If you’re visiting Prince Edward Island in the summer months, especially July, August and September, and you are interested in sports, there are so many things to do that most residents of this little Island wonder why anyone would want to leave.
Over the last few weeks on the Island there were events that drew sports fans and participants from Canada and the United States.
The annual Jimmy Fiddler mosquito AAA tournament attracted eight teams from across Atlantic Canada and although the Halifax Tri County team came away with the championship trophy defeating the Cardigan-based Eastern Kings in the final, there was plenty to like with the Charlottetown team that lost in the semifinal.
One of the top players on the Jamie MacDonald-coached team was shortstop Yasu Hojo and his little brother second baseman Ken Hojo, who just moved here two months from Japan. They both played very well which spells a bright future for MacDonald, who had nine first-year players on his team including Parker MacDonald, Will Dunn and Ramsey McInnis.
Also last Friday, the P.E.I. Celebrity Golf Classic attracted ex-baseball, hockey, golf and world class musicians to the Fox Meadow course and hot, sunny skies drew a big audience.
Veteran NHL star Forbes Kennedy sank a couple of long puts to keep our team alive, but he didn’t get much help from Las Vegas Golden Knights assistant coach Mike Kelly, who left his magic in Vegas, or from Boston’s Paul McGuire who talked Red Sox for most of the day.
On the course, Lorie Kane just missed two holes in one over the 18 holes while international music star Bruce Guthro partnered with Trent Birt to easily handle Troy Crowder and Lisa Savijarvi.
Dr Bill Stanish, who usually enters a strong Halifax team, finished well down the leader board which tells me that age may be catching up with his club, not Bill but his partners.
On the topic of sliding performances, Ray Murphy has not been on a winning team since his team’s podium score in the Canadian mental health tournament at Anderson Creek in 2008 when Neil MacFadyen posted an unpressured 69 for the only win ever by the Murphy’s pharmacies entry.
Today there’s Nova Scotia senior men’s rugby at Co-op Field. It starts with a rookie rugby jamboree at 11 a.m., followed by a division two game between the P.E.I. Mudmen and Pictou County. At 3 p.m., the first place Mudmen division one team tangles with Pictou County’s division one club in a game where the Mudmen try to remain unbeaten.
Although the P.E.I. Junior Islanders are on the road Sunday in New Brunswick Junior Baseball League play, a quick scan of the league stats shows Tignish youngster Josh Myers leading the Islanders in hits with 29 and has a hot .440 batting average. Josh is the son of former ace P.E.I. senior league right-hander Spencer Myers from Tignish whose dad also represented P.E.I. at national senior baseball play.
Also in baseball, there’s a lot of excitement with the big Oldtimers baseball tournament which gets underway with over 500 players and families and friends here for the national event. More on this next week.
I know it’s too early to be talking hockey, but here’s my exception.
Sunday evening at 7 p.m. plan to attend the Andrews Hockey School benefit game in support of the Lund family who recently lost their dad Gerard.
The lineups are dotted with current pros including our newest NHL’er Josh Currie, major junior and college players who are destined most likely for the pro ranks. New York Islanders winger Ross Johnston, perhaps the least talked about NHL’er ever and perhaps a 2018-19 sleeper, will be there along with Brett and Alex Gallant, Ryan Graves, up and coming Tignish youngster Brad Morrissey, ex-Maple Leaf Darryl Boyce, Charlottetown’s Zack MacEwen, Mark Flood and Drew MacIntyre who has signed with the Nippon Paper Cranes. Major junior and university stars fill out what looks like a great evening which also includes a silent auction.
Others expected to make an appearance but not playing are Kelly, Devon Praught, coach of the Telus Cup champion Notre Dame Hounds, and ex-NHL star Al MacAdam.
Hockey Central analyst Darren Millard has even located Doug MacLean (he should have been searching in Chelton not Stanley Bridge) and he’ll be there too.
Admission is $10 or donations at the door.
Live harness racing continues tonight 6 p.m. at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park, one of the great venues for harness racing in Canada with great food and atmosphere.
The $2,500 feature on the 14-dash card goes in Race 13 with Truro Exhibition Cup winner Rose Run Quest and driver Marc Campbell, Czar Seelster with Kenny Arsenault, and a pair of up and coming drivers in Adam Merner aboard Mr Irresistable and Dale Spence handling Cartoon Daddy. The others are Adkins Hanover, Perfect Escape, Do Over Hanover and Winter Blast.
Toronto Maple Leafs legends Rick Vaive and Doug Gilmour are now prominent shareholders in Ontario pacing colt Mo Better along with The Stable.Ca group. The colt has already won this year and last Monday was locked with a ton of horse and no place to go, bet down to even money.
The Adios goes today from The Meadows with Dorsoduro looking to give trainer Ron Burke his first Adios win. Other tough colts are Hitman Hill, American History, ThinkbigDreambig and four others.
Easy Lover Hanover and driver Doug McNair look the best in the $34,000 Mohawk feature and dips in class to meet Physicallyinclined, Velocity Driven (James MacDonald), Nirvana Seelster and four others.
At Yonkers last Saturday night, Great Vintage (Mark MacDonald) took the $44,000 feature in 1:52:4. Great Vintage is not in to go this week, so MM has Capozzo from the rail.
At The Meadowlands tonight, the Hambletonian Oaks and the Reynolds divisions for three year old colts and fillies highlight the card.
Ms Mac N Cheese set a new Inverness track record for mares of 1:54:4 in winning the $2500 Invitational pace Wednesday night. Owned and driven by veteran Dave Ratchford, she could be a Gold cup and Saucer candidate.
