Selecting five skaters from each of the six teams and one goalie each club was represented at the event that began at 6:15 with a skills competion involving shooting, speed skating and breakaway competition. With Hudson Bay, Mistatim and Tisdale forming one team and Nipawin, Kinistino and Birch Hills the other with each of the three goalies taking a period for each of the teams the game began at 8:00
In a game like this the players tend to play the game more loosely then a regular game and reduce the amount of checking but with the very best players on the ice there were some spectacular plays. The most outstanding player of the game was Nipawin goalie Curtis Parkinson who played one of those amazing periods where he was blasted from every angle and did his best to keep the score down.
As the game was about to begin the team combinations would seem to be a factor. Though Tisdale is the league leading team Mistatim and Hudson Bay are on the bottom with the middle teams being Kinistino, Nipawin and Birch Hills. However, once the puck was dropped it was clear that those supposition and the closeness of the competition in the league this year meant that this game was up for those who wanted to make it theirs. With six unanswered goals for the guys from Tisdale, Hudson Bay and Mistatim it was pretty clear that they wanted to make a point.
The second period was more even with Kinistino, Nipawin and Birch Hills putting in their six goals but by then their opposition had put four more goals in the net making it ten to six at the start of the third. In the tradition of all star games the penalties were replaced with penalty shots which were exciting and all or nothing events.
The third period with Jeff Trombley in net for the Tisdale,
Mistatim and Hudson Bay team things
lightened up a little. With a minute left and the score a whopping 16 to 8 some
one on the bench decided with a lead like that they needed just one more and the
bench pulled Trombley and a shot from the opposing blue line made the final 16 -
9 score.The game was dominated by fast skaters. With the best players in the league on the ice it was glaringly evident that all players do not put the same level of effort into things and this year Tisdale's Ramblers are simply breezing by the opposition game after game because they get on the ice and skate as hard as they can. During the first period Chad Olson, Shane Magnus and Scott Homstol made the opposing players look like they had left their skates in the dressing room as they zoomed around the ice putting combination play after play together and almost scoring at will. This was the reason Curtis Parkinson was named the game star because he reduced the number of goals these fellows would have got. The same was true of Brad Kirkland and Pete McAvoy would played like fast flying forwards. Skating is hockey and Kirk Smith and Jay Maynard of Mistatim followed the lead of the Tisdale guys as they too turned up the speed. Smith was able to flip the puck into the net time after time.
For the guys from Kinistino, Birch Hills and Nipawin the players that made it a game were Lynne Taylor from Kinistino, Ryan Shore from Birch Hills and the imposing and free wheeling Nipawin defenseman Mike Weatherald.
But this year's all star game is history joining the game last year in Nipawin and the first one in January 98 in Hudson Bay. There was a great crowd on hand for the game although with the players mixed together it was not as vocal a crowd as we would hear at a normal game. The Pasquia league schedule is half over and you have missed something if you have not come out to see one of the league games.
Unfortunately we do not have pictures or highlights of the game last night as the video tape of the game is unavailable at the time this story is being written. However, if you would like a copy of this tape contact FTLComm (873 2004) for a copy ($15). Below is what was on the game programme.
