I got word this morning that Onrait and O'Toole will race each other at Estevan Motor Speedway. I'm not sure what part of the day it'll happen, but that should be a blast to watch.
It'll be a huge feather in the cap for the Speedway as well, having their track showcased on TSN for the second time this summer (the first being a feature done on EMS racer and Bombers OG Brendon LaBatte).
I haven't heard anything else about what Onrait and O'Toole are going to do in Estevan - aside from autographs at 5 p.m. - but I'm sure there's more.
KCT committee members are working hard at putting together a day that will encourage people from all walks of life to come out and celebrate. This is what the schedule looks like right now:;
2 p.m. Family fun zone (football throw, bouncing castles, slip and slide, free BBQ, free Kraft samples, etc)
3 p.m. Entertainment on stage. MC Michael Ball. Entertainment includes Estevan Junior Idol winner Lexie Tytlandsvik and country artist Chris Henderson. Community groups represented include Estevan Minor Baseball, Estevan Minor Hockey, the Bruins, Estevan Tae Kwon Do, Estevan Motor Speedway, Trackside MX Park, Antique Car Club, Estevan Fire Department, Ambulance Services and the Estevan Police Service's canine division. Members of the Riders and Regina Rams will also be on the scene and Rod Pedersen will be hosting the Sports Cage from Estevan.
3:30 p.m. $25,000 cheque presentation to Estevan Football Family
3:45 p.m. SportsCentre production begins
5 p.m. TSN autograph booth
People are asked to bring signs and a non-perishable food item for the Salvation Army.
In order to bring in the 80,000-pound stage, several blocks of 4th St. and 11th Ave. will be blocked off beginning the day before.
Look for an update in next week's Mercury.
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The Battlefords North Stars didn't take long to settle their coaching situation, announcing today they've hired Kevin Hasselberg as their head coach and GM.
Hasselberg is coming off an assistant gig with the BCHL's Port Alberni Bulldogs. Prior to that, he spent a decade with the AJHL's Olds Grizzlys, including six as head coach.
Hasselberg was a finalist for the Bruins' job before they decided on Keith Cassidy. He's been described as a good guy and seems to be another example of the wave of younger coaches sweeping the SJHL the last couple of years.
He comes to a North Stars team that looks to be set up fairly well for next season. Then again, we thought the same thing last year. One thing's for sure, Hasselberg needs to get more out of his blueline than Ken Pearson was able to last year.
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Sticking with the SJHL, the Kindersley Klippers have been extremely busy this off-season. There have been a few moves involving list players, but Sean Flanagan's request to be traded to the BCHL has set off a fair bit of turnover.
For a while it looked like Flanagan might make the jump directly to a Division 1 school for next year, but when that didn't happen, he asked to go to the league that gave him the best chance of doing it next year.
Unfortunately for him, that trade was made by the Silverbacks' owner, with head coach Tim Kehler having no idea, and that led to Kehler's resignation, throwing the whole franchise into upheaval.
As for the Klippers, they got a skilled forward in Jarryd Ten Vaanholt as well as forward Josh McKissock and defenceman Justin Elliott, but when it became clear they weren't going to report, they had to ship them out again.
The latest deal sending Ten Vaanholt and Elliott to Vernon is intriguing. In return, the Klippers get former North Star Dane Muench along with defenceman Philip Patenaude.
As lots of people in Kindersley will remember, Muench is loaded with skill but took too many nights off as a Star. Two years later, who knows, his attitude may have changed, but he didn't exactly tear it up with the Pats, or in Vernon.
That said, his time in the Dub is over and the Klippers will have him for two years, and you don't forget how to score goals.
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Just think where the Toronto Blue Jays might be right now if not for that wretched bullpen. After yesterday's 12-inning debacle that made me want to hand in my Jays fan club membership, this bullpen is now tied for second in the bigs with 19 blown saves.
They've had 42 save opportunities and blown almost half of them. Think about that.
I know it's not a big year for the Jays, and the plan is building toward a couple years from now, but what does it do to the young guys when they play a solid game and have the bullpen throw it away? What does it do to Ricky Romero when he throws a gem and Casey Janssen (who, admittedly, has been OK) gives up a grand slam on his first pitch?
While I wasn't necessarily upset that the Jays didn't get Heath Bell, due mainly to his age, they need to do something to address this bullpen in the off-season. It's been forever since they had a good closer.
OK, I'm done ranting for today.
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