Now the reason I call it Windyburn(Weyburn) is that every time I visit is that it's an incredibly windy place. I am starting the blog again for the upcoming winter hockey season. Sam is playing for the Swift Current legionnaires in the SMAAAL, which according to many is the best AAA midget loop in the country. He's gonna have work hard and listen to his coach, that's my advice every year and I'm gonna try to limit the advice as it's his deal as he's growing up fast. I prefer to sit and watch, and do a bit of socializing now and again, as I am at heart a guy that really enjoys watching the game.
This weekend we are on our way to Windy Weyburn for main junior A camp with the redwings as Sam is a list player with them, should be a great experience and he's hoping to make a push to play some exhibition games this year as a 16 year old...not easy in the Saskatchewan junior A loop as only one 16 played in the entire league last year, a back up goalie in Melville, the league is made up of predominately 18 to 20 year old players. Well a young player should go peddle to the medal and give it a shot, after all it will be one helluva an experience either way. I am writing this knowing some of our friends and family out on the sunny west coast have asked for a return of the blog, and I hope offer some light entertainment and information of the different places we visit, such places like Notre Dame, Prince Albert, Saskatoon, Beardy's, Tisdale and so on...good teams in small places. The Legionnaires have been practicing every day this week, and Regan Darby(Head Coach) has been skating them hard to prepare( I'm all for the bag skating :)
Now Weyburn is first on the list and an interesting hockey town without a doubt, the coach has been there for 30 years and has a 1100 career win record in junior A hockey, the team is celebrating it's 50 year's of junior hockey. Dwight, the head coach, comes with the rep of being old school and a bit gruff, hard to question his record and I personally enjoy a bit of old school if you have the player's respect and it brings results. Now I have included a few shots of the Legionnaire's dressing room, fantastic arrangement, full set up with exercise bikes, washer, dryer and rehab area. The recent Legionnaire's main camp had 80 players trying out, so it wasn't a given for anyone, other than some of the Vets, to show up expecting to be given a spot, they had to earn it. Unlike BC hockey, in Saskatchewan no midget aged players play junior B, as Midget hockey here is a big deal...Anways stay tuned for pictures and stories from Windyburn after the weekend and all the best!
