It was great to see former president of the YK Oldtimers League rockin’ it recently with the rest of us born in the 1960s. Now that he doesn’t wield the gavel at the monthly meetings, perhaps he will have more opportunities to spend some quality hockey time with the 45-plus gang.
Mike Yakabuski assures me that this wasn’t a case of putsch comes to shove, and he is more than happy to vacate a position that surely must have its own rewards, but consumes many hours of time and effort.
Congratulations are in order to his successor Conan Donahue, whose resume already includes a shootout heart breaker for the WIMPS team entered in the most recent First Air Rec Hockey Tournament. Keen observers of old-timer hockey may also note that their new president is a man of many hats, so to speak.
Normally sporting a set of large pads and a mask, I spotted him recently wearing a helmet/visor combo, and with it a jersey with an alternating black and white pattern of vertical stripes, somewhat reminiscent of the test pattern of my television around the time colour T.V. became mainstream everywhere except in my home.
I think the man needs help. Not in the, “Hey, man, you need help,” kind of way. But rather, there are many duties and responsibilities that must be filled in order for an organization to function for the benefit of its many members.
One person can’t do everything, although I can look to the recent past where it seemed like former president Mike was coming close. One rope in particular could use a few more hands doing the pulling, and that is in the officiating department.
Chris Hewitt is taking names for the next referees clinic, which will be held on Nov. 25. It will be a full day of instruction which, when combined with the online coursework, will allow you to officiate games in minor hockey, the Yk Rec Hockey League, and old-timers. Location and start time are still to be announced. Chris can be reached via the Oldtimers website at ykoldtimers.org, his name and contact details are in the Referees Corner.
As Yellowknife’s adult shinny league, WIMPS does not employ on-ice officials, or off-ice ones for that matter. But if you have a deeper interest in the game, being closer than rink-side to the action with a whistle offers a perspective like no other. I don’t recommend doing it for the money, but the gig does pay.
Becoming a ref is a great way to take your game to the next level. On Nov. 25, that will be Level 2.