“If I miss anything about the sport, it’s the camaraderie of teammates.”
The truth of that quote from Bo Jackson, the only professional athlete to be named an All-Star in both football and baseball, was proven once again on Sunday, August 11 when “mature” teammates from the Bredenbury Cougars Senior Hockey Club of 1976-1977 got together for a 42-year reunion.
The players, wives and invited guests came together at Ewen and Shirley Morrison’s home to renew acquaintances and remember that “Cinderella 1976-77 Season” when they captured the Sask. Yellowhead Hockey League (SYHL) Championship.
Back in the day the SYHL was very competitive and entertaining with teams from Saltcoats, Bredenbury, Kamsack, Churchbridge, Rhein, and Langenburg (before the Warriors became dominant).
The 76-77 Cougars were a diverse, talented group made up of district fellas including farmers, miners, mounties, blue collar workers and high school kids. They ended the regular season with a 16 wins, four losses record, good for a second place tie with Kamsack, two points behind Saltcoats, with only two points separating the top three teams.
In the first round of playoffs Bredenbury eliminated Kamsack three games to one. In the other semifinal series, Churchbridge surprised Saltcoats to set up the Churchbridge-Bredenbury final which was a best-of-seven affair.
Because the ice in both of the teams’ home rinks was not playable, the entire series was played in Esterhazy which had artificial ice. There Bredenbury claimed the league championship, winning in four games straight. They only lost one game through the playoffs.
A total of 13 of the 16 living players attended the August get-together which one of its main organizers, Ron Morier, says was a dwindling opportunity to get together. Head coach Glenn Cowan and assistant coach Arnold Vickers, team manager Doug Bennett and three players have passed away, underscoring the need to get together to share memories, says Morier.
The invitation to the reunion was extended to widows and family members of the deceased and a handful came.
Most of the approximate 33 attendees still reside on either side of the Yellowhead Highway, says Morier, with a couple travelling from Winnipeg and a couple from Saskatoon. Now living in Winnipeg Morier was stationed with the RCMP in Langenburg from 1973 to 1980, living in Churchbridge for most of that time, playing senior hockey and ball and coaching the town’s younger teams along with local sports stalwarts such as Jim DePape, Eldie Prier, and Ron Johnson.
“Many war stories were exchanged, with very few embellishments,” Morier says with a laugh. Following a BBQ complete with tasty salads and desserts, the old teammates lined up with the original SYHL cup (thanks to Dode Becker and Eldon Prier) to the thunder of cell phones clicking. That trophy was sponsored by Norman Yanke and Yanke Transport and it’s still displayed in the Churchbridge arena.
“More stories were told around the firepit and it wasn’t too long after the sun went down that the ‘old Cougars’ and their brides began to filter home … but not before agreeing to another reunion sooner than later.”