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Local Sports Recap December 17th – 18th

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3 minute read

By Sheldon Spackman

Lots of Central Alberta hockey teams in action on Saturday night, including the Olds Grizzlys who lost 5-4 to the Saints up in Spruce Grove. Ryley Smith scored twice for the Grizzlys, with Jared Bowman scoring once on the power play and Landon Gross the other on the power play as well.

The loss drops the Grizzlys record to 11-17-5 with 27 points and seventh place in the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Viterra South Division.Spruce Grove improves to 24-10-2 with 50 points and third place in the AJHL’s Viterra North Division.

The Grizzlys next game is Sunday, December 18th against the 24-9-4 Bonnyville Pontiacs who have 52 points and are second place in the North Division. The Pontiacs are coming off a loss in their last game as well. It’s a 2:00 pm face-off at the Olds Sportsplex.

In the Chinook Hockey League, the Lacombe Generals doubled the Stony Plain Eagles 8-4 in Lacomeb Saturday night. Myles Bell scored four of the Generals goals, with the others coming from Ian Barteaux, Adam Huxley, Ryan Kinasewich on the power play and Riley Sheen.

The win is Lacombe’s sixth in a row and improves the Generals record to 12-1-0-0 with 24 points and still first place in the CHL. Stony Plain has now lost three in a row but remains in second place in the CHL with a 6-4-0-2 record and 14 points. Lacombe’s next game is Saturday, January 7th when they host the 3-4-0-1 Rosetown Red Wings who currently have 7 points and are fifth place in the CHL.

Elsewhere in the CHL on Sunday, December 18th, the Innisfail Eagles visit the Fort Saskatchewan Chiefs. The Eagles are 3-4-0-4 with 10 points and in third place, while the Chiefs are 4-8-0-0 with 8 points and in fourth place. It’s a 4:45 pm face-off.

In the Heritage Junior Hockey League on Saturday night, the Red Deer Vipers hammered the Blackfalds Wranglers 7-1 at the Collicutt Centre. Vipers goals came from Declan Johnston who scored twice, including one on the power play, Mack Differenz who scored twice, including one on the power play, Lane Sim, Brett Hoppus and Kale Lapointe.

The win is the second in a row for Red Deer and improves the Vipers record to 19-8-1- with 39 points and third place in the Heritage Junior Hockey League’s North Division. Blackfalds drops to 16-9-0 with 32 points and fourth place in the HJHL. Red Deer’s next game is Wednesday, January 4th when they visit the Mountainview Colts. Blackfalds plays next on Sunday, December 18th when they host the Airdrie Thunder. It’s a 3:30 pm face-off.

Elsewhere in the HJHL on Saturday night, Stettler beat Three Hills 9-5. Other games on December 18th include Mountainview in Banff.

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Alberta

“A Really Special Place” – Why the Wild Rose Motocross Track is One of a Kind

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This summer, as you wander between the breweries and activity centers located in southeast Calgary, pause for a moment – if you listen closely, you may hear the distant rumble of motocross engines as bikes of all sizes careen over jumps and around corners at the Wild Rose Motocross Track.

Located just off Blackfoot Trail in Southeast Calgary, the 88-acre park is backed by the Calgary skyline, a prime piece of land located just minutes from downtown. Founded in the 1960’s as the Blackfoot Motorcycle Park, the track has deep roots in the city of Calgary, and according to WRMA board member David Pinkman, “Few sagas can compete with the wild west history of Calgary’s Wild Rose Motocross Association and its hard-core motocross lovers.” 


Photo Credit Eden Schell 

In 1984, The Wild Rose Motocross Association (WRMA) was officially formed, and the Blackfoot Motorcycle Park became the Wild Rose. Acting as a major host for a number of national motocross events since the 70’s and nurturing some of Canada’s best professional riders to date, Pinkman argues the “course of Canadian motocross history may not have been the same but for this unique piece of dirt and hills.”

With 7 tracks available including the full-sized Main, East and Hill Tracks, as well as the Extreme Beginner, Mini, Pee Wee, and Enduro Tracks, Wild Rose welcomes riders of all ages and skill levels. “This is the only track of its kind in Canada,” says Michelle McCarthy, newest member of the WRMA board, “It’s right in the centre of the city; it’s got 3 big bike tracks, the smaller tracks and the enduro park. This is a really special place.”
Whether it be your first time on a bike or the day you’re finally going to clear that 15-foot tabletop, the track encourages everyone to come out and ride. “People want to see new riders,” says McCarthy, “they want to see the community flourish. Plus, dirt biking is really, really fun,” she laughs.  


Photo Credit Eden Schell 

Like countless other Canadian businesses, the Wild Rose Track has taken a hit due to COVID-19, with day pass riders and memberships being significantly down. Open year round – weather permitting – the track normally sees up to 30,000 visits per year. However, due to the pandemic, numbers are currently far lower as the park operates within capacity limits. 

As a recreational park on city property, track management wanted to set an example for taking action to reduce the spread of COVID-19, responding rapidly to Alberta Government guidelines by implementing a number of new precautions and preventative measures. This includes constructing wash stations at every track, implementing paperless transactions and COVID-19 symptom screening upon entry to the park, as well as establishing an online scheduling system to limit the number of riders at the track at one time.  

In the midst of the new normal, the park remains committed to growing and supporting the motocross community in Calgary and beyond, staying on top of updates that will allow them to return to racing and regular operation as soon as possible. While all spring and summer race series have been cancelled by COVID-19, the WRMA is actively monitoring pandemic updates with the goal of hosting a successful race series this coming fall. 

To learn more about the Wild Rose Motocross Association, visit https://www.wildrosemx.com.

 

For more stories, visit Todayville Calgary.

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Alberta

Alberta Juniors Choose Positive Path

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Alberta Juniors Choose Positive Path

Everywhere there is gloom. Well, almost everywhere.

A welcome exception is the 15-team Alberta Junior Hockey League, which lost much of its gate revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic arrival at playoff time, and now waits for permission from Hockey Canada and Alberta Health Services to go ahead with its 2000-2001 season.

President Ryan Bartoshyk confirmed on Monday that his league is “in the process of drawing up our schedule right now. We’re aiming (to have teams on the ice) by Sept. 1 and we hope to get the season started by Sept. 18.” Any and all final decisions must meet with at least two levels of official approval, of course, but operators have expressed their confidence by agreeing to put in the work, recognizing that later starts (or no start) are still possibilities.

To an outsider, the clearest declaration of league independence is this: the schedule, with various possible opening dates pencilled in, is being drawn up for all 15 teams. This is most impressive when it is known that several franchises – no names provided by president Bartoshyk or any team spokesman – have expressed serious concern about the cost of business in the coming season.

We have lost at least one league camp for tryouts,” said a spokesman. “We know we’re going to lose more.”

Not included are the Blackfalds Bulldogs, who will replace the former Calgary Mustangs at the start of the 2021/2002 season. Bartoshyk was pleased to say “work on the new arena for Blackfalds is due to start this month.”

Among the established teams reported to have mentioned their problems outside of league meetings are the Canmore Eagles, but the team’s two captains and a pair of assistants have already been named for the coming season. At least a couple of promising signings have also been announced. As a result, pessimism has shrunk a great deal.

Also optimistic about the coming season are the Olds Grizzlys, whose attendance averaged well over 1,500 a game when they dominated Junior A ranks several years ago but dropped to about 600 a game last year. “This is a great sports community, a great place to be,” said club governor and vice-president executive Trent Wilhauk. “We know the fans will come back; they love their Grizzlys.”

Population of the community is slightly more than 10,000. “It’s a happening place when the team is going good.”

After wiping out last year’s playoffs and destroying some of the regular post-season increases at the gate, COVID-19 has continued to harm the AJHL, just as it has damaged so many other areas of the economy. “We have lost at least one league camp for tryouts,” said a spokesman. “We know we’re going to lose more.”

Those financial setbacks may have been dwarfed by the loss of some appealing playoff matchups. “Some of the teams that drew above-average numbers for us (Okotoks Oilers, Brooks Bandits, Sherwood Park Crusaders) didn’t have a playoff game before we had to stop,” Bartoshyk said. “They all had byes in the first round.”

Other teams with relative season-long success at the gate also missed money-raising opportunities. “It’s obvious that our league relies on corporate sponsorship and support at the gate,” Bartoshyk added, mentioning a handful of promising pending post-season clashes — Drayton Valley and Sherwood Park, the Whitehorse Wolverines and the Spruce Grove Saints, Camrose Kodiaks and Drumheller Dragons – that could not take place.

At this point, the day’s general feeling that the AJHL future remains bright surfaced again.

Said Bartoshyk: “We’re ready. We’ll do what is necessary.”

https://www.todayville.com/edmonton/hundreds-of-young-athletes-grow-more-anxious-by-the-day-acac-season-a-series-of-options/

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