Hockey, Award Shows and Who I’d Like To Go For A Beer With

It’s a snowy Thursday and here are a few things going through my mine today:

I find the older I get the more I reflect on my life. Like when I was in my 30s I was one of the fastest skaters on my Industrial Hockey League team. I’m 63 now and even though I haven’t played hockey in about 15 years I still think I’m as fast as I once was. I’d get on my skates to prove it but I forgot where I put them.

Is it just me or are there are too many award shows these days. For me there should be the Oscars, The Grammys, The Emmys, The Tonys and for Canadian Content, the Junos. And that’s it.

If I were the host of the Oscars one of my jokes would be, “If this ceremony goes long, instead of ordering pizza like Ellen did a few years back I will be ordering a hamberders for everyone.”

I’m a regular Wheel Of Fortune watcher. The chance that someone would win $1 million on that show is astronomical. First off, you have to land on the $1 million wedge, then you have to win that segment to pick up the wedge, then you have to end up with the most money to go to the final round, then you have to correctly solve the last puzzle and then you have to land on the $1 million wedge on the final wheel spin. In the last week 2 people did it except for solving the last puzzle. I would have trouble sleeping especially since one of those puzzles was actually quite solve-able.

I admire how smooth Pat Sajak is and respect the chemistry he’s had with Vanna White for 36 years. Not a bad gig.

Pat Sajak is the kind of celebrity I think you could sit down and have a beer with. Others I’d like to splash a few over the breath with would be:

Lin Manuel Miranda

Jay Leno

Harry Connick Jr.

Jimmy Fallon

Seth Meyers

Tina Fey.

There’s others who I admire but I think it wouldn’t be a good experience to just go for a beer.

I discovered Goliath Netflix and did some binge watching. I quite enjoyed it. It is created by David E. Kelly and stars Billy Bob Thornton. I’ve always like Thornton as an actor but I really hated what he did when he was interviewed by Jian Ghomeshi. I thought it was bush. You can probably see it on YouTube.

I was sorry to hear that Russel Martin got traded from the Blue Jays to the Dodgers. But I’m optimistic that there are great prospects coming up for the team and the future is looking bright.

My sympathies to the family of Scott Reiter who passed away. Scott saved my butt on countless times when I filled in as vocalist for the Lethbridge Big Band. He was the sax player right beside me and he was the one that nodded when it was time for me to jump in with the vocals.

I like mild winters. The older I get the lower my tolerance is for -30.

I admit that I’m surprised that the Calgary Flames are doing as well as they are doing this year. However you don’t win the Stanley Cup in January.

Rehashing a couple of my old jokes: If I ever won the Lottery I’d probably end up being even since I’ve been buying them since 1976.

There’s a new wheat that’s being developed that is resistant to hail because it grows its own helmet.

The Call To Help

I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Major Donna Bladen at last year’s Coffee & Carols event at the Salvation Army. Donna is a new pastor for the Salvation Army Community Church. As we talked I had discovered she had been to Florida after Hurricane Michael tore a destructive path through many communities in that state. I asked her to share her story.

First off, welcome to Lethbridge. Tell us where you’re from and a little about what your life was like growing up.

I grew up in southern Ontario – in a Christian home where family and church were central to all of our social activity.  We were an active family which has given me many fond memories of summers spent at our family cottage in the Kawarthas and cross country ski trips in the winter.

Have you always been a spiritual person?

Yes, I have always had an awareness of God’s activity in my life.

What led you to a life in the Salvation Army?

I am a fourth generation Salvation Army Officer.  I was born into The Salvation Army, always had an awareness of the importance of seeing each person as a creation of God who deserves to be treated with love, kindness, respect and dignity.

How did you come about getting a post in Lethbridge?

In The Salvation Army we are appointed to ministries.  April of this year we received a call that told us we were on the move to Lethbridge, taking up the post as of July 1st.  We had lived in Edmonton for eleven years so were not surprised to be moving.  We were happy to stay in the province as my husband and I have four adult children, three living in Alberta and one in BC.  It is nice to be close enough to see each other on a regular basis.

What were your first impressions of the city?

We love the city of Lethbridge.  The community is large enough to have everything one may need and yet small enough to have a great home town feeling.  The landscape is beautiful and a bonus to be so close to Waterton National Park.  So far I am loving the winter!  Our church family here has been gracious and kind to us as we are settling in – a real friendly and warm people.

You were part of a team that went to Florida after Hurricane Michael. Was that something you volunteered for or were you assigned?

I went to Florida to offer Emotional and Spiritual Care.  I have been trained to go to these types of disasters and know that I may be called on at any time.  I was asked if I would be willing to go to Panama City.  Without any hesitation I said yes.  I saw on the news the vast devastation and if I could help in any way, I was willing.

How does one prepare for what you were about to see?

There really is no preparation to what you will see and experience entering into any disaster.  I have taken courses to prepare myself but it always hits you hard when you arrive on scene.  It’s not just the mass destruction but meeting and greeting people whose lives have been altered greatly.  One thing I always keep in mind is that I am there to help, there are no words to say….best to listen and respond to the needs as they present themselves.

What did you think when you first arrived?

I arrived days after the hurricane whipped through Panama City.  Basically a whole city without power.  Power lines down, trees cluttering the roads and laying on tops of houses and it was very hot, 35C plus humidity.  It was like stepping into another world.

Ultimately, what was your job?

Each day I went out with a feeding truck or to one of the distribution centres to interact with the victims of Hurricane Michael.  My main job was to listen.  Many needed someone to tell their story to.  It helps them process in the midst of the chaos.  If they requested prayer I was able to pray and offer words of hope.  Each day we were given updates as to where the victims were able to find resources they may need, so I was able to point them in the right direction to get their needs provided.

How did the victims react to you being there?

The victims knew The Salvation Army and many were very appreciative of the work of the Army.  I couldn’t count the times when victims approached me with arms wide open, crying and thanking me for being there.  When disaster hits, community matters.  The majority of the community came together, every NGO working together to do the most good for the people of Panama City.

What’s the most important thing you can do to help someone who has just lost everything?

I believe the most important thing is presence.  Taking the time to listen and journey with victims.  It’s not a time for false hope or platitudes, it’s a time it actively listening and responding to the needs present.

You must have met some great people. Can you tell us about one or two?

Yes I did.  One family sticks out in my mind because they had lost everything. They were living at their parent’s house who lived next door but was hardly touched by the hurricane. It was odd because their house was totally gone – it was literally a pile of their belongings on their lot. They had a little girl who stood there with us; looking at her toys in the ruble.  She was not allowed to touch the ruble.  We had stopped to give the family hot meals and supplies (no power in the parent’s house) but I was so bothered by the little girl not being able to get to her toys.  The next day myself and another volunteer we drove a distance to a Walmart to buy some toys for this little girl.  We delivered them to her. She was so happy.  Just before we were leaving she asked me, “Why are there hurricanes?”, a question I didn’t have an adequate  answer for.  I gave her a hug and said that I wasn’t sure why?  When I was hugging her she said thank you for being so nice.  I hope that in some small way we were able to encourage her heart and make a lasting impression on this little girl, that there is hope and that others truly care.

Did you feel you accomplished what you were meant to do?

I was there for fourteen days.  They were fourteen long, emotional and physically demanding days.  We slept in tents on cots, using out-houses and portable community showers.  I was ready to head home but did leave feeling like there was so much more to be done.  I am not sure one can leave a place like that feeling accomplished.  I do know that I did what I could and it was time for another crew to come in and take up the work.  I feel honoured to have helped in such away.

Are there things that could have been done better that might be implemented in the event of another similar disaster?

A disaster is just that – a disaster.  There is and always will be chaos.  You plan the best you can but it is impossible to get it all right.  What will work for one, will not work for another.

Upon reflection, what did you take away from your own personal experience?

Personally, I was affirmed in my belief that God is everywhere – in the good, bad and the ugly.  I saw glimmers of Him as I listened and comforted.  I heard many thank Him in the midst of the chaos.  I was also reminded of the power of community – so many neighbours getting together, helping one another.  From sharing generators, to helping remove trees from yard and sharing vehicles (many vehicles had trees or poles fall on them).  I wonder what kind of world we would live in if we took time to get to know our neighbours and share our resources in the good times?

Changing tracks for a moment. Name a song in your life that was playing that transformed your life.

“Great is Thy Faithfulness” is my favourite hymn.  I sang it in church with my Grandfather.

What are some of your goals for your time in Lethbridge?

I hope to be a transforming influence in the work of The Salvation Army here in Lethbridge.  I hope to encourage, uplift and bring hope and dignity to all who come across my path.

What advice do you have for someone contemplating a life of service to God?

Trust and Obey.  God is faithful – it’s His work.

Final Thoughts?

Thank you for allowing me to share my experience.

The Splendid Spengler With Dustin Nielson

For those of you who know me you would be aware that I have been a long-time fan of the Spengler Cup which is the oldest club team hockey tournament in the world. It takes place every year in Davos Switzerland and for some reason I just became fascinated with it. Canada sends a team made up of mostly pros who play in Europe. Many of them are former NHLers and there has been a great history of players who have a connection to Lethbridge being named to that team like Zach Boychuk, Wes Walz and Stacy Roest. When I mentioned on my Facebook page that the tournament was coming up I got a comment from an old friend and former Lethbridge College instructor Derek Debolt that the guy doing the play-by-play was Cranbrook native Dustin Nielson who was one of Derek’s former students. I reached out to Dustin and he graciously answered these questions while flying back home after Canada’s heartbreaking shoot-out loss to a Finnish team in the final.

How would you describe your life growing up in Cranbrook?

Quiet but busy because I grew up on a farm in Wycliffe BC smack dab between Cranbrook and Kimberly. We sold the farm and moved into Cranbrook when I was 15 because myself and my sisters had become too involved with sports.

Talk about your decision to go Lethbridge College & what it meant to you.

I always wanted to be a broadcaster and didn’t want to go too far from home so Lethbridge was the perfect choice. Funny story, I didn’t actually get into the broadcast program the first I applied. I was devastated so I went to the U of L for a year and reapplied.

Take us through your resume of where you went from College to what you are doing now?

Starting in the summer of 2003:

3 months CKVH High Prairie News

8 months AnySportAnytime.com in Edmonton doing junior/college play by play online/Save on Foods haha

5 months Lethbridge Bulls sales/PR

4 months AnySportAnytime in Edmonton again.

4 months Leon’s Furniture

6 months Country 95.5 weekend news/Lethbridge Bulls PR

2.5 years Country 95.5 News / Hurricanes colour analyst for one year

2 years Fort McMurray – Rock 97.9 Morning Co-Host, Country 93.3 News / Oilers Barons Play-By-Play

1 Year in Fort Mac I also doubled as the Bureau Reporter for CTV Edmonton

Ten Years Morning Host on TSN 1260 (2009-2019)

1 Year Sherwood Park Crusaders play by play (2009)

9 Years U of A Golden Bears Football and Hockey Play By Play (10-19)

1 Year Canada West Football Conference Play By Play (2018)

Tell us about when you got the call for the Spengler Cup.

It kind of came out of nowhere. I got an email from TSN Executive Producer Paul Graham asking for some time to chat. He called later in the week and offered me the opportunity. I had done play by play for TSN in 2015 for the FIBA Women’s World Basketball Championships and I had emailed him a new demo every six months since then.

Who were some of your influences in play-by-play?

Bob Cole, grew up with him. Chris Cuthbert, Gord Miller, Kevin Harlan and one of my favourites ever…Brad Curle. (Calgary Hitmen play-by-play guy)

What were your first impressions of Davos?

Beautiful city. Passionate about the event.

Describe the atmosphere leading up to the tournament and right to the finale.

It’s a football crowd at a hockey game. The party would start 2 hours before the first game and continue long into the night. Every night.

How would you describe the level of hockey that is played for this tournament?

I’d say it’s just slightly below the American Hockey League. In fact the AHL champions came over to this tourney one year and lost a game 7-1.

What is your sense of how big of a deal it is for the Canadian guys to play for their country in Switzerland?

It’s a really big deal. Especially for a lot of the guys who didn’t have a lot of experience playing on the World Junior team. It’s also made more special because they are all encouraged to bring their families.

What is your process for learning all of those European names?

I actually got lucky. A website called HockeyProspect.com actually has the proper pronunciations for the majority of the guys when you sign up for a free account.

What sort of off-ice stuff were you able to do?

Sadly there really wasn’t a lot of free time. I arrived on the 24th and took a day to settle in. We had a nice dinner on Christmas with our broadcast crew but once the games started it was a production meeting at 10:00 AM. Final prep and getting ready until 1:00. At the rink from 2:00-11:00 calling two games a day.

Having a good chemistry with your color man is vital. How easy/hard was it with your guy during this tournament?

It was super easy. Doug Honneger has been the color analyst for 15 years and is a wealth of knowledge so it came together nicely.

How expensive is it to be a tourist for this tournament? (I want to go one year. How many Swiss Francs do I need?)

It will be expensive, probably not a trip you could do every year. If you were going to stay for the week I’d say you’d need 1500FR for spending plus hotel/tickets etc.

Former Lethbridge Hurricane and First Round Draft Choice of the Carolina Hurricanes Zach Boychuk had a great tournament. Why in your mind has he not been able to stay in the NHL?

Good question. He’s lit this tournament up two years in a row. Only thing I could think of is he’s missing the top level explosive speed for a guy his size. He makes more over there than he would in the AHL though.

Shoot Outs for Championships. Discuss.

Horrible way to decide the game but a super exciting event to broadcast!!!

And now for a few random questions. Name a song that was playing when a significant event happened in your life. In other words, when you hear that song, it brings you right back to that moment.

Macklemore, Downtown, danced with my boy to that song every evening for about a year when he was little. It happened often but will always remind me of those times. He will be 4 in March.

Did you ever know Broadway Star and fellow Cranbrookian Brett Carver and could you have ever gone into theatre?

I never knew Brett but the name certainly sounds familiar. I was named Top Drama student in Grade 8….so…maybe haha

What was the best advice you got from your professors at College. Feel free to name names.

Veryl Todd. Two things. If you are getting into broadcast to make money you will be disappointed and if you are stuck in the same place for two years while working your way up you probably don’t have the chops and might as well move on to something else.

He was blunt at the time but he was right.

The winner of the Stanley Cup this season will be………..

Tampa Bay Lightning. Too deep front to back. They’ve been close in recent years.

Final thoughts about Davos, The Spengler Cup and Canada’s participation in the oldest club tournament in the world.

I’ve always been a fan of the tournament and wanted to attend. Having an opportunity to broadcast it was a dream come true and hopefully I get to do it again. It’s a very cool event for Canada as it always Canadians all over Europe to come together for the holidays and try to win something for their country.