The third-annual Mark Gogal Memorial Main Street Road Hockey Tournament (MGMMSRHT) took place Friday, March 13 in front of the Main Street establishment that co-sponsors this crowd favorite – the Snow Lake Motor Inn (SLMI). With 10 teams and 60 players vying for the Mark Gogal Memorial Cup, Mark’s brother Brad led the Jets team of Karl Menge, Cory Lobert, Jackie Schollie, Rudy Pegg, Ross Schellenberg and Brad Hamilton to the championship game. Once there, it was a tight one against Bryce Henderson’s Miners made up of Danny Nagy, Jodi Bartlett, Danny Roberts, Austin Roberts, Ryan McKay and one other unknown player. In that final, the sweet hands of Ross Schellenberg chipped in the winner in overtime to clinch it! Of note, a team led by Brad Gogal won last year’s tournament as well.
“I’m sure there was a lot of fun had by all… a few sore shins and tail bones,” said Gogal the day after the tournament held in his brother’s honour. “We’re hoping to make next year’s a little better. Each year we’ve made a few changes, so eventually we will have a world-class road hockey tourney, maybe even make it a two-day event.”
As some may recall, on Sunday, Nov. 18, 2012, Mark Gogal, a well-respected pilot and friend to many, lost his life, and seven others were badly injured in a tragic plane crash near Snow Lake. This tournament is held in his honour.
This year’s MGMMSRHT brought together players and those who were just there to support the cause. Owner of the SLMI, Gerard Lamontagne, says that there were people who paid as players and others who just paid to sponsor the event. He says that it began with all players’ names being thrown into a hat and the teams were made up by the luck of the draw. “We started picking the teams at about 8:30 p.m. and were done by 9:10 p.m., but there are always a few stragglers, so it was likely later before things got underway,” he said. Lamontagne added that Robert Stoupe and Dennis St. Jean kept things honest as well as on time, doing double duty as the refs and time/scorekeepers and the event saw a host of others come together to set up, tear down, and put on the tournament.
This year’s event also witnessed a fair number of out-of-town players who came up just for the tourney. “Chad Vinkle came up from Sudbury, Gage and Chelsea Laurie were in from Moosehorn, Dustin Shaw came in from Flin Flon, Troy and April Carnegie and Wayne Anderson from The Pas, Dustin Lamontagne came from Edmonton, and Danny Nagy and Brent ‘Kirby’ Stiff came from Winnipeg,” Lamontagne said.
Prizes for the event were sweaters and mugs donated by the Gogal family … and with Brad Gogal winning, some of them stayed in the family. The winning team also got to hoist and have their team name placed upon the Memorial Cup donated by the Wooley Family and The Underground Press. Lamontagne also noted that Chris Samborski from Cornerview donated several items that were raffled off during the tournament – this brought in $690. Samborski stayed on and played in the event. Terry Hornyak, representing USW Local #7106, cooked and sold 80 cheeseburgers and the union donated the proceeds. Gerard’s wife Roxane advised that over $2,000 was made on the tournament overall, with more to come. She added that the Gogal Memorial was awesome and much more so than last year, because of the fact that that everyone now knows what it is about and they are here to support the cause, as well as have some fun (all proceeds go to a trust fund set up for Mark Gogal’s children, Sarah and Ethan). Gerard concurs, noting that there are a number of older people who just come up to watch and enjoy others taking part.
Plans for next year involve hosting more people from outside the community. The Lamontagnes say that those who attended from out-of-town this year were thoroughly impressed and they promise to round up others to make it their own annual event. The couple say that they will strive to make it bigger and better every year and that hopefully the tournament will see teams from other northern communities, as well as those from some of the northern industries (Vale, Hudbay, Manitoba Hydro, Tolko, University College of the North, Northern Regional Health Authority). “We’ll also try to have some salt on hand next year as well,” said Gerard in jest. “It got pretty slippery out there.”
New to the Gogal Memorial this year was temporary fencing that was purchased by the Legion and SLMI. “We used that to set up boards in between the nets and behind the nets, and to set up boards and bring out the corners (of the playing surface),” said Gerard. “Then we put up snow berms with a bobcat on the other side… so the rinks were the best setup yet and the puck was kept in play better as well.” He says that they also got the outside drinking permit, which made everything better not to mention easier for the bar and staff.
The couple also touched on the kids’ road hockey game that took place on the rinks the following morning; stating that it too was well attended and lots of fun. “We had over two dozen kids,” said Gerard. “But there were kids turned away, because we had no (kids’) sticks for them,” Roxane added. “It would be great if someone could donate some.” Gerard says that he, Derek Bartlett, and Garnet Coulson split the kids up into even teams and let them go at it. They all enjoyed a meal of chicken fingers, hot dogs, fries and hot chocolate after the game.
In closing Gerard Lamontagne says, “Hopefully, this is a tradition that will carry on long after we’re gone … hopefully whoever runs the hotel in the future will continue to make it happen.”
