Who started Teddy Bear Toss? . . . Kamloops mourns Rozek's death . . . Meet Fred Sasaskamoose

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM TAKING NOTE

While I quite enjoy Christmas music, this one right here has come to be a favourite over recent years. It’s The Pogues, featuring Kirsty MacColl, with . . . Fairytale of New York.

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It is generally believed that the Teddy Bear Toss, something that has become such a holiday tradition with so many hockey teams, originated with the Kamloops Blazers. But . . . maybe not. Tal Pinchevsky of ESPN.com has done up a neat feature on the Teddy Bear Toss and he talked to a former Blazers general manager who thinks it all started with the Regina Pats. . . . That piece is right here.

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Pat Rozek, a member of the Kamloops Blazers’ off-ice officiating crew, has died. He was 64. Rozek was the official scorekeeper at Blazers’ games, the person who visited both head coaches before games and got their lineups and scratches. He had worked as a volunteer off-ice official for more than 25 years and was involved whenever there was a Hockey Canada, CHL or WHL event in the area. He also worked as an off-ice official during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. . . . When the Kamloops Daily News was publishing and I was the writer behind their Christmas Cheer Fund, Rozek always approached me with an envelope full of cash before the Blazers’ last home game prior to Christmas. He enjoyed getting the other off-ice officials involved in contributing to the fund. . . . You can bet his smile will be missed.

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If you aren’t aware, or even if you are, of the legend of Fred Sasakamoose, you should check it out right here. Marty Klinkenberg of The Globe and Mail takes a look at Sasakamoose, a great Canadian, who survived the tragedy of the native residential schools and went on to play in the NHL. Also, if you ever have the opportunity to hear Sasakamoose tell his story, don’t miss the chance.

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Richard Deitsch of si.com puts together an annual year-end look at the sports media. This year is no different and this one, as with the previous ones, is well worth your time. It is right here.

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Mark Bomersback, 34, has been hired by the AJHL’s Grande Prairie Storm as their head scout and associate general manager. He will work alongside Matt Keillor, who took over as GM/head coach earlier in December. Bomersback played in the AJHL with the Bow Valley/Canmore Egles (1999-2003) and was the league’s MVP in 2002-03. For the past two seasons, he worked as a scout for the Medicine Hat Tigers.

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Dec. 19 through Monday:

No Games Scheduled.

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TUESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Kamloops at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

Lethbridge vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.

Calgary at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.

Saskatoon at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Red Deer, 7 p.m.

Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.

Spokane vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

Moose Jaw at Swift Current, 7 p.m.

Portland vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

Everett vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7 p.m.

Prince George at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

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The Book Shelf: Part 1 of 4

A brief look at some of the books I have read over the last while, perhaps to help you with your Christmas shopping:

An Accidental Sportswriter – You may know Robert Lipsyte as the ombudsman at ESPN. But in an earlier life, he was a sports writer/columnist at The New York Times. Not really a sports fan, he took a different outlook into press boxes and often wrote in just that fashion. He spent a lot of time around Muhammad Ali, in good times and bad, and examines all of that here. He also explores the hypocrisy of journalists covering baseball during the days of the McGwire-Sosa home run wars and not exploring the issue of PEDs. All in all, there is much food for thought here. (Ecco, soft cover, 246 pages, US$14.99, Cdn$16.99)

The Bad Guys Won! – Author Jeff Pearlman, a prolific writer of really good sports-related books, tells the story of the 1986 New York Mets, who owned New York City before, during and after their run to the World Series title. This was the team of Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter, Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry et al, and there are stories. Oh, are there stories! You may remember the 1986 Mets as the team that won when the ball went through Bill Buckner’s legs. No. That happened in Game 6. There was a Game 7. A few words of warning: If you are a sports fan of today‘s generation, you will be used to the porridge served up by today’s overpaid athletes. You may not be prepared for how things were in the mid-1980s. (It Books, soft cover, 297 pages, US$14.99)

Bad Sports: How Owners Are Ruining the Games We Love – Author Dave Zirin makes a case that tax payers who fund the building of stadiums for billionaire owners should have a whole lot more say in the operation of the franchises that inhabit those facilities. He does it with some nightmarish anecdotes and histories involving the likes of Ed Snider, Daniel Snyder, George Steinbrenner, Donald Sterling, David Glass, James Dolan et al. In the NFL, the Green Bay Packers are a community-owned, not-for-profit operation; the league now has it in its constitution that there can't be another such ownership situation. (The New Press, soft cover, 222 pages, Cdn$20.95)

Bill Veeck: Baseball’s Greatest Maverick – If you attend a professional baseball game this season, virtually any of the promotions that take place can be traced back to Bill Veeck, who at one time owned the St. Louis Browns, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox. He was the first owner who understood – really understood – that the fans come first. That didn’t make him popular with fellow owners, a point that is made abundantly clear by author Paul Dickson. What really is amazing about Veeck is that he was able to accomplish what he did despite living daily with an incredible amount of physical pain, most of it brought on by the loss of one leg. (Walker & Company, soft cover,435 pages, US$19.00)

The Black Box – The latest in the Harry Bosch detective novels by Michael Connelly, The Black Box is a good way to while away a few hours on the deck. There really aren’t any surprises – this one involves a cold case, one that Bosch was involved with in its infancy and one that he picks up again 20 years later – but if you’re a Bosch/Connelly fan you are certain to enjoy it. (Kindle, $10.06)

Bobby Orr: My Story — As the title suggests, this is the story of Bobby Orr, a defenceman who changed hockey as much as anyone. It also is the story of a great player whose career was cut horribly short by knee problems, and who became entangled in the Alan Eagleson mess. Unfortunately, while Orr touches on many things that happened during his career, he really doesn’t provide a whole lot of insight. And if you’re looking for dressing room dirt, forget it. His views on today’s game, which he presents near book’s end, are interesting. (Viking, hard cover, 290 pages, Cdn$32.00)

Breakaway: From behind the Iron Curtain to the NHL — the untold story of hockey’s great escapes – Written by Tal Pinchevsky, it is the story of how the first players got from behind the Iron Curtain and into the NHL and, really, about the only thing missing is Steve McQueen on his motorcycle. There are some amazing stories in there, about what players went through as they escaped oppression to get to North America and about the problems some had adapting to life over here. Like the Russian couple who didn’t believe their chequing account was overdrawn because they still had cheques left. Living the way we do, it is awfully hard to relate to the way life once was in that area of the world. (Wiley, hard cover, 274 pages, Cdn$32.95, US$27.95)

Brimstone – Robert B. Parker is perhaps best known for his three dozen or so novels featuring a detective named Spenser. However, Parker is also a writer of many other genres, including westerns. Brimstone is a sequel, if you will, to Appaloosa. And if you have seen the movie that was made based on Appaloosa, you can’t read Brimstone without picturing actors Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen working through the dialogue. This is light and entertaining stuff. (Putnam, hard cover, 293 pages, Cdn$32.50, US$25.95)

The Cocktail Waitress – James M. Cain died in 1977 and it was believed his writing died with him. But some 35 years later a manuscript was discovered – Hard Case Crime editor Charles Ardai explains it all in an afterword – and that turned out to be The Cocktail Waitress. The book opens with Joan Medford burying a husband and it goes on from there, adding intrigue along the way as she narrates the story. Cain also wrote, among other books, Double Indemnity and The Postman Always Rings Twice. Like those, The Cocktail Waitress leaves you wondering if all is as it seems. (Kindle version)

The Cold Dish – This is the first book in author Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire mystery series. Longmire is the sheriff of Wyoming’s Absaroka County. In the series opener, he is dealing with the murder of young men who, a few years earlier while still in high school, had been involved in the rape of a Cheyenne girl. The characters are terrific, as is their development. As well, Johnson can write. As Longmire struggles through a blizzard on foot, you find yourself reaching for a blanket. (Penguin, soft cover, 354 pages, Cdn$16.00, US$15.00)

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THE MacBETH REPORT:


F Jaroslav Svoboda (Kootenay, 1998-2000) was assigned on loan by Lev Prague (Czech Republic, KHL) to Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga) for the rest of this season. He has two goals and one assist in 25 games with Lev this season. . . .

F Dylan Stanley (Tri-City, 2000-05) transferred from Bozen (Italy, Serie A2) to Neumarkt/Egna (Italy, Serie A2). He had 29 goals and 27 assists in 32 games with Bozen this season. Stanley currently stands in third place in league scoring.
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Former WHL G Jon Groenheyde stopped 66 shots on Saturday, but it wasn’t enough as his St. Thomas Tommies dropped a 5-2 decision to the host Acadia Axemen in an Atlantic University Sport game. . . . Groenheyde allowed four goals on 70 shots, with Acadia’s last goal an empty-netter.
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A hockey fan looking for an interesting read can’t go wrong with Breakaway, Tal Pinchevsky’s look at the first hockey players to have escaped from behind the Iron Curtain and come to North America.
It is subtitled From behind the Iron Curtain to the NHL — the untold story of hockey’s great escapes, and really is missing only Steve McQueen and his motorcycle.
There are some amazing stories here about players leaving behind families and not knowing what might befall those families because of the defectors’ decisions. We’re also referring to all kinds of cloak-and-dagger stuff, including clandestine meetings in forests.
Scary stuff!
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Regina, Kootenay F Sam Reinhart broke a 1-1 tie with a PP goal in the second period and the Ice went on to a 3-1 victory over the Pats. . . . Reinhart’s 25th goal ran his point streak to 13 games, the longest in the WHL at the moment. . . . Ice F Jaedon Descheneau had his point streak ended at 12 games. . . . The Ice continued its march toward an Eastern Conference playoff spot. All but written off before Christmas, the Ice has closed to within one point of the Saskatoon Blades, who hold down the eighth and final playoff spot. . . . The Blades hold three games in hand. . . . The Pats have lost seven in a row and are eight points out of eighth. . . .

In Swift Current, G Justin Paulic stopped 32 shots to lead the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 5-2 victory over the Warriors. . . . The Broncos had won seven in a row going into this one. . . . The Warriors have won two in a row after a 10-game losing skid. . . . Ch-ch-ching! The teams engaged in a multiple-fight situation at 19:52 of the third period. . . . The Broncos lost F Graham Black to an elbowing major and game misconduct at 18:51 of the third period. . . . By game’s end, the Broncos had taken 116 of 179 penalty minutes. . . . Warriors F Tanner Eberle scored the winning goal, his 10th goal this season. It came on a penalty shot at 6:24 of the third period. . . . Broncos F Adam Lowry had two assists. . . .

In Edmonton, F Curtis Lazar broke a 2-2 tie at 12:05 of the second period and the Oil Kings went on to beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 5-2. . . . Lazar scored twice, giving him 23. . . . Brandon G Curtis Honey stopped 47 shots. With G Corbin Boes having suffered an undisclosed injury in a 2-1 OT victory in Edmonton on Friday, the Wheat Kings had Jordan Papirny on the bench backing up Honey. Papirny, from Edmonton, plays for the midget AAA South Side Athletic Club Athletics. . . . Edmonton F Dylan Wruck had a goal, his 14th, and two assists, while F Henrik Samuelsson drew three helpers. . . . The Oil Kings have won four in a row and lead the Eastern Conference by seven points over the Calgary Hitmen, who have two games in hand. . . .

In Red Deer, F Rhyse Dieno forced OT and then won the game in the circus as the Rebels got past the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 3-2. . . . The teams played through two scoreless periods and struck four times in 7:06 in the second half of the third period. . . . Red Deer F Rhyse Dieno forced OT with his 15th goal at 18:28 of the third period. . . . Dieno was the only one of six shooters to score in the shootout. . . . Lethbridge D Macoy Erkamps scored his fifth goal to open the scoring. He’s got eight points in his last three games. . . . Lethbridge G Ty Rimmer stopped 43 shots. . . .

In Prince George, G Mac Engel stopped 21 shots to help the Cougars to a 4-0 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . The shutout was the first of the season for Engel. He has six shutouts in his career. . . . F Colin Jacobs scored twice, giving him 17. . . . F Jake Mykitiuk got his first of the season. . . . D Rinalds Rosinskis had three assists. . . . The victory was the first for Mark Holick as head coach of the Cougars. He worked his first game Friday as the Cougars dropped a 3-2 decision to the Silvertips. . . . Everett picked up five points on a four-game B.C. Division swing. . . . Judging by messages on Twitter early today, Brock Hirsche is leaving the Cougars. Hirsche, 20, had his season, and his WHL career, ended by shoulder problems before Christmas and had been helping with the coaching. . . .

In Victoria, F Brandon Magee scored two more goals as the Royals beat the Vancouver Giants, 4-1. . . . Magee, who has 25 goals, scored four times in a 6-4 victory over visiting Vancouver on Friday. . . . Victoria F Brandon Fushimi also scored last night, after getting two on Friday. . . . The two Brandons combined for nine goals in the two games. . . . The other goal went to F Jamie Crooks, who scored his 100th regular-season goal. . . . Victoria’s line of Magee, Alex Gogolev and Steve Hodges has 42 points in its last eight games. . . . Vancouver F Cain Franson got his 20th goal. . . . The Royals were without D Tyler Stahl, their captain, after he took a headshot major in a 6-4 victory over the visiting Giants on Friday. . . . The Royals won their seventh straight game, setting a Chilliwack-Victoria franchise record. . . . The Giants have lost six in a row. . . .

In Spokane, F Curtis Valk broke a 3-3 tie at 7:54 of the third period as the Medicine Hat Tigers beat the Chiefs, 4-3. . . . Valk’s 29th goal came via the PP. . . . Medicine Hat G Cam Lanigan stopped 55 shots, including 22 in the second and 20 in the third, and earned the lone assist on the winner. . . . F Todd Fiddler scored twice for the Chiefs, giving him a WHL-leading 35 goals. He also had an assist. . . . Fiddler tied a franchise record (fastest goal to open a period) when he scored eight seconds into the third. . . .

In Kelowna, the Rockets won their 21st straight home game, dropping the Prince Albert Raiders, 6-2. . . . Kelowna, which has won six straight, scored three times in the first period and led 6-0 midway through the third. . . . F Cody Fowlie scored twice for Kelowna, giving him 13, while F Tyson Baillie had a goal, his 17th, and two assists. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 18 shots to win his 20th straight start. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Oliver Bjorstand scored three times an G Brendan Burke got the shutout as the Winterhawks dropped the Tri-City Americans, 7-0. . . . It was Nuclear Night in Kennewick, but things didn’t go well for the home team which suffered its worst defeat of the season. . . . Burke, who is 15-4-1, stopped 25 shots in posting his third shutout this season. Portland has put up back-to-back blank jobs. . . . After the game, Burke tweeted: “It was great having my grandma @cbgrands and my grandpa in the stands tonight. Made the drive all the way from red deer #support #loveyou” . . . Bjorkstand, from Denmark, has 20 goals, the first freshman to that mark this season. This was his first hat trick. . . . F Chase De Leo had three assists, while F Nic Petan, the WHL’s leading scorer, had a goal, his 33rd, and an assist. . . . F Brendan Leipsic, who is second to Petan, had two goals, getting him to 32, and an assist. . . . Petan has 85 points, four more than Leipsic. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie picked up one assist, running his point streak to 13 games. He's got 19 points in 10 games since returning from the World Junior Championship. . . . Tri-City F Justin Feser had his point streak end at 11 games. . . . The Winterhawks continue to be without D Derrick Pouliot, who has a high-ankle sprain.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Harrison Ruopp, Prince Albert

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Taylor Crunk, Victoria
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From former Regina Pats F Brad Hornung (@Bradhornung): “Wearing a pair of shoes since 1995 that still look brand-new. #quadadvantages”
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One more from @Bradhornung: “When a sold-out concert still has handicapped seats available. @quadadvantages”


There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.