5 sports stories show N.L. athletes were on the ball in 2015
IceCaps change, Brier and Parapan Am success make the list
Late December, as it always does, affords us in the media a window of opportunity to look back on the year's activities and events.
With just days remaining in 2015, lists of the top stories and events of the year are popping up all over the world, as journalists and columnists, writers and editors, producers and directors look to fill their pages, websites or airtime with content that you can sink your teeth into.
Normally, the end result of this process provides us with a moment or two of, "Oh! I completely forgot about that," or, worse from the writer's perspective, "How in the heck did you forget about such-and-such?"
But we tread on, fearlessly, even assigning numbers to these stories, providing them more or less significance than just inclusion on the page.
With that being said, here are, in ascending order, the top 5 sports stories of the year in Newfoundland and Labrador.
1. Softball domination
In recent years, fastpitch softball has been the domain of Newfoundlanders.
Our top players have won the Canadian senior men's championship four years running. Three Cheers Pub won the title from 2012-14 and this year's team, Galway Hitmen, took home the province's fourth consecutive crown.
But the crowning glory for our ball players came at two significant events this past summer.
Five players from our province — Stephen Mullaley from Freshwater, Jason Hill from St. John's, Ryan Boland of Goulds, and Sean Cleary and Brad Ezekiel from Harbour Main — were all key parts to Team Canada winning the gold medal at the world championship in Saskatoon.
That team then travelled to Toronto to participate in the Pan Am Games, where Ezekiel's sixth-inning home run gave Canada a 2-1 win over Venezuela.
"I was hitting the ball hard all games but I just wasn't finding a hole," Ezekiel told CBC upon the players' arrival at St. John's International Airport.
"But I managed to find one at the end and there was no better time to do it. Just to get to the home plate and see all of their faces smiling was just great."
John Hill of St. John's and Les Howey from Conception Bay South were also part of the team, as assistant coaches.
Canada showed the world why it's considered the best softball nation, and our national team was led by five guys from this province.
A subsequent poll in the softball fraternity later this year saw Mullaley selected as the best player in the world, while Cleary was named the top pitcher.
St. John's becomes the Canadian softball focus next summer, when the 2016 senior men's championship is held in the city, bringing the top men's players to Newfoundland for a week of outstanding men's fastpitch in late August.
2. Jets take off; Habs move in
The arrival of the storied and historic Montreal Canadiens farm team to St. John's could arguably be considered the top story in any year.
Early in 2015, word leaked that the current tenants at Mile One Centre in St. John's were leaving. The St. John's IceCaps parent club, the Winnipeg Jets, had been eyeing a move to Thunder Bay, Ont., until federal funding for an arena there fell through.
But the Jets had had enough, and decided to relocate their farm team back to where it once was: Winnipeg.
When the IceCaps were born, it spelled the end of the Manitoba Moose, as the NHL returned to Winnipeg in the form of the Jets. By moving their farm team close to home, it left a gaping hole in Mile One's schedule — and no AHL for St. John's.
However, IceCaps COO Glenn Stanford was on the ball, as usual, and had been quietly scouring the league searching for a replacement for the Jets. He ultimately landed the biggest fish of all when he managed to secure a transfer of the Hamilton Bulldogs — his former employer — to St. John's.
But the deal with the Canadiens organization is for just two seasons, as Montreal plans to move the team closer to their NHL club when an arena in Laval is completed.
"They're truly an iconic and a legendary club and organization, and I might dare to say that probably the greatest hockey franchise in the entire world," IceCaps president Danny Williams said at the March announcement.
Unfortunately for the IceCaps, the presence of Montreal's team — and the large following the team has in this province — hasn't translated to sellouts. The team is currently averaging 5,766 fans per game.
3. Throwing rocks on the Rock
The worst kept secret in local sports was officially announced mid-September, when Curling Canada held a news conference to say the 2017 Tim Hortons Brier would be played in St. John's. The event will run from March 4-12.
- St. John's wins right to host Tim Hortons Brier in 2017
- 'I'm super pumped': Curlers excited about Brier in St. John's
It will mark the first time since 1972 that the Brier has been to St. John's, and it was a day many never expected to see again — especially after Curling Canada had turned to large venues in major cities with capacity well above 10,000.
But a recent shift to medium-sized locations put St. John's back on the map.
Former Olympic champ Brad Gushue said at the news conference that when Kamloops was awarded the Brier a couple years ago, he thought, "Why not St. John's?" and went to work to see that idea could become a reality.
More than 2,200 fans made deposits on tickets to show support for the event.
"I really think it's going to be fantastic here," said Ontario's Glenn Howard, who has played more games in the Brier than any other curler. "They're so knowledgeable and fun. It's going to be one of the most fun Briers ever, because the Newfoundlanders are great people."
The announcement came just a day after the World Curling Tour played an event in Paradise and many of the top men's teams in the country were talking about the excitement of playing a Brier in the province.
Meanwhile, since that announcement, Gushue and his team have been amongst the best on the world curling tour. Gushue, Mark Nichols, Brett Gallant and Geoff Walker lead the money tour with more than $128,000 won this year.
But as any curling fan knows, the Brier is the elusive goal Gushue wants. The potential of him playing at home — he still has to qualify! — makes this event a must see.
4. Parapan Am success
Katarina Roxon of Kippens has been on the sports radar in this province for quite a few years.
The swimmer has done quite well over the years at various national and international events, but this past summer in Toronto the 22-year-old had her best meet ever.
At the 2015 Parapan Am Games, Roxon won a total of six medals in the pool. She took home gold in the 100-metre breaststroke in a time of one minute, 22.18 seconds. That set a new Parapan Am record in the event.
Roxon won silver in the 50-metre and 400-metre freestyle events, as well as the 200-metre individual medley. Her final two medals were bronze, won in the 100-metre backstroke and freestyle events.
"I was just looking forward to my 100 [metre] breaststroke, that's my best one, and I was just going to give it my best for the other events. I surprised myself for sure," Roxon said during an interview with On The Go.
"I love competing, I'm a competitive person myself ever since I was little, and to be able to compete with these girls and seeing their drive, as well, it's amazing."
Another athlete with a physical disability from Newfoundland and Labrador also excelled in 2015 in Toronto.
Liam Hickey, a St. John's teenager, was a member of Canada's men's wheelchair basketball team, which won a silver medal at the Parapan Am Games.
Hickey then achieved what few athletes — able-bodied or with a disability — have ever done: he made the national sledge hockey team in the fall, and is now a Team Canada member in both basketball and sledge hockey.
5. Canada Games on and off target
News of the Canada Games spanned coast to coast in 2015.
Back in February, athletes from across the country gathered in Prince George, B.C., to compete in a number of sports. Newfoundland and Labrador won just four medals at this year's event, all of them in target shooting.
- Sports facilities in St. John's not up to snuff to host Canada Games before 2025
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Samantha Marsh was the most successful of our athletes. The Mount Pearl woman won two gold medals, winning the women's 10-metre air rifle field on her own, and then joining forces with Hayley Barrett of Goulds to capture the team event.
That followed a silver medal win for shooters William Dalton and Daniel Dimitrov, who took home silver in the men's air rifle team event, and preceded a silver won by Maggie Coady and Emily Keeping in the women's 10-metre air pistol air event.
"It's amazing to know we accomplished that," Marsh told CBC during a phone interview. "To know we've been getting better as a team, that Newfoundland has been progressing so far in the sport, and to know that we were the first ones to be able to do that; it's surreal. I still can't even believe it."
"It's a one-of-a-kind feeling you get from accomplishing something like this," added Barrett.
The other Canada Games news could be perceived as either positive or negative.
St. John's was set to host the Canada Summer Games in 2021, but the province announced in October that Newfoundland and Labrador had switched positions with Ontario for hosting.
That means Ontario, which has the infrastructure in place to host earlier, will take the 2021 event, with St. John's hosting in 2025 instead.
The move will allow facilities for events like track and field and swimming to be constructed and operational by that time. It will also allow the province to put a focus on training for the young athletes who will represent their home province at home in 2025.
Newfoundland and Labrador has hosted the Canada Games twice; St. John's in the summer of 1977 and Corner Brook during the winter of 1999.
Honourable mentions
As with any list, the most difficult part is the paring down. There were a number of other events which could have slid into the top five.
Rugby has always been at the forefront of sports for the success this province enjoys nationally. This year, Ciaran Hearn and Patrick Parfrey played for Canada in the rugby World Cup.
Canada didn't win in the event, but having a pair of Newfoundlanders on the team is an indication that this province is still producing top quality talent.
After the World Cup, Hearn, who has played nationally for years, signed a professional contract to play for the London Irish.
The NHL is the goal for all young hockey players, and for the past decade our province has had good representation.
But that changed dramatically this year.
Daniel Cleary and Michael Ryder are both Stanley Cup champions, but neither is in the NHL today. Cleary was demoted to the AHL by the Detroit Red Wings, while Ryder was a free agent who was not offered a contract and is currently out of hockey.
Ryane Clowe was forced into retirement due to concussion issues; Colin Greening's days with the Ottawa Senators ended when he was sent to the AHL in training camp. That leaves Teddy Purcell of the Edmonton Oilers and Adam Pardy with Winnipeg as the province's only players in the league as of today.
A Special Olympian with autism who had a great year at his world event was nominated for the Lou Marsh Award, given to Canada's top athlete.
Jackie Barrett, of Gillams, won three gold medals and one silver at the Special Olympics World Games.
Carey Price, with the Montreal Canadiens, won the award, but the nomination is certainly something to be proud of.
And finally, an era ended at Memorial University when Doug Partridge was fired as head coach of the women's basketball team. Partridge led the university's most successful varsity sports team for the past 22 years.
There is still no word from MUN on the reason for the change.
Follow Don on Twitter @PowerPlay27