Eight teams vied for the right to hoist the Gogal Cup during the fifth-annual Mark Gogal Memorial Road Hockey Tournament (MGM) on Saturday, March 11. Of course, it can only be the members of one team who raise the sacred chalice, so a swift but tricky process must be navigated in order to gain the sought-after honour.
At the outset of the day set for the event, things did not look promising in respect to attendance. Only six or so people had signed up and most of them were “pay no play” (who wished to donate to the cause, but not play in the game). However, with some expert promotion on the part of Snow Lake Motor Inn owners Gerard and Roxane Lamontagne, the signup sheet grew and by game-time (9 p.m.) enough bodies for eight teams had assembled in the Motor Inn beverage room and they were clamouring to get out on the street.
The playing surfaces for the MGM – yes, there were two of them – were set up on Elm Street (Main) in front of the Motor Inn/Legion. They were bordered on one side by a windrow of snow and on the other by six-foot steel mesh fencing … this helped keep the puck (actually a fluorescent tennis ball) and participants in play. The addition of a massive light tower in the back of a pickup did wonders in allowing teams to better see the puck and for spectators to snap those keepsake photos. Teams were made up of three players each and, as was the case in other years, they sported some very imaginative and innuendo-laden names. Games were 15 minutes of straight play and teams were tiered among two pools. There was about 10 minutes between games, in order to allow those who had to go back out again to warm their extremities, catch their breath and wet their whistles.
The winning team at the 2017 Mark Gogal Memorial was the Chiefs, who were made up of Ted Stabback, Jean Guy Trudeau, Jarid Medina and Jack Cole. They bested the Melon Crushers 6-4 in the final. That team consisted of Rudy Pegg, Laune Prince and Andrea Parsons. After the final, the Gogal family’s Brad Gogal, Gerard Lamontagne, along with Sara Otto and Marc Jackson (representing trophy sponsors the Wooley Family and The Underground Press) presented the Gogal Cup to the Chiefs … they all took turns hoisting and drinking from it. Brad Gogal and Gerard Lamontagne later presented the winning team with personal cooler bags emblazoned with the tournament logo.
The idea for the MGM tournament came about in 2013, when Gerard Lamontagne and a few others were tossing around some ideas for the Winter Whoot weekend. Lamontagne said it was initially going to be called the Main Street Road Hockey Tournament. However, a suggestion was made that if it was a memorial tournament, it would be more of an event and there would likely be better participation. “Right away I thought of Mark and said, ‘How about the Mark Gogal Memorial Main Street Road Hockey Tournament?’” Lamontagne explained. Mark’s brother Brad was all for it and has donated prizes as well as participated every year since. All the proceeds go to Sara and Ethan’s (Mark’s children) trust fund.
Most everyone in the community can recall the stark and sudden sorrow that gripped Snow Lake as the afternoon hours of Sunday, Nov. 18, 2012 unfolded. That was when Mark Gogal, a well-respected pilot, father and friend to many, lost his life, and seven others were badly injured in a tragic plane crash. The community pulled together that day, both in getting the injured to care and supporting the families who were affected by the ordeal. Lamontagne, who gave the eulogy at Mark Gogal’s funeral, said after the inaugural tournament that it was something his friend would have participated in wholeheartedly.
Past versions of the MGM have drawn many of Mark Gogal’s friends from outside the community; this year’s was no exception. Former residents, Brent Stiff (a mainstay attendee), Troy Woroniuk and Laune Prince made it back and participated in the 2017 MGM. All three gents enjoyed themselves immensely and stuck around to take in the entire Winter Whoot weekend. “A little over $2,475 was raised for Mark’s children this year,” said Gerard Lamontagne. “Not quite as good as previous years, but with the blizzard and the 40 below, things got slowed down a bit! Was an incredible night nonetheless and everybody had a great time!”
Of note, both Garnet Coulson and Bob Alcorn braved the elements to provide refereeing for the event and Connie Bartlett spent several hours, in the cold, cooking burgers on behalf of, and donated by, USW Local 7106. There were two draws that took place on this night as well. The Snow Lake Minor Hockey draw for a large Lars Works burning of the Snow Lake Spartans crest was won by Brady Gaudet. He promptly donated it to the Wilfred T. Lipton Arena. And Robert Stoupe won the 50/50 draw, which amounted to a cool $410.
