Terriers healthy and rarin’ to go

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/05/2023 (1251 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For the first time in weeks, all 24 members of the Portage Terriers were able to practise Monday afternoon.

That was a timely development for the hosts of the Centennial Cup national junior A hockey tournament, who face their Manitoba Junior Hockey League rivals, the Steinbach Pistons, in their opening game Friday at Stride Place.

Multiple cases of strep throat and the flu and at least one case of mononucleosis have swamped the club since almost the beginning of the league playoffs, which came to an abrupt end with a 3-2 double-overtime loss in Game 7 of a semifinal series with the Virden Oil Capitals on April 19.

“It feels like the first time since the playoffs started that we’ll have everybody healthy,” said Terriers captain Kian Calder, a local product, by phone Monday afternoon. “I was lucky enough to get sick after the first round where we had a week off. I don’t know what (it was) but I had something else for the whole week… I just had a wicked cough and no energy to do anything…

“Guys were dropping like flies and there was nothing you could do, really. But I think with a full roster we’re definitely one of the best teams in Canada.”

A return to health was a big relief for general manager and head coach Blake Spiller, who guided the Terriers to a national championship when the Terriers last hosted the event in 2015.

“Some guys played through it and then took some days off when we’re done and some guys just couldn’t play through it because they were too sick,” said Spiller. “I don’t know an exact number but it started with one guy and then all of a sudden (it) seemed to go through most of the them.”

The importance of the Terriers organization and winning a national championship runs deep in Calder’s family.

His grandfather, Bill Calder, played for the storied 1972-73 national championship team, while his uncles, Liam Wheddon (1991-93) and Adam Calder (1992-95), and his brother, Logan Calder (2018-22), have also worn a Terriers uniform.

As captain, he felt obliged to be welcoming and help with the transition when new players arrived at Stride Place.

“With a host team there’s always changes throughout the whole year until the (trade) deadline,” said Kian Calder, who was dealt to the SJHL’s Estevan Bruins for their trip to last spring’s Centennial Cup before being dealt back to Portage in the off-season.

“So, you’re seeing a lot of guys that come in and out of the room and you’ve just gotta find a way to make it click with everyone. In our room we’ve got a pretty tight bond, and I think everybody can play with anybody on our team.”

The Terriers finished the regular season as the MJHL’s top club and Spiller believes it can rise to that level again.

“We had a good team all year, we were good in the first round of playoffs, good early in the second round and our guys battled through lots of adversity, obviously, to get to Game 7 and lose it in overtime,” said Spiller.

“I know that we’re going to do what we can and that’s all we can expect. I mean, we’re going to be prepared and we’re not going to use (health) as an excuse, that’s for sure.”

A decision on who will start in goal Friday night — Bailey Monteith or Jayden Catellier — has not been made.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca