“We do not remember days; we remember moments.” ~Cesare Pavese, The Burning Brand
This is the time that we sit back, reflect and ask, where did the last year go?
2016 in Prince George Sports included a superb championship game in the World Baseball Challenge, an overtime thriller in the Canada-Russia Challenge at CN Centre, a midget Tier 1 provincial hockey title, an Olympic high jump performance in Rio and the loss of four great P.G. Hall of Fame members.
These top stories and more during a trip down memory lane.
January
Prince George Sports Hall of Fame athlete Matt Pearce passed away unexpectedly due to heart failure at age 48. Pearce played seven seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, winning the Grey Cup in 1990.
The P.G. based Northern Capitals won the female division at the Mac’s midget hockey tournament in Calgary defeating the Rocky Mountain Raiders of Okotoks, Alberta 5-1 in the final. In the male division, the 2015 champion Cariboo Cougars lost in the semi-finals, 5-2 to the Lloydminster Bobcats.
February
Boyd Bayne, who coached the Spruce Capital Boxing Club in Prince George nearly 20 years (1980-99), passed away at age 72. Bayne was inducted into the Prince George Sports Hall of Fame in 2007 as a coach/builder, just three years after his son, Alan, was inducted as an athlete (boxer).
The Prince George Spruce Kings concluded their BCHL season 16th in the 17-team league with a record of 14-38-4-2.
The UNBC Timberwolves missed the playoffs in Canada West basketball. The UNBC men finished 4-16 while the Lady Timberwolves were 3-17.
March
The Prince George Cougars season came to an end after a 4-3 overtime loss to Seattle as the Thunderbirds swept the first round series 4-0. The Cougars finished the regular season 4th in the B.C. Division, with a 36-31-3-2 record.
The P.G Cougars MVP Chase Witala ended his WHL career as the team’s all-time leading point scorer with 239 (120 goals) in 302 regular season games.
After going 29-8-3 in the regular season, the Cariboo Cougars lost the best of three BCMML final 2-0 to the first place Valley West Hawks. Scores were 4-1 and 9-4.
The Prince George based Northern Capitals repeated as BC female midget AAA hockey champions. The Caps knocked off the regular season champion Greater Vancouver Comets 4-2 and 1-0 in the best of three final.
Prince George earned gold at the Provincial midget Tier 1 hockey championship in Comox. The P.G. team, coached by Ryan Howse, doubled Kelowna 4-2 in the final.
The Duchess Park Condors won the Provincial girls AA basketball championship in Langley. The top-ranked Condors beat #3 Seycove 80-71 in the final.
April
The Prince George Cougars parted ways with head coach Mark Holick after 3 ½ years. Holick posted a record of 101-119-20 in 240 regular season games plus 1-8 in nine playoff games.
The Northern Capitals female AAA midget hockey team lost the Pacific Regional best of three series at the RMCA. The Caps fell 3-0 and 3-0 to the Rocky Mountain Raiders of Alberta.
The West Kelowna Warriors, including Jake LeBrun and Liam Blackburn of Prince George, won the BCHL Fred Page Cup. The Warriors doubled the Chilliwack Chiefs 4-2 to take the series 4-2.
Goalie Michael Gartieg of P.G. capped off his college career by leading the Quinnipiac University Bobcats to a silver medal at the NCAA Frozen Four in Tampa (dropping the final 5-1 to the North Dakota Fighting Hawks). Gartieg later signed a one-year entry-level contract with the Vancouver Canucks.
A founding father on the Prince George soccer scene, Hans Niedermayer, passed away at age 90. Niedermayer is a P.G. Sports Hall of Fame member in the builder category.
The Prince George Sports Hall of Fame welcomed four members. The inductees were Charlie Ghostkeeper and Nino Fabbro for baseball in Coach/Builder, Audrey Foster for baseball in Builder/Administrator and Orv Claffey for hockey as a Pioneer athlete.
May
Prince George minor hockey products Liam Blackburn and Jake LeBrun of the West Kelowna Warriors became national champions after a 4-0 victory over the host Lloydminster Bobcats in the Royal Bank Cup final.
For the first time, the Prince George Cougars selected a goalie in the first round of the WHL Bantam Draft. Taylor Gauthier of the Calgary Bisons went to the Cougars 9th overall.
Tami Goto of the P.G. Judo Club earned silver and Grace Northrop of the Hart Judo Academy captured bronze at the national judo championships in Calgary.
11-time Provincial boxing champion and 7-time National champ Kenny Lally announced his retirement after 14 years in the ring.
June
The Prince George Cougars introduced Richard Matvichuk as their new head coach, the 12th in the 22-year history of the team. The former NHL defenceman signed a three-year contract.
Defenceman Josh Anderson was the lone P.G. Cougar selected in the 2016 NHL Draft. The Colorado Avalanche took Anderson in the third round, 71st overall.
July
The Westbank Cardinals took top honors in the men’s division at the Canadian native fastball championships in Prince George, defeating the New Brunswick Hawks 5-2 in the final. Red Nation topped the women’s division after a 10-0 triumph over Curve Lake.
A couple of former Prince George Cougars found a new NHL team. Dan Hamhuis signed a two-year, $7.5 million contract with the Dallas Stars while Brett Connolly inked a one year, $850,000 deal with the Washington Capitals.
The Claude’s Barbershop/BX Pub Bandits captured the P.G. Senior Lacrosse Dale Rolufs Memorial Trophy after an 8-5 win over two-time defending champion Westwood Pub Devils to sweep the best of five final 3-0.
August
Alyx Treasure of P.G. finished 17th in the Olympic women’s high jump in Rio. During the qualification round, Treasure had a personal best leap of 1.94 metres.
The last game of the World Baseball Challenge turned out to be the most thrilling. Before nearly 1,000 fans at Citizen Field, Japan earned gold thanks to a 5-4 victory over the Roswell Invaders in the final.
The host Prince George Lomak Knights beat the Ladner Red Sox 8-7 in the BC Baseball AA midget championship game at Citizen Field.
Trevor Metcalf of Vanderhoof and Lindsay MacDermott of Kamloops earned top honors at the Simon Fraser Open. Metcalf (69-67-76) won his third straight men’s title defeating Mike Legg in a playoff while MacDermott (78-76) took the ladies crown by 11 shots at the Prince George Golf and Curling Club.
September
Pitcher/catcher Amanda Asay of Prince George helped Canada to a silver medal following a 10-0 loss to Japan in the final at the Women’s Baseball World Cup in Korea. Asay was the winning pitcher in a 2-1 semi-final victory over Taiwan.
October
Prince George lost a boxing pioneer following his battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Harold Mann, a gold medalist at the 1962 British Empire Games, and a Prince George Sports Hall of Fame member, was 78.
The UNBC Timberwolves completed the Canada West soccer season without earning a playoff spot. The UNBC men were 4-10-2 while the Lady Timberwolves finished 0-12-1.
November
Team Russia edged Team WHL 3-2 in overtime in the opener of the Canada Russia Challenge before a capacity crowd of 5,802 at CN Centre. Jansen Harkins of the P.G. Cougars (one goal) was named WHL Player of the Game.
In a blockbuster trade, the P.G. Cougars acquired defenceman Brendan Guhle from the Prince Albert Raiders in return for 17 year old defenceman Max Martin, 18 year old forward Kolby Johnson plus a 2018 first round WHL Bantam draft pick and a 2019 third round pick.
December
The College Heights Cougars earned silver (overall 6-1 record) at the double A boys volleyball Provincials in Langley. College Heights lost the final to pre-tournament #1 Langley Christian in four sets.
TO YOU AND YOURS, A VERY HAPPY HEALTHY PROSPEROUS SAFE 2017!
From the Quote Rack:
The Cleveland Browns won 20-17 over the San Diego Chargers. And the 2008 Detroit Lions cracked open a case of generic beer.
Comedy writer Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California www.leftcoastsportsbabe.com
Alabama defensive end Dakota Ball will miss the Peach Bowl against Washington after a hunting accident in which he blew off his left index finger. This, despite an offer of a special glove from Jason Pierre-Paul.
Contributor Bill Littlejohn of South Lake Tahoe, California
Rex Ryan was fired by the Buffalo Bills this week. He was canned because he did not fulfill his promise of taking the team to the playoffs. Rex said he tried his best, but tickets to Steelers and Patriots games were already sold out when he tried to buy 50 of them.
Comedy writer TC Chong of Vancouver
And in case you missed it:
Centre Auston Matthews is on pace to surpass a Toronto rookie scoring record. Typical of the Buds: still near the division basement despite turning over a new Leaf.
Comedy writer RJ Currie www.Sportsdeke.com
Hartley Miller is the sports director and morning news anchor for 94.3 the Goat.
He also is the 94.3 radio color commentator for P.G. Cougars home games.
His column appears Fridays on myprincegeorgenow.com.
Send along a quote, note, or anecdote to [email protected]
Follow him on twitter: @Hartley_Miller