CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Officials with the Allan Andrews hockey school had to be pleased with the recent Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft where Andrews pupil Evan Nause was selected in the first round, sixth overall by Val-d’Or Foreurs.
The Nause selection is even more eye-popping since he did not attend the draft in Quebec City, Que., and it had been rumoured the talented, slick-skating defenceman, who played last season with Newbridge Academy in Dartmouth, N.S., may be headed to the US university ranks. The Riverview, N.B., native, who has also been drafted by Sioux Falls South Dakota of the United States Hockey League (USHL), has also received numerous offers from Division 1 schools like North Dakota and from University of Maine.
Regardless where he goes, he’ll be at the Andrews camp later this summer working on his game.
Allan Andrews started his hockey school 40 years ago this summer and today the Andrews Hockey Growth Program is without a doubt one of the finest hockey development programs in the world. More than 2,500 youngsters from 20 countries will take part in his hockey skills programs this summer at the Bell Aliant Centre on the UPEI campus.
There’s a big international game at the Andrews Camp within the next few weeks and hockey scouts from top university programs in Canada and the USA will be trying to recruit to their university. Being able to attract top schools from Canada and from the US hockey hot-beds like New York State, New Jersey, Maine, Pennsylvania and Ohio speaks volumes about the training at the Andrews school.
The representatives look forward to coming to the camps, frequented through the years by just about everyone from P.E.I. that made it to the NHL and by three guys you may have heard about in Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and Brad Marchand. It helps when Crosby speaks in glowing terms about the skills he developed here, but it’s not just hockey skills that are taught at the school, communication and leadership skills always play a major role in the curriculum.
“Although we are in the hockey skills development business, we are also concerned about building better citizens,” said Andrews.
This past winter he was invested into the Order of Canada, alongside Islanders Ray Murphy and Basil Stewart. He was recognized for his innovative hockey development programs and for his passion for building better citizens. I do not know where the next steps will take the 16-year- old Nause but I do know he’ll be getting great advice from Andrews.
Well done Allan. I hope you’ll be around for many, many more summer camps.
Golf tournament
Golf tournaments have been completed at most Island golf courses and to date I haven’t seen any scores better than Saul Lanigan’s 65, so he stays my hero for today. Adam Binkley sends along word the Novus Celebrity Golf tournament is just about filled with a few spots left in the Forbes Kennedy Tough in the Rough Monday best ball, July 15 at Mill River. Former world heavyweight champ Larry Holmes will be making a first P.E.I. appearance, which prompted comments from locals at sports watering holes about an appearance by Pinky Gallant and Stevie Gallant.
Dave McIsaac, Doug Hines and Myles Grady have about ten spots remaining for the Thursday, July 11, fundraiser at Avondale with Serge Savard in support of the senior and junior baseball clubs. Contact the boys or register your team at the ball park on Tuesday when Moncton is in town against the senior Islanders for a 7:30 p.m. game.
The Junior Islanders play a twin bill Sunday in Summerside at noon against Chatham.
Baseball
Art Coffin may not be a name familiar with today’s Island sports crowd but the big flamethrower from Mount Stewart was one of the top senior pitchers in the province in the 1960s and 1970s and a man who later coached a Mount Stewart midget club to a provincial crown. Another Kings County standout was Murray Harbour’s Harvey Jordan, who played shortstop for Surge Warriors under Dale Hickox and led the Warriors to a provincial senior championship with guys like Ken MacIsaac, Jeff Bell, Don Sheidow and Dave Mackenzie among others.
My condolences to the families of both Art Coffin and Harvey Jordan who died recently. Both were class guys on and off the diamond.
Harness racing
Harness racing continues tonight at 6 p.m. at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park with the $5,500 Cecil Ladner memorial where a number of new top-class horses are in action.
A $3,000 top class is the best card of the young season. Reg MacPherson’s top colt Carlisimo goes tonight in Race 3 at Mohawk for trainer James Dean and driver James MacDonald. This is a nice colt by Shadow Play and this is a good test for him tonight.
Also on tonight’s card at the Hawk are two divisions of Ontario Sires Stakes gold fillies at $107,000.
At Mohawk on Thursday, Andrew Moore’s Springbridgevision won in 1:55:2 for James MacDonald in a $23,500 grassroots test. Major Asset, a two-year-old by Art Major, won his Yonkers debut Thursday in a $15,000 stake with a swift 1:56:3 score. He is owned by Reg MacPherson and Ian Smith.
At Pocono tonight, all the Hambletonian hopefuls are in to go in the elimination races of the Beal memorial. The first division at $25,000 has the outstanding Green Manalishi, Swandre the Giant and thestable.ca’s White Tiger in a very tough field of six.
The baby races, aka The Future Stars, has been re-scheduled to Monday at 6 p.m. and fans will be treated to hot dogs and beverages.
Trivia
Who is the most important graduate of the Kings County Baseball League?
If you guessed Mike Kelly, Bill Connolly, Walter Bradley, Alex MacAulay or Niall Hughes, you’d be close, but not correct. Premier Dennis King, who starred with Georgetown and Cardigan Clippers, is the answer and according to ace right-hander Billy Conahan, “King was a good hitter and a tough out.”
Fred MacDonald's column appears every Saturday in The Guardian. He can be reached at [email protected]
