Brushing up on fancy footwork

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/06/2011 (4301 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Dancing Gabe will be in the building this fall.

With all of the excitement happening around the MTS Centre the last few weeks following the purchase of an NHL team, the ongoing debate over the name, the successful season-ticket drive, the hiring of a general manager and the search for a coach, True North Sports & Entertainment hasn’t had the time to deal with one of the most pressing questions on the minds of local hockey fans — how will Dancing Gabe get into a sold-out building every night?

Scott Brown, True North’s director of corporate communications, said nobody from the organization has spoken with Gabe Langlois, whose dancing exploits have been a part of the city’s sports scene for more than two decades, but he won’t have to worry.

“We’re going to talk to him and see what he wants to do. He’s been around for a long time and he’s a person of some notoriety. We’re not going to do anything that leaves Dancing Gabe out in the cold,” he said. “He’s been a loyal supporter of the Jets brand and the Moose brand and we’re supportive of people who have supported us with the Moose.”

Langlois was very happy to hear the news Monday afternoon.

“It’s going to be fantastic. It’s been 15 long years (since the NHL left),” he said.

Langlois said he has been promised a new jersey — what logo will be on the chest remains one of the biggest mysteries, seemingly, in Winnipeg’s history — and he can’t wait to put it on for the first time.

“I’ve been working on a few new moves. But we’ll have to be patient (about the name),” he said, noting he attends more than 100 sports games annually.

There were some anxious moments, though. Angelina Langlois, Gabe’s mother, admitted her son was getting a little worried when the new hockey team sold out 13,000 season tickets in a matter of days two weeks ago. She said she had called True North to check on things and received some assurance that her son would be a part of NHL hockey this fall.

“The Moose made him an honorary member (of the team). They always let him in for concerts and games. This time they’ll take care of him, too,” she said.

Andrew Collier, general manager of the Winnipeg Goldeyes, said Langlois has had a ticket for baseball games for as long as he can remember.

“Everybody (at Shaw Park) knows who he is and he just comes in. We’ve provided him with a jersey or two with his name on it. He sits down in an empty seat or in the aisle in between plays. He’s very courteous that way. When the music is playing, he does what he does. He’s Dancing Gabe and there’s nobody else like him,” he said.

Darren Cameron, director of media relations with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, agreed. He said the football team provides Langlois with a complementary season ticket every year so he can get into the stadium.

“He’s part of the game-day atmosphere. He’s a Winnipeg institution. He’s a part of what goes on at the stadium every game and it’s great to have him. Having him around and supporting the team is what’s important,” he said.

geoff.kirbyson@freepress.mb.ca