Across Saskatchewan, the lifeblood of each rural community during the wintertime is the local rink and you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t agree that the sport of hockey reigns supreme. The pride that towns and villages across the province have in their hockey clubs is off the charts.
That high level of pride was on full display inside the gymnasium at Dinsmore Composite School last week, as a rally was held for the Dinsmore Dynamos team that featured current players and even a few names from the past.
Held on Friday afternoon, January 17, the MC for the afternoon was DCS teacher Karen Jones, who introduced a number of Dynamos to the stage, who came prepared in their team colors: Brody Dueck, James Manson, Benson Thorpe, Jordan Thorpe, Josh Atkinson, Brayden Atkinson, Colton Wagman, and team manager Kurt Jones.
The players took questions from the youngest students of DCS and spoke on their love of the game of hockey, as well as what it was like to grow up in Dinsmore and take to the ice in a community where the sport’s history runs deep.
From there, it was time to give people what they all came to see – some actual hockey action in the form of a floor hockey match between Team White and Team Black. With officials Carol Rychlo, Kelly Beattie and Kevin Jones keeping things fair and balanced on the floor, coaches James Thorpe and Troy Atkinson watched the action intently, and they weren’t afraid to call the refs out on some blown calls. The game got rough a time or two, and Rychlo even took one player to the penalty area for not having their homework done.
By the time the final seconds ran out, Team White had bested Team Black in the friendly, light-hearted contest at a score of 6-2 to take hold of the Dusty Cup. Clad in their best old-time jackets, coaches Thorpe and Atkinson posed with the trophy, and it may as well have been an image from the history books of the Dynamos as it conjured up memories for many of the community’s long-time supporters of the senior hockey club.
The special rally event put a spotlight on the Dinsmore Dynamos hockey team, but it was also a chance to provide some exposure on Dinsmore’s entry into the Kraft Hockeyville contest, which will net one community with $250,000 and hosting duties for an NHL game. Dinsmore’s submission has been picking up steam online in the last week, and they ask supporters to continue rallying for the community in order for the village’s hockey rink to move ahead in the contest.
To check out Dinsmore’s submission in the Kraft Hockeyville contest and to see how you can help, log on to the following web link: www.krafthockeyville.ca/community/dinsmore?phase=entry#/community/dinsmore
