Fuhr Thoughts — The Christmas Edition
By The Nelson Daily Sports
It’s a new pipeline, but that same old Santa helper.
Yours truly, Fuhr Thoughts, is back to share a few presents with Nelson Sports Nation on this festive eve.
For the past two decades I’ve been able to send a little cheer to the movers and shakers on the local sporting scene.
However, with the closing of the Nelson Daily News . . . boy it’s tough to say those words without a little tear showing around the eyes, I’ve had to ply my trade online as part of the Lone Sheep paper train, The Nelson Daily.
My colleagues, Tim Schafer, ad rep Peter Sheets and I decided there was something missing from reader’s daily routine, hence the creation of this five-day-a-week online gathering of news, sports, arts, community, etc.
And if you notice there’s no ink stains on the fingers and recycling is not necessary. Good clean information.
But enough of my rambling. Let’s get to the opening some presents.
Nelson Leafs
Every time at this season I tend to focus on the Nelson Leafs Hockey Club. While there’s not much of a change off the ice — as a matter of fact new president Russell Stocks has seamlessly taken over the top job — it’s been a different show on the ice.
However, before Leaf faithful Carol James new coach and GM Chris Shaw with a Baker’s Dozen coup of their own, let’s cut the guy some slack.
I mean who in their right mind would have thought the transition behind the bench from Simon Wheeldon to anyone in hockey short of Tom Renney, would have been smooth?
So for Mr. Shaw, a nice multi-game winning streak starting Wednesday in Castlegar, followed by a long run into the post season would be the best present for the former Okanagan Hockey Association coach.
Now let’s cut the guy some slack.
Selkirk College AD Kim Verigin
Kim has been ripping his hair out of late trying to find a way to put varsity sports back on the calendar at Selkirk College. The sudden departure this fall from the B.C. College Athletic Association by the volleyball teams at Selkirk was a huge blow to the Castlegar-based school.
For Verigin Santa, maybe a surge in participation at the West Kootenay high school level would best serve Mr. Verigin this Christmas.
Because unless the programs turn around soon at the high school level, finding talent that even wants to make a commitment to play in the collegiate ranks will be like finding a basketball at Mount Sentinel High School.
Mitch Popadynetz, Cormac Southam, The Chopin boys, Andrea, Taylor, Brittany. . . and the list goes on.
These rising soccer stars have decided to push the envelope when it comes to the sport of roundball.
See a soccer pitch and witness first hand one of these players plying their trade.
See an indoor game, watch them dazzle the opposition. So Santa, seeing how this is a season of giving, maybe a few breaks, and scholarships for post-secondary, would be appropriate presents under the tree Christmas morning.
Competitive curling in the Kootenays
Nice try Curl B.C. It used to be the norm that every late November or early December was set aside for the West Kootenay Men’s and Women’s Zone championships.
The Cominco Shield for the Men. A long standing tradition that was unceremoniously killed by Curl B.C. in favour of two interior playdowns — one in the north and one in the south.
The new format was created to givbe rinks two chances to qualify for the Provincial Championship.
However, all the Curl B.C. plan did was to curtail the number of rinks from the Kootenays that normally enter under the old format?
Before this season, say, at least 20 rinks started down the Brier trail in October.
Now? Maybe five to seven rinks that decided to head to the southern interior playdown in Kamloops. And almost no one to Prince George.
A local curling guru told me before we know it the competitive curling scene will be as popular as Sarah Palin’s reality television show.
Toss a bucket up brains under the tree Santa for these jokers at Curl B.C. Maybe a few of them will fall into the right place.
Geoff Kinrade . . . a call up to the NHL to for a shot with the Senators; Isaac and Alex MacLeod . . . continued success on the college hockey circuit; to the L.V. Rogers Bombers Basketball team I coach, maybe a few of the old stars coming out of retirement; and to the Jackson’s Hole Men’s soccer team . . . hoping I don’t come out of retirement.
sports@thenelsondaily.com
