Redhawks rebounding from tragedy, winless season
The White Bear Redhawks thought that losing all 24 games they played last year, in their return to the Big Six Hockey League, was hard enough.
Then life stepped in with a reality check that would make even the heaviest bodycheck blush.
Two women from the White Bear First Nation were killed in a crash on Highway 33 near Lajord on Nov. 10 and the Redhawks’ first two games of the season – Nov. 14 against the Carnduff Red Devils and Nov. 15 against the Midale Mustangs – were postponed while the community grieved.
The Redhawks will instead start their season tonight when they host the Carlyle Cougars. Game time is 8 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Arena.
“One thing I don’t think some of the communities in the rural areas understand (is that) from a First Nations perspective we’re all related here,” said Redhawks manager Annette Lonechild. “And it was not just this incident but all the tragedies over the year in our community.
“The issues have been compounding and so from that perspective … it was just too difficult when you’re dealing with so much grief.”
Lonechild is quick to point out the league and White Bear’s scheduled opponents were 100 per cent supportive of the Redhawks’ decision.
But the season must go on and the Redhawks hope to start anew, beginning with tonight’s game against Carlyle. The Redhawks went 0-22 in regular season play last year and then were swept in playoffs by the Arcola-Kisbey Combines.
The buzzword around the Big Six this year is “parity” and White Bear figures on being a part of that.
“Last year we had a lot of work to do in a short period of time. We only got approval to be accepted back into the league in September,” said Lonechild. “It wasn’t a good year for us. (This year) we had a lot of interest shown by new players … and we’re hoping to make a run for the middle of the pack.
“Guys are guys and they tend to suppress their real feelings at times,” added a laughing Lonechild, “but they’re all anxious to get going and looking forward to participating knowing that there’s not really anywhere to go from last year but up.”
