Hockey Night in Kandahar

The Montreal Gazette ^ | Monday, June 19, 2006 | MATTHEW FISHER

[fanfan]

If the Stanley Cup is headed to Edmonton for a victory parade this week, could one of the storied trophy's next stops be 10,500 kilometres away in this baking dust bowl in the Afghan desert?

The universal wish of the Edmonton-based Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry battle group is that their Oilers win Lord Stanley of Preston's silver chalice when they play Game 7 against the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C., tonight. If the Oilers are victorious, the troops are optimistic the team will add another chapter to the Cup's colourful 113-year history by bringing it - and a few of their favourite players - to their heavily defended base on the outskirts of Kandahar.

"It would be huge to have the Cup here," said Sgt. Mark Pharoah, who normally works at the garrison in Edmonton. "It would be darn good for morale."

During the Oilers' 4-0 triumph in Game 6 of the final - shown here live before dawn yesterday - Pharoah said, the cheering was so loud from fans watching in Canada House that "there wasn't a sleeping soldier in the entire Canadian tent lines."

And why not despatch the Stanley Cup to Afghanistan? After all, the venerable trophy has been thrown on to the frozen Rideau Canal in Ottawa and into the swimming pools of Mario Lemieux and Patrick Roy, has visited a strip club with Mark Messier, spent time in an igloo in the High Arctic and been to the White House to meet three U.S. presidents. It has even been to Moscow's Red Square several times, and only two months ago it was returned to its original home in England, where it was hoisted by Lord Stanley's great-great grandson, the 19th earl of Derby.

"It should come to Kandahar because there are no bigger hockey fans in the world than there are here," said Tammy Howard, who works as a civilian cashier for the Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency.

Bombardier Bill Hill, a 26-year-old reservist from the Kenora, Ont.-based 116th Independent Field Battery, not only wants the Cup to come to Kandahar, he wants it to be escorted here by Chris Pronger, the Oilers towering defenceman who is from Hill's hometown, Dryden, Ont. He also wants the NHLers to play a ball-hockey tournament with some of the troops.

"With so many of the guys being from Edmonton, the Oilers have tons of support here," Hill said. "But we are all cheering for the Oilers because they are a Canadian team."

The NHL already has an Afghan connection. Former Toronto Maple Leaf and Vancouver Canuck Tiger Williams visited the old Canadian base in Kabul two years ago, and Canadiens great Guy Lafleur played ball hockey at Canada's Provincial Reconstruction base in Kandahar last year.

Thinking about hockey in a windblown moonscape where daytime temperatures can touch 50 degrees Celsius is not so easy. One of the difficulties is that the games from North America are usually shown before breakfast. Another complication is that many of the front-line warriors are in the middle of spearheading the biggest coalition offensive against the Taliban since it was ousted from power not long after terrorists attacked the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon in September 2001.

Game 7 of the Stanley Cup series will be telecast live in Afghanistan at Canada House tomorrow morning at 4:30 local time (it's on at 8 p.m. tonight in Montreal).

But Canada House, which is a relatively small, tube-shaped army tent with some flags and hockey memorabilia on the walls, can accommodate only about 100 soldiers at a time. Officials were looking for a way more of the 2,200 troops deployed here could catch the game.

With the base being dry, the beverage of choice for watching hockey is bottled water.

Back in Edmonton, though, those who chose to worship their beloved team with alcohol and rowdy behaviour on the Alberta capital's trendy Whyte Ave. kept police busy.

Officers arrested 394 of the more than 30,000 triumphant fans who congregated in the area Saturday night, high-fiving and chanting "We want the Cup!"

Most of the arrests were for liquor-related offences. Of those, only six people were charged - for assaulting an officer, resisting arrest, mischief under $5,000 and outstanding warrants.

Edmonton police have launched an internal investigation into one altercation, where an officer slapped a handcuffed woman in the head, then threw her to the ground, leaving her bloodied.

Edmonton Journal photographer Jimmy Jeong witnessed the incident. The woman was among a group of people who were arrested then shipped off to spend the night in jail.

A police officer came to walk the woman to the bus. Her hands were secured behind her back with plastic cuffs.

At one point the woman turned to say something to the officer. The officer then cranked his arm to strike, Jeong says.

"It seemed unprovoked," Jeong says. "She was in handcuffs. There was no way she was doing anything."

[EQAndyBuzz]

Ken Danyeko once told me, as a kid he used to carry a garbage can over his head to make like he won the Stanley Cup. Tonight 50 kids, their coaches, trainers, friends and family will participate in the greatest game of the season.

Good luck to both teams tonight.

[CaptainCanada]

I've read a lot of history.

I guess it's an issue of comprehension then, eh?

[blu]

Sorry, I thought that thing belonged to Detroit. Do you have "adverse possession" laws in Canuckistan? (hey, don't throw your beer, eh? At least I know enough to fear any armed unit with a feminine name! I reckon they're just a little tougher, like A Boy Named Sue!)

That said, this trophy belongs where it's cold. Canada should get it! I snicker at hockey teams in warm states.

[dfwgator]

Canada has paid off their debt for those two Toronto Blue Jays World Series titles, 13 years is enough for them to suffer without a Stanley Cup.

[ElkGroveDan]

I guess it's an issue of comprehension then, eh?

Actually the Canadian "military" doesn't feature prominently in history books outside of Canada, eh?

[fnord]

Go Oilers

bring the cup to Kandahar

[rahbert]

I'd say theres plenty of history. Heres just one run of the mill Canadian Forces unit: Battle honours First World War: Mount Sorrel, 2-13 June 1916* Somme, 1 July-18 November 1916* Flers-Courcelette, 15-22 September 1916* Ancre Heights, 1 October – 11 November 1916 Arras, 9 April – 4 May 1917 Vimy, 9-14 April 1917* Hill 70, 15-25 August 1917* Ypres, 31 July – 10 Nov. 1917 Passchendaele, 12 October 1917 and/or 26 October – 10 November 1917* Amiens, 8-11 August 1918* Arras, 26 August – 3 September 1918 Scarpe, 26-30 August 1918* Hindenburg Line, 12 September – 9 October 1918* Canal du Nord , 27 September – 2 October 1918 Pursuit to Mons, 11 November 1918* France and Flanders, 1915-18 Second World War: Landing in Sicily, 9-12 Jul 43* Piazza Armerina, 16-17 Jul 43 Leonforte, 21-22 Jul 43 Agira, 24-28 Jul 43 Adrano, 29 Jul – 7 Aug 43* Troina Valley, 2-6 Aug 43 Sicily, 9 Jul 43 – 17 Aug 43 Colle d’Anchise, 22-24 Oct 43 The Gully, 10-19 Dec 43 Ortona, 20-28 Dec 43* Liri Valley, 18-30 May 44* Hitler Line, 18-24 May 44 Gothic Line, 25 Aug 22 Sep 44* Monteciccardo, 27-28 Aug 44 Monte Luro, 1 Sep 44 Rimini Line, 14-21 Sep 44* San Fortunato, 18-20 Sep 44 Pisciatello, 16-19 Sep 44* Savio Bridgehead, 20-23 Sep 44* Naviglio Canal, 12-15 Dec 44* Fosso Munio, 19-21 Dec 44 ITALY, 1943-45 3 Sep 43 – 22 Apr 45 Apeldoorn, 11-17 Apr 45 Northwest Europe 1945

[akorahil]

Sorry, I thought that thing belonged to Detroit Montreal.

Fixed.

[ElkGroveDan]

Yes, I am aware that Canada participated with the Allies in WWII.

I didn't say there wasn't a history, I said there wasn't much history that featured prominently OUTSIDE of Canada, especially the Fighting Princess Division, which I was ridiculed for not knowing anything about.

[GMMAC]

Look Out !!!
U.S. ambassador a Canuck-at-heart

"... should the final involve Edmonton,
he'll be ready to sing the once
elusive words to O Canada."

[airborne]

Beautiful story.

I sent it out to all my high school team parents!

[justkillingtime]

Alas... a subject I know as well(grew up in burbs of Edm...now in Chgo),but I would cheer too for Carolinas goalie..as he's from my home town. GO OILERS!!!

[timsbella]

Whimper...grew up in Northern Quebec, was reared on Habs game. I will be happy just to see it back in Canada.

[scott says]

Here we go! Game 7, it doesn't get any better than this!!!

[Betis70]

Let's Go Whalers (sigh).

[headsonpikes]

GO OILERS!!!

[retrokitten]

I can't argue. I am pulling for the Canes, but I won't be upset if the Oilers win. It's been a great series and that oil well the skate through is way cool.

[blu]

LOL! That's so funny that you spell Detroit like that!!! Must be a cultural difference, eh? I know, it's french, right??

[retrokitten]

I didn't get a chance to reply to you on the other thread, but what you son said about watching the captain raise the cup was really cute. Have you seen the Stanley Cup commerical with Ray Borque raising the Cup and his son in the background completely choked up? It gets me every time.

[retrokitten]

:-(

Could be worse. You could have the Hawks. ;-)