Roger Varley has been in the news business almost 40 years with The Canadian Press/Broadcast News, Uxbnridge Times-Journal, Richmond Hill Liberal and Uxbridge Cosmos. Co-winner with two others of CCNA national feature writing award. In Scout movement over 30 years, almost 25 as a leader. Took Uxbridge youths to World Jamboree in Holland. Involved in community theatre for 20 years as actor, director, playwright, stage manager etc. Born in England, came to Canada at 16, lived most of life north and east of Toronto with a five-year period in B.C.
Time to get on the bandwagon
Wow! The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Ottawa Senators 3-2 this week.
Cause for celebration? I don't think so. It brings the Leafs' season record to 12 wins and 14 losses, hardly the kind of figures designed to generate hopes of making the NHL playoffs. But, then again, their numbers are better than those of the other much ballyhooed professional teams south of Highway 7.
The Blue Jays ended their season with 75 wins and 87 losses; the Argonauts were a woeful three wins and 15 losses; and the Raptors currently stand at 11 wins and 15 losses.
So what is an Uxbridge-bound sports nut to do?
May I suggest it's time to jump on the Uxbridge Bruins bandwagon?
The 23 lads who make up Uxbridge's entry in the OHA Jr. C Central Division are giving fans their money's worth this season. Currently riding a four-game winning streak - and a nine-game winning streak on home ice - the Bruins are sitting atop the five-team league with 18 wins, three losses and two overtime losses. And that's not because all the other teams are walkovers. Far from it.
Come next Spring, these guys will be league champions again for the second year in a row - (that's the only prediction I'm making for the New Year) - and heading into the Ontario playoffs. And the beauty of it is, it's not just three or four players carrying the rest of the team. The whole team is contributing to the Bruins success.
And the coaching staff, of course. You'll hear folks who follow the Central Division praise coach and general manager Dan West as one of the best around. Talk to any of the Bruins players and they'll tell you how much they like him and respect him.
For eight bucks, you'll receive a good couple of hours of entertainment at the Uxbridge arena on a Friday night. Just because it's Junior C hockey doesn't mean you're not going to see fast-paced action, excellent skills and some good, hard, old-fashioned body checks.
Not only that, but you'll be surrounded by people, from seniors to pre-teens, who turn the arena into a friendly gathering spot every Friday night. Often, after the first period is ended, the little kids are brought out on the ice to entertain the fans with five minutes of Tim-Bits hockey. Anyone who can watch that without smiling and cheering either doesn't like hockey or kids or both.
After the ice is flooded following the Tim-Bits kids, there's the chuck-a-puck contest, where fans - mostly youngsters - try to get their puck closest to centre ice. The pucks come flying from every direction and there's always oohing and aahing as the last few pucks jockey for position. After the second period, there's the 50-50 draw, with a top cash prize more often than not in the $150 range, as well as a host of other worthwhile prizes.
For those who like to stay warm while watching hockey, there's a bank of seats behind the glass wall at the east end of the arena and the heaters are usually switched on in the arena itself (although the heater in the centre section, where most of us die-hards sit, often isn't working).
On top of all that, the Uxbridge Bruins are a first-class organization. They encourage those players who are still in school - (they range in age from 16 to 21) - by presenting a scholarship at the end of each season. They hold food drives and toy drives and regularly make cash donations to local charities.
Seems to me, if you're tired of seeing those Toronto teams lose game after game while emptying their patrons' wallets and you're fed up with the drivel that passes for television entertainment these days, you might just want to come out and support the local lads. Who knows, you might just become a Bruins fan.
Tell me, am I wrong?
