Sports has been a big part of a visit to Calgary
It was good to have conversations with a number of Truro connections
On Feb. 16, I left much-loved Colchester County to visit family in Calgary.
For the next 16 days, except for spending a few days in Los Angeles, I tried to dig around for sports stories associated with Nova Scotia.
This led to talking with Geoff Carter (a cousin) and a junior A hockey player with Truro Bearcats during their inaugural season in the Maritime Hockey League – 1997-98.
“I actually played those first two seasons with the Bearcats,” Carter, 42, of Cochrane, said. “Because of the coaching staff and the atmosphere, I learned to love the game of hockey again. Under coaches Steve Crowell and Chris Donnelly, I can’t say enough about my experience with Truro Bearcats.”
Carter, born in the Bahamas, moved to Halifax at age four. After playing minor hockey in the Halifax Hawks association, he played both major bantam and major midget hockey with Halifax Hawks. Before joining the Bearcats, Carter spent two seasons playing for Nobles, a prep school in Boston.
“I was fortunate the Bearcats were interested in me,” Carter recalled. “I was certainly interested in playing in Truro. Both of my grandmothers were living in Truro, I had a lot of relatives in the area, this gave me even more incentive. It was a pretty cool honour to play for the Bearcats. I lived with Jamie and Mary Jean Muir; they were amazing, amazing people. I was taken in like a third son.”
After enjoying a respectable regular season, the Bearcats eliminated Antigonish Bulldogs in semifinal division playoff action. Meeting Jim Bottomley’s Dartmouth Olands in the division finals, Truro lost a hard-fought series in seven games.
“That last game went into triple-overtime,” said Carter. “People still talk about that series, even after something like 22 years.”
Carter, in sales in oil and gas, came to Alberta in 2004. Married, he and his wife Jillayne are expecting their first child in May.
A very active individual, Carter plays in two Calgary men’s hockey leagues and scouts for the Spruce Grove Saints of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Involved in motivating young hockey players, he also advises young players’ fathers.
Carter, an exceptional young man, said he still follows the Bearcats through social media and watching games online.
Rob Carter, one of my two sons living in Calgary, is a former Truro Bearcats goaltender. After 12 to 15 years away from the game, a few weeks back he threw his name out there in the $40 Rent-agoalie program. It’s a format where teams needing a fill-in goaltender can just pick up the telephone. It will cost them, but shooters won’t be firing into an empty net.
Watching a noon-hour game which Rob played in, I was impressed with the calibre of the oil patch players. One player had played several seasons in the American Hockey League, another attended a Pittsburgh Penguins training camp, numerous other players had played top junior hockey. But, possibly the best player on the ice was a heady defenceman playing for the white team.
I was certain I had watched this player play somewhere. We talked following the scrimmage and I asked if he had been involved in senior hockey and Allan Cup play with either Powell River or Stoney Plain. It was my mistake.
“I’m from Nova Scotia,” Jason Murphy told me. “I played quite a bit of hockey in Brookfield. I played three seasons in junior B with Windsor Royals, our coach was Laurie Barron.”
Murphy recalled that Richard Mackenzie coached the Elks and he remembered Elks players Robbie George and the Reddick brothers. He said he later played for Amherst Ramblers in junior A hockey under coach Dave Ritcey.
For a scouting report, I contacted Ritcey, the former coach who is now running for the Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative Party.
“Jason Murphy was a great team player,” Ritcey recalled. “Jason was physical and he competed hard every shift. He was a smart, stay-at-home defenceman, he saw the ice well. Jason was a pleasure to coach, he loved the game.”
Another trip highlight involved spending time with a lifelong friend, Bill Paul, who is originally from Brookfield. Bill, his wife Vivian and I enjoyed lunch together and attending their grandson Colton Paul’s first playoff game. Bill’s son Cory is a Bow Valley Flames assistant coach. The Flames, an Atom 6 team, earned a 4-0 win over Glenlake Hawks. Colton, age 9, who plays both forward and defence, played a very strong game.
Following the game I was invited in the dressing room to say a few words to the young players. Unexpectedly, a young goaltender, Maddox Deleau and I were in a conversation regarding his cousin Cole Kirkup of the Valley Wildcats. Maddox wrote Cole a note which I am to deliver to the Wildcats dressing room Wednesday night when the Wildcats visit the Truro Bearcats.
Getting to watch my granddaughters Ema Carter, 9 and Sidney, 8, each play two games of ringette was a thrill for ‘old Gramps.’ Yes, I was surprised with their advancement since I last watched them play. Their mother, Laura Carter, is an assistant coach with both teams; she also continues playing competitive ringette. The girl’s father, James, my son, is the bus driver and a big support base.
Gail Nichols, of Calgary, is originally from Belmont. Playing her early hockey around Colchester County, Nichols went on to play for New Brunswick in the 1990 women’s nationals in Lloydminister, Alta.
Gail’s brother, Robbie Nichols, of Calgary, was at one time a fine Truro area goaltending prospect. Following minor hockey, the Belmont product played junior A with both Truro Bearcats and Summerside Western Capitals.
These days, Gail’s son is in the spotlight. Following playing two seasons of prep school hockey in Cleveland, Duncan Nichols-delay is playing junior hockey this season for Philadelphia Revolution of the Eastern Hockey League. The 18-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable rookie season with a 10-1-0 record, 1.31 goals against average and 9.38 save percentage.
Yes, for certain, sports has played a big part in an outstanding Calgary visit.