It’s my Parting Shot for some Thursday Pre-Christmas Thoughts…..

This is more like a Mr. Grinch-type pet peeve as we approach the holidays – for instance, many look upon the Christmas break in the W-H-L as the mid-point of the season. Except it’s not! Teams play a 68-game season, meaning the mid-point is 34 games. The only one of the 22 teams to have played 34 games going into the Christmas break is the Medicine Hat Tigers! The Saskatoon Blades have only played 31 games, not half of 68, while the Prince Albert Raiders and Brandon Wheat Kings are nowhere near the mid-point of their seasons, having played just 29 of 68 games! Repeat after me, the W-H-L Christmas break is not the mid-point of the season!!

A couple of Saturdays ago, I was broadcasting the Blades-Calgary game – meaning I, once again, missed being able to attend the Saskatoon Media Group’s staff Christmas party. Hence, I’m not missing out on today’s staff lunch, which means I’m missing out on lunch plus trying to determine who the Kinsmen award winners are for 2024 Saskatoon athlete-of-the-year and Saskatoon team-of-the-year. Off the top of my head, I’d say the Mike McEwen men’s curling team or the Saskatoon Berries’ baseball club should capture the team award while Olympic medal diver Rylan Wiens, paralympic medal cyclist Keely Shaw, paralympic medal swimmer Shelby Newkirk, N-C-Double-A middle distance runner Savannah Sutherland, U of S wrestler Abby Wolff and Huskie men’s basketball star Alexander Dewar would all make good recipients. Since I’m not clear on residency rules – Wiens of Pike Lake, Sutherland from Borden and even Berries’ centre fielder Carter Beck from Carnduff might rate consideration! You’re welcome John Fraser!!

As I was writing this, word came down that Saskatoon product and forward Brayden Yager was named captain of Canada’s entry in the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championship with Blades’ defenceman Tanner Molendyk as an alternate. Great choices because, it’s like I said yesterday, the Eastern Canadian media can fawn over the Toronto and Ontario kids on the team all they want, but Canada’s success is going to be tied, in large part, to the eight W-H-Lers on the squad!!

That’s my Parting Shot. I’m Les Lazaruk…and it turned out nice again!