|
 |
|
| Last updated at 9:41 AM on 03/01/09 |
Memorable and momentous 
SPORTS SCENE
ROBIN SHORT
The Telegram
|
 |
| Riverhead, Harbour Grace native Danny Cleary made hockey history in June when he became the first Newfoundland-born hockey player to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup — Photo by The Associated Press |
|
It will be forever known as the Year of Stanley's Visit, a party like no other in Conception Bay North last spring.
Not even another Herder Memorial Trophy championship parade could match the celebration of Lord Stanley's drop by when Harbour Grace's favourite son, Daniel Cleary, brought the Stanley Cup to Newfoundland.
There is lots to remember from threes-are-wild 2008, namely the CeeBees' third straight provincial senior hockey championship, a third national rugby championship by the Newfoundland Rock and the strong play by three Newfoundlanders on three of the NHL's best clubs through the early going of the 2008-09 season.
Not all of it was good news, however. Heavy flooding ruined the brand-new King George V FieldTurf facility last fall. St. John's first major junior hockey team, which arrived with great fanfare in 2005, fizzled out and the St. John's Fog Devils were sold off to a Montreal businessman in 2008.
But of all the stories, nothing matched the one belonging to Daniel Cleary from Riverhead, Harbour Grace.
Here is our look back at 2008:
1. Upwards of 25,000 fans, young and old, lined the Conception Bay Highway and gathered at St. Francis Field in Carbonear on the Canada Day weekend for the 'Bringin' it Home' celebration.
It marked the first time a Newfoundlander would have his name etched on the Stanley Cup.
The Detroit Red Wings' championship was another chapter in Cleary's remarkable story. A former first-round NHL draft pick, who arrived in the pros with great fanfare, Cleary looked to be skating his way out of the NHL four years ago when he released by the lowly Phoenix Coyotes after scoring only six goals.
On a hunch, he accepted the Red Wings' invitation - with no guarantees - to training camp following the 2004-05 lockout. He not only made the team, but became an integral part of the NHL's best team.
As the Red Wings bested the Pittsburgh Penguins in a five-game Stanley Cup final last spring, it was Cleary who was among Detroit's leaders in minutes logged, skating on coach Mike Babcock's power play and penalty killing units through the series.
As the seconds ticked down in Game 6 in Pittsburgh, Cleary was on the ice helping protect the Wings' one-goal lead.
"I look back to that summer three years ago," he said moments after the Wings were presented with the Stanley Cup on Pittsburgh ice. "I had no job, no opportunities. But my wife, she was so strong, so positive. She said, 'Stay with it. We'll go to Detroit.' Now three years later, I'm a Stanley Cup champ and I've got a five-year contract (which will pay him $14 million through 2012-2013).
"You know," he said, "to think where we've come from and where we are."
2. When the American Hockey League bid good-bye to St. John's in 2005 after 14 years in Newfoundland, there was much anticipation for the arrival of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
St. John's businessman Derm Dobbin had been awarded the city's QMJHL franchise, the Fog Devils.
And while there was much talk about major junior hockey, it didn't translate into ticket sales and after three years of attendance hovering near 3,000-3,500 per game at Mile One Centre, Dobbin sold the franchise to a Montreal businessman who relocated the Fog Devils to Verdun, Que.
The selling price was slightly above the $3 million Dobbin paid for the club.
Fog Devils governor Brad Dobbin reported the team lost $750,000 in 2006-07 and was on target to reach that figure - and perhaps even surpass it - last season.
As of Jan. 1 last year, the Fog Devils were averaging 3,331 fans per game, though actual paid attendance was far lower.
"There was no way we could go another year at that rate," Dobbin said. "And with an indication sponsors were considering reducing their contributions next year, we were facing substantial more losses."
There was some talk Derm Dobbin covertly sold the team to Farrell Miller, a Montreal lawyer, without first shopping it to potential St. John's investors. It was a claim Brad Dobbin termed, "unbelievable".
QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau had reportedly contacted then-Mayor Andy Wells about the team's potential availability and received a cold reception.
"The commissioner walked away with the distinct impression there was no interest from the city in participating in any way in the ownership of the Fog Devils," Brad Dobbin said.
So Mile One sits empty today, save for general skating, rec hockey and a scattered concert.
Hardly what folks had envisioned when it was built less than 10 years ago for almost $50 million.
3. Speaking of sports facilities, 2008 saw the opening of what's known as the PowerPlex, the new provincial training centre located in St. John's.
It's a state-of-the-art, $9 million athlete training facility built to replace the crumbling Provincial Training Centre at the old Torbay Airport.
Pat Parfrey, the provincial rugby coach, spearheaded construction with help from Sport Newfoundland and Labrador and number of provincial sports organizations. It's named after the late Norbert (Dick) Power, a St. John's Sports Hall of Famer.
It houses a massive 2,944 square-foot gymnasium, which can be subdivided into two gyms, large enough to have four basketball, seven volleyball or seven badminton courts playable at any one time.
It's adjacent to the Swilers Rugby Complex which houses a multi-purpose meeting room, three offices and a strength and conditioning room.
But the PowerPlex isn't the only new sports facility to grace the St. John's landscape in 2008.
Though it will officially open in 2009, work started in '08 on a new, privately-owned indoor soccer structure adjacent to the softball fields at the Caribou Complex in Pleasantville.
The structure, owned by John Breen, Jim Buckingham and a corporate partner known as Olineolyn Ltd., will cost just over $7.1 million.
The structure will be 214 feet wide by 336 feet long and will include six change rooms. Bleacher seating is not yet in the plans. It will house a regulation-size soccer field with FieldTurf, the synthetic surface found on King George V.
It will be booked on a user-pay system and already a number of minor soccer associations in the metro St. John's area have expressed an interest in booking time. As well, minor baseball is looking to train there.
4. Keeping with FieldTurf, it was a bad scene at King George V Park in early December when a freak storm that dumped 97.5 millimetres of rain in a short period of time flooded the new $3.5 million facility in east end St. John's, leaving the soccer stadium resembling nearby Quidi Vidi Lake.
Upwards of 18 inches of water covered the entire facility with a large portion of the synthetic FieldTurf bubbling, making for island-like images 10 feet in diameter. Sand and rubber pellets beneath the surface washed away.
The FieldTurf, installed at a cost of $985,000 in 2006, has to be completely replaced, but the good news is adjustments can be made to avoid future flooding.
5. As the NHL nears the mid-way point of its 2008-09 season, its top three teams (as of Friday) were the 1. Boston Bruins 2. San Jose Sharks and 3. Detroit Red Wings.
Each of those clubs feature Newfoundlanders, and all are playing important roles in their success.
Bonavista's Michael Ryder, enjoying a renaissance year after a disappointing 2007-08 campaign with the Montreal Canadiens, is fourth in Bruins' scoring with 14 goals and 13 assists. Suddenly, his three-year, $12 million free agent contract looks to be money well spent (in terms of pro salaries).
Down in San Jose, Fermeuse-born Ryane Clowe, who now resides in Mount Pearl, in fifth in scoring on the Sharks with 15 goals and 14 assists. Clowe was a free agent last summer, settling for a one-year, $1.6 million deal with San Jose. On pace for a 30-goal season, Clowe has set himself up nicely for a big pay hike next summer.
As for the Wings, Cleary has six goals and 13 assists. He's missed some time with an eye infection, but is back logging plenty of icetime for the reigning champs.
6. The Rock rugby team won its third national championship in four years last summer, the most in provincial sports history.
The Rock ran roughshod over the Calgary Mavericks to the tune of 30-6 in the national final played before 2,000 faithful in rain, drizzle and fog at Swilers Complex.
"This is the best performance this team has ever given," coach Pat Parfrey said. "We have superb players in every position and they represent a wide age group of athletes who have developed their skills over the years.
"They are highly skillful and passionate."
7. Memorial University saw its basketball teams head in opposition directions last season.
The Sea-Hawks women's team defeated Cape Breton Capers 64-61 in the final of the Atlantic University Sport championship at Acadia University, its second straight conference title.
The men's team, meanwhile, languished through an 0-20 season, a first since the AUS adopted a 20-game format. It was also the first time in 25 years an AUS team couldn't record a single victory.
That showing led to the resignation of head coach Todd Aughey, who was replaced by Peter Benoite, a former Memorial star.
At the Christmas break, the Memorial men - in rebuilding mode - were 2-4. The women are unbeaten in six games.
8. The Conception Bay CeeBee Stars joined some elite company last spring, becoming the first team in 30 years to win three straight Herder Memorial Trophy championships. The last team to win three or more consecutive provincial senior hockey titles was the St. John's Capitals, winners of four straight from 1973 to 1976.
The CeeBees took the best-of-seven series - played before capacity crowds at the Pepsi Centre in Corner Brook and St. John's Mile One Centre - 4-2.
Keith Delaney of the winners was The Telegram Herder Championship Series MVP.
9. Following a 36-goal, 66-point campaign with his hometown St. John's Fog Devils, Luke Adam of Kilbride was selected 44th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft last June in Ottawa.
It was the second year in a row the Sabres had selected a Fog Devil high in the draft. Defenceman T.J. Brennan was picked 31st overall by Buffalo in 2007.
Goalie Jake Allen, who played with the Fog Devils last season and is a teammate of Adam's with the Junior de Montreal, was picked 10 spots ahead of Adam by St. Louis.
10. Much was anticipated of the national Challenge Cup and Jubilee Trophy men's and women's soccer championships staged at King George V Park in St. John's on the Thanksgiving Day weekend.
Especially since the St. Lawrence Laurentians won a bronze medal at the '07 nationals in Halifax.
It was not to be. St. Lawrence, representing Newfoundland and Labrador, finished seventh in Challenge Cup while host Feildians were 10th.
The lone bright spot at the nationals was the play of EPR Kirby/The Dock, the provincial representative in Jubilee Trophy. That club placed fourth following a 6-1 loss to B.C. in the bronze-medal game. Holy Cross, the women's host team, was eighth.
Robin Short is The Telegram's Sports Editor. He can be reached by email rshort@thetelegram.com
|
03/01/09
|
Comments: |
|
This Conversation is Moderated. What is moderation?
|
| What does moderation mean? |
 |
The Telegram is committed to encouraging intelligent discourse among our readers and to creating a forum where diverse views and opinions on a wide range of topics can be aired. The forum you are in now is a result of our continuing efforts to facilitate a dynamic online conversation among our readers.
This is a moderated conversation. Once a reader follows the steps to register and submit his or her comment it goes to a moderator for the website. Once it has been approved, your comment will be displayed on the website. A comment may be edited or deleted for reasons of content or language.
All readers wishing to join a conversation must first sign in and agree to the Terms of Usage, which explain the rules of acceptable content.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jen from NL writes: Under point #5, how about giving some recognition to Adam Pardy of the Calgary Flames. The Flames are the 5th place team in the league and Pardy, a stay at home defenceman is playing some solid hockey. He recorded his first NHL point and his ice time is up to the 18 min range.
Although the Kings are well out of the playoffs, congrats to Teddy Purcell on his recall to LA.
|
| Posted 03/01/2009 at 9:36 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
| ALERT US ABOUT THIS COMMENT |
|
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
|
|
|
NOTE
The management of this site emphasizes that it is in no way liable for persons, physical or legal, who are hosted here. Moreover, the managers of this site may not be held liable for errors and omissions that may slip into the information displayed in these reader comments. Everyone who submits a comment should read, understand and agree to the Terms of Usage for this section.
|
|
|
