Hockey hoedown a winner

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/04/2016 (3451 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

From the moment Mark Scheifele took over the Hometown Hockey Twitter account, to the Minnesota Wild-Winnipeg Jets game to cap off the weekend, one thing was certain late Sunday: Winnipeg played the perfect host to the season finale of a budding cross-country tradition.

Thousands of fans of all ages were treated to just about everything imaginable hockey-related throughout the weekend at Rogers Sportsnet’s travelling roadshow — from the Hockey Circus Show to autograph sessions.

“We had popcorn and got some jerseys and got an autograph (from Chris Pronger),” said seven-year-old Aidan Blume, who was in town from Portage la Prairie with his mom, Amanda.

“It’s a lot of fun, and it doesn’t cost anything,” Amanda said. “He gets a free jersey, some popcorn and there’s a lot of activities to do, too. He loves playing hockey all of the time, so this is great for him.”

The 24th and final stop of the tour included ball hockey under the canopy, dance contests with mascots from around Winnipeg and virtual-reality sessions from this year’s Winter Classic in Boston.

There was also the chance to be seen on national television behind host Ron MacLean, which promptly turned into a chance for fans to chant, “Go Jets Go,” no matter how doomed their season has been.

For the seasoned NHL fan, a panel featuring former Stanley Cup winners Curtis Leschyshyn and Chris Pronger kept many in front of the mainstage near the entrance to The Forks.

But it was the third member on the stage, former Jet Dave Babych, who piqued the most interest. Babych, an unmistakable presence with his bushy moustache and stocky frame, gave fans an inside look at one of the worst losing streaks in NHL history, a team on which he was a rookie member.

“It was my first year here,” Babych said of the infamous 30-game winless streak during the 1980-81 Jets season. “I remember (Jets owner) Barry Shenkarow invited us all over to his place after we broke the streak to drink champagne and celebrate.”

The nine wins the Jets achieved that year ultimately rewarded them with the 1981 number 1 draft pick, future captain and legend Dale Hawerchuk.

Babych also revealed he still can’t fathom touching the Stanley Cup, a Holy Grail he just missed as a member of the Vancouver Canucks in the 1993-94 season.

“It’s the only thing missing out of my career,” he told fans. “I can’t touch it. My family has wanted me to take a picture with them with it, but I won’t go near it. I don’t deserve it.”

Local act Del Barber and multi-platinum recording artist and fellow Winnipegger, Chantal Kreviazuk, took the stage over the weekend, with the latter’s performance the last before the puck dropped.

It’s all a part of the Hometown Hockey experience according to Hometown Hockey ambassador and fellow host Tara Slone.

“The turnout here has been really great, even despite the dip in temperatures,” she said. “This is such a fantastic place. The Forks has such significance in what it represents as indigenous land and where it is situated in the city, so I think we are all feeling the heart of Winnipeg.”

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

Paul Samyn | Editor's Note

Wednesdays

A weekly dispatch from the head of the Free Press newsroom.

Sign up for Paul Samyn | Editor's Note

Sign Up

I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

Slone has been travelling for six months for the past two seasons, but she says it’s far from getting old.

“It’s new every time, the show always varies,” she said. “Music has been a bigger component this year, which personally, I’m happy about (Slone is a former Juno nominee and lead singer of Joydrop). It doesn’t get old, and it always feels like a privilege to do this.”

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca

Scott Billeck
Reporter

Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade’s worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024.  Read more about Scott.

Every piece of reporting Scott produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.