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My Take on Snow Lake - July 14, 2017

Boxing Day hockey game renamed for Baird
Ted Stabback, left, and Terry Hornyak, right. Inset: Ken Baird.
Ted Stabback, left, and Terry Hornyak, right. Inset: Ken Baird.

The Snow Lake Northstars Hockey Club held a 40th anniversary golf tournament in conjunction with the community’s 70th celebration. It took place at 11 a.m. on July 2 at – you guessed it – the Snow Lake Golf Club.

Prior to the event getting underway, organizer Ted Stabback called for attention to announce the teams and go over rules. When he’d finished, he said that he had a further announcement. Stabback stated he and longtime Northstar Terry Hornyak had recently concluded that they would like to honour the memory of one of Snow Lake’s favourite sons, Ken Baird. In doing so, they were renaming the Boxing Day hockey game the Ken Baird Memorial.

Stabback noted, not only would the game be renamed, but money from t-shirts brother Dave Baird donated commemorating the day’s golf tournament would go towards purchasing two sets of sweaters that would be worn by opposing teams during the winter classic.

The sweaters will be from two of the teams Ken Baird played pro with – the Winnipeg Jets and the Edmonton Oilers. Both sets will feature Baird’s number – 26 for the Jets and 19 for the Oilers. There was a rousing round of applause from everyone in attendance and agreement all around on the merit of the renaming. Mike Dupont further added that there was $200 left in the (defunct) Ice Devils’ bank account and it would be added to the total used to buy the sweaters.

Once Stabback was done, Terry Hornyak, who is president of the Snow Lake Golf Club, announced that the club will be sponsoring a new annual tournament on Labour Day weekend. It will be called the Memorial Tournament and played each year in memory of members who passed during the previous annum. This Labour Day it will memorialize Ken Baird and Darwin Spencer.

When the applause had ended, Stabback once again drew attention and started the tournament. While players maneuvered the sodden course, Dave Baird held court in the clubroom regaling those in attendance with remembrances of Northstars road trips and of growing up in Snow Lake. Ken Baird’s daughter Amber and husband Tyler Samborski also attended the tournament, and while golfers were out on the course they drew the winning name of the Snow Lake Spartans sweater that was signed by former Jets and Rangers forward Ulf Nilsson. The winner was Ryan Leaman.

When golfers arrived back after their rounds, a putting contest took place before participants gathered in the clubhouse to hear the winners announced. Stabback made the presentations, handing out cash prizes to the following winners: first – Team of Dave Wooley, Stephan Foord, Riley Eastman and Laura Fris; second – Craig Simpson, Ken Dahle, Bob Wooley and Randy Brew; third – Marvin Mahaney, Kathy Mahaney, Darren Pattison and Tom Dahle; fourth – Pete Fris, Darryl Wooley and Rick Stabback; fifth – Terry Hornyak, Jesse Stabback and Ted Stabback. The longest drive was won by Rick Stabback and Terry Hornyak was closest to the hole in that contest. As well, Troy Steeves won the putting contest and started a groundswell of support for the Ken Baird Memorial when he gave his winnings back to the tournament. Each winner followed suit and prize money of $600 went towards the purchase of sweaters for a game that has been a yearly staple in the Wilfred T. Lipton Arena since 1965.

One other note in respect to Ken Baird: this Canada Day, David Bishop donated the trophy to the Ken Baird Memorial Horseshoe Tournament. That event is sponsored by the Legion and takes place each year during Canada Day festivities. As luck would have it … Bishop and his partner Ryan Canty were the first winners of the new trophy.

Former pro hockey Player and resident of Snow Lake Ken Baird passed away in the early morning hours of Dec. 18, 2016 at his home in Snow Lake.

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