another thing, I played one season with the best fastball second baseman I ever saw, I’m talking about Mike Henderson.”
Gordie, an outfielder, and Howie, a shortstop, both played for the 1969 Nova Scotia Canada Games softball team.
Both players had long records as all- stars during their playing days in the Halifax- Dartmouth Senior A Softball League and the Mainland Senior Softball League.