We interrupt our coverage of the Battlefords North Stars to bring you鈥� the听 SASKATCHEWAN Rush!!鈥�
This was different, all right. Instead of sitting in my usual press box seat in the Civic Centre on Saturday, watching the SJHL action on the ice while listening to live play-by-play from Marty Martinson straight from his own mouth, here I was on the road to Saskatoon with our photographer, Averil Hall.
Our mission: to cover lacrosse. It was the National Lacrosse League game between the Rush and their arch-rivals, the Colorado Mammoth.
There was a particular reason why we were on our way to SaskTel Centre. It was the Hometown Spotlight: North Battleford night, where the community of North Battleford was being showcased at the game.听
鈥淲e are celebrating our fifth season here in Saskatchewan with our Hometown Series Spotlight,鈥� said Brenley Kroeker, community relations co-ordinator with the Rush.听
鈥淔or the nine home games this year we are going around to different communities, inviting them out to come experience the game.鈥澨�
For this night, North Battleford was being showcased. This was particularly special for members of the Rush organization, Kroeker explained. 鈥淲e have some office team members that are born and raised in North Battleford as well, so this hits super close to home.鈥�
There are other connections as well. North Battleford had a role in creating Bruiser, the club鈥檚 bulldog mascot. It was local resident R.J. Laliberte who won the name-the-mascot contest during the club鈥檚 first year in Saskatoon.
Team owner Bruce Urban moved the Rush to Saskatoon from Edmonton for the 2016 season. Since then, the Rush have taken Saskatchewan by storm, leading the NLL in attendance. Not only have they attracted fans from across the province, but fans from Edmonton still make the trip. That includes super-fan 鈥淕randma Rush,鈥� who has cheered the team on since their days in Edmonton.
No doubt, Grandma Rush is very familiar with that trip through North Battleford on Highway 16 to Rush games.听听听
鈥淲e have the most passionate fans in the NLL,鈥� said Kroeker. 鈥淭hey are loud, they are crazy, they are committed to our team. This is just a small way of saying thank you for the first five years and here鈥檚 to many more.鈥�
As part of 鈥淣orth Battleford鈥� night, Mayor Ryan Bater was in attendance for the game along with several members of city council: Greg Lightfoot, Len Taylor, Kent Lindgren and Kevin Steinborn.
There were other shout-outs to North Battleford during the game. I noticed on the video scoreboard they ran a Destination Battlefords ad to the fans in attendance.
Bater鈥檚 main role on the night was to come down to the field surface to bang on the Nutrien 鈥淔an Drum鈥� to get people excited before the opening ball-drop. Bater was flanked by Bruiser and the 鈥淩ush Hulk鈥� as he enthusiastically took a mallet to the fan drum.
鈥淚t鈥檚 my first-ever game,鈥� Bater said when I spoke with him at half-time. 鈥淪o far it鈥檚 been an amazing party.鈥�
I posed the question to him about what鈥檚 different about a Rush lacrosse game compared to any other sporting event he鈥檚 been to.
鈥淚t鈥檚 LOUD,鈥� Bater said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 continuous music, that鈥檚 what sets it apart. Of course, I鈥檝e never watched lacrosse before, so I鈥檓 learning how the game is played as I go. It鈥檚 difficult to have conversations with people next to you, so with the loud music you鈥檙e kind of focused on the entertainment, on the game.鈥澨�
Another thing that Bater appreciated was that it was also 鈥�80s Night鈥� at the Rush game, with a constant stream of Eighties music being blasted from the speakers throughout the game. 鈥淚鈥檓 a child of the 80s so it fits perfectly,鈥� said Bater.
Indeed, it was the whole atmosphere and game-day presentation surrounding the Rush game that stood out for me in covering it. As an SJHL reporter, I was used to the no-frills approach typical of games at the Civic Centre.
In fact, this is typical at hockey games all over this country, including even the NHL. Yeah, they鈥檒l have regular promotional 鈥渘ights鈥� and 50/50 draws, and play 鈥淪weet Caroline鈥� and 鈥淕loria鈥� and other tunes, but it鈥檚 very low key. The main focus is on the game.
Not so with the Rush, who pull out all the stops by bringing out the massive Canadian flag for the anthems, with the constant playing of music, with the cheerleaders and multiple mascots, with the PA announcer imploring the fans to get loud, and even fireworks in the arena.听
On this night, the Rush brought out the Saskatchewan band Streetheart to play during half-time and after the game.
It鈥檚 the way of the future. Sports franchises, including ones in the NLL, realize that if they want the Millennials and the non-die-hard fans to show up, they鈥檝e got to make going to the game an 鈥渆xperience.鈥�
Guess what, hockey fans, this approach is coming to a game near you. Already, you see NHL teams like the Vegas Golden Knights pull out all the stops with their elaborate pre-game shows, with all the pyrotechnics.
Traditionalists may not like it, and even in the NLL you hear a lot of muttering from fans about the loud music at games at the other arenas. But the reality in 2020 is that if you don鈥檛 make that extra effort to provide that top-notch entertainment experience, you鈥檙e going to be yesterday鈥檚 sport.
Oh, as an aside, there was a lacrosse game. The Rush beat Colorado 9-7.
The most memorable goal came from Jeff Cornwall, who turned on the speed and beat the Colorado defence on a breakaway in the second quarter, and scored. That put the Rush up 3-2. In the post-game scrum Cornwall talked about that goal and about his own comeback to the team after a year off.听
鈥淎t the start of the year when I first came back I was a little bit heavy,鈥� Cornwall said.
鈥淚鈥檓 lucky because I dropped a little bit of baggage, lost a few pounds and whatnot, and I feel a lot more ready for the cardio aspect of the game. And now it鈥檚 just kind of getting comfortable. I鈥檓 definitely making mistakes out there but my teammates are bailing me out and I鈥檓 starting to fall into my own again so it feels really good.鈥�
Another comment Cornwall made stood out; in this league 鈥渁nybody can win any game.鈥� That is another secret to the Rush鈥檚 success. For all their success in winning games and championships, at the end of the day you still never know what is going to happen. And that keeps the Rush fans coming back.
听
听
