TRURO, N.S. – In early 1998 at Truro’s Colchester Legion Stadium, 12-year-old James Rutherford was given a souvenir hockey stick.
“I read in the Truro Daily News recently about Mike Boyd and this being the 20th anniversary of Truro TSN Bearcats winning the Allan Cup,” Rutherford, 32, of East Mountain, said. “I remembered being given a game stick right after Truro’s win, it was Rod MacIntosh’s stick, he was number 28. I called my father in Upper Stewiacke and I asked him if he would dig the stick out for me.”
Rutherford said his father located the stick in the family basement.
“Seeing the stick again, the first thing that came to my mind was that it was a KOHO Revolution, one of my favourite sticks as a kid. I’m one hundred per cent glad now in looking back that I didn’t decide to use that stick for road hockey. It’s still in really good shape.”
Interesting details from 20 years ago stand out to Rutherford.
“I got dropped off at the game with my sister, we got separated and I was lost. A nice man let me sit down in the heated section even though I didn’t have a ticket. I was lucky to be sitting there for right after the game ended, I was passed this stick.
“It’s mostly about getting the stick to someone and perhaps showing it,” he told me. “If a sports hall of fame was interested or if Rod MacIntosh or one of his family wanted the stick – that would be fine with me.”
Rutherford recalled that as a 12-year-old it appeared to be a very large hockey crowd watching the championship game. And, he still can’t forget No. 17 for the TSN Bearcats – Sandy MacKenzie.
“The place was packed and Sandy had either two goals or a hat-trick in the 6-2 win over London, Ontario. Could Sandy ever skate, he was flying around all over the place, what a game he played.”
These days, Rutherford plays hockey with Cruise Missiles and is a former junior B coach with Brookfield Elks. For the past number of summers he has played fastpitch ball with the Elks in the Shooters Bar & Grill Fastpitch League.
“It’s mostly about getting the stick to someone and perhaps showing it,” he told me. “If a sports hall of fame was interested or if Rod MacIntosh or one of his family wanted the stick – that would be fine with me.”
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With the recent passing of Steve Sorensen, 79, of Truro, some interesting sports history was revisited. Sorensen, who founded longtime Truro business S. Sorensen Electric Ltd., is recalled sponsoring a very successful local baseball team back during the mid 1980s.
“Sorensen’s Electric won six championships in a row in the Truro District Baseball League,” the team’s coach Bruce Peers, said. “Steve was a great sponsor, he would be one of the best sponsors ever. Steve came to a lot of our games; I think he enjoyed it because we always won. When I think back now, I think of how great Steve was for sports in the Truro area, he was really good to our players.”
Peers recalled a number of fine young baseball prospects who played for Sorensen’s, naming John Smith, Jeff Norrie, Bruce McCabe, Jeff Fielding, Don Deagle, Terry Deagle, Valma Boudreau, Kevin Webb and Robbie Hutchinson.
Sorensen is also recalled watching and supporting local hockey, especially during the 1970s and 1980s. During his early years he was very involved in running. He ran half-marathons and he also participated in triathlons while studying Shotokan Karate.
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The announcement that John Smith will coach the 2018 Nova Scotia Senior Baseball League Truro Bearcats caught our attention.
Not only does the move allow one of the league’s most valuable players, John Chapman, to concentrate mainly on playing the game, in relinquishing the coaching duties, it brings the highly competitive Smith back into the game.
A veteran of more than 10 seasons in senior ball with the Bearcats, Smith was a catcher, played both the infield and outfield and was an outstanding team player.
It’s early and to date several players have been working out in the gym, which is good and can build into something.
“I’m looking forward to the season,” Smith, 54, said. “I want to see these kids improve and I want to see them have fun. There’s some good talent; I feel we have the potential to field a real good ball club.”
Lyle Carter’s sports column appears Saturdays in the Truro Daily News. If you have a story idea, contact him at 902 673-2857.
