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HomeSportsHart AttackHARTLEY MILLER’S HART ATTACK – (CUP CELEBRATIONS; TRANSITION TIME) AUGUST 24th, 2018...

HARTLEY MILLER’S HART ATTACK – (CUP CELEBRATIONS; TRANSITION TIME) AUGUST 24th, 2018 EDITION 694

Brett Connolly poses with the Stanley Cup in Prince George | Kyle Balzer, My PG Now

The Stanley Cup began the week in Prince George and will end the week in Humboldt, Saskatchewan.

While Brett Connolly deserves all the accolades for bringing the Cup to PG, his Washington Capitals teammate Chandler Stephenson has won over many fans for sharing the Cup today in Humboldt as that city of 6,000 continues to heal.

“The community deserves to have a good day,” Stephenson told the Canadian Press.

“We’re not trying to be saviors by any means because nothing can replace a life. We’re just trying to make it as positive a day as we can and hopefully put some smiles and some laughs on some people’s faces.”

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Stephenson is from nearby Saskatoon where he showed off the Stanley Cup on Thursday.

He and several current and ex-players will all be part of Humboldt Hockey Day.

Meanwhile, the Connolly Stanley Cup celebration, organized by the Prince George Cougars, met expectations.

Most of the fans that wanted a picture with the Cup were obliged and that included many evacuees.

“It’s a scary time for a lot of people, for sure. We just tried to include as many people as we can and then help-out as much as we could. Those are people that are having a scary time right now and hopefully, we can put a smile on their face,” said Connolly.

Many dads took advantage of the opportunity to bring along their son not knowing if there will be a next time to get this up and close with Lord Stanley’s Mug.

Brett Connolly poses with young fans & the Stanley Cup in Prince George | Kyle Balzer, My PG Now

“It’s a pretty cool experience. He just turned five and he’s excited to play hockey and cheer on the (PG) Cougars this season,” said Jason.

“I’m a big fan of the Washington Capitals. I’m pretty excited and it’s awesome,” stated Tate. “He says ‘thank you’ to everyone, but really we should be thanking him for bringing it here for all of us to see.”

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The hope lives on for many Prince George minor hockey players.

“I play for the Peewee Tier One Cougars; winning the Stanley Cup has been one of my dreams,” said Jayden.

The only other time an NHL player brought the Cup to PG was when Turner Stevenson, then with the New Jersey Devils, celebrated with it in 2003.

Fans are hoping it will not take another 15 years before seeing it again.

If Connolly isn’t able to do it a second time, maybe defenceman Brandon Manning, a Prince George born and raised player, can accomplish the feat.

Manning is about to enter his first season with the Chicago Blackhawks, who have won the Cup three times in the last eight years (2010, 13 and 15).

WATCH:

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Today starts training camp for both the Prince George Cougars and Spruce Kings.

Even though there is four more weeks of summer on the calendar the transition to the hectic winter sports has started.

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Summer never seems long enough, especially when wildfires have unfortunately consumed the news in B.C. this year and last.

As hockey teams close in on yet another long season, this is the time of year for optimism since everybody gets a fresh start.

With each team 0-0, there may appear to be an even playing field, however, not long afterwards the standings start to show otherwise.

We can all make predictions based on history, but not knowing the future is part of the excitement that can also lead to disappointment.

Very few teams actually achieve their goals, but the Spruce Kings more than lived up to expectations in 2017-18.

Could anyone have forecasted this time last year that the Spruce Kings would have their best BCHL season yet, having reached the Fred Page Cup championship series?

Now what can they do for an encore?

They have 14 returning players who have had a taste of success and are obviously anxious to build upon the previous year.

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There will not be much drama in the BCHL regular season with 16 out of 17 teams qualifying for the post-season.

The Spruce Kings won three playoff rounds in the spring, including a seven game first round victory over the Chilliwack Chiefs.

The Chiefs would use the two-month break to their advantage as they came back to win the Royal Bank Cup on home ice in May.

This is an indication of the fine line between winning and losing.

The Prince George Cougars came off the high of a first place effort in 2016-17 to a low of a last place finish in 17-18.

A betting person might suggest the Cougars will be somewhere in  between in 2018-19, but will that be enough to vault them back into the playoffs?

With anticipation building, we are at a date that suggests the waiting game is nearly over.

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Today is August 24th, the birthday of my little girl who isn’t little any more.

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In fact, Lexine has a son (my grandson) with a daughter on the way, due in early October.

Happy Birthday Lex!!!

 

FROM THE QUOTE RACK:

Four Japanese basketball players were kicked off the Asian Games team and sent home after they were caught “spending the night in a hotel with women.” So did they have NBA ambitions?

*Comedy writer Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California www.leftcoastsportsbabe.com

 

The Massachusetts golfer who bit off the finger of another player is out on $10,000 bail. Who knew biting off a finger would cost an arm and a leg?

*Comedy writer Jim Barach http://jokesbyjim.blogspot.ca/

 

Richard Sherman has started his own Fantasy Football. He says the hardest part was finding someone to yell, at the beginning, ‘Hey,Boss!De Plane!De Plane!’

*Contributor Bill Littlejohn

 

CEOs now make 312 times the average worker’s salary, according to a new report.Or to put it in NFL terms: star quarterbacks, compared to rookies.

*Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times http://www.seattletimes.com/author/dwight-perry/

 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Several North Carolina football players were suspended for selling their school-issued, special-edition Nike Jordan footwear. What’s the problem? Did the shoes have tar heels?

*Comedy writer RJ Currie www.Sportsdeke.com

 

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Hartley Miller is the sports director and morning news anchor for 94.3 the GOAT.
He also is the 94.3 radio colour 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

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