It’s my Parting Shot to talk about something that makes me feel good as a veteran sports broadcaster…..

…and that would be relationships and friendships that extend beyond the rink and workplace.

For instance, I mentioned yesterday about the USask men’s hockey team winning a second straight Canada West Conference championship over the weekend in Calgary over Mount Royal. Just before they caught the bus to Calgary last Thursday – yes, the University teams do travel by bus – I was able to have some conversations with several familiar faces and names before the team took to the ice for practice at Merlis Belsher Place.

There was head coach Brandin Cote – a former W-H-L player with Spokane and assistant coach in Swift Current; assistant coach Jon Barkman – who played for the Saskatoon Blades back in the late 1990s. Remember the old Barq’s root beer commercial that said that, “Barq’s has bite.” That was my goal call for Barkman during his time with the Bridge City Bunch!

I was also able to chat at length with former Blue and Gold goaltender Nolan Maier, both on the record for radio use and a quick catch-up conversation. I also had those quicky convos with former Blades’ defencemen Rhett Rhinehart (pictured) and Ben Saunderson, plus forwards Conner Roulette and Josh Pillar!

Two things about those quick chats – first, they actually consented to stop and talk and, secondly, it’s a lot more to gab in an off-the-record situation and speak as human being to human being – something that warms my heart and makes me feel that the respect I tried to give those kids while they played for Saskatoon and in the W-H-L is being reciprocated!

However, the one exchange from that morning that pleasantly surprised me was former Moose Jaw forward Cade Hayes saying, hey how’s it going?, to me on his way out to the M-B-P ice surface. I’ve never interviewed Cade in the past, but I was left thinking – wow, that’s a nice, well-mannered, well brought up young man – something that was confirmed to me on Friday evening by my long-time Warriors’ play-by-play colleague James Gallo!

But, here’s the thing – I shouldn’t be shocked by Cade Hayes being polite towards someone he’s never really met, nor should I be surprised at Brandin Cote, Jon Barkman, Nolan Maier, Rhett Rhinehart, Ben Saunderson, Conner Roulette and Josh Pillar taking a few moments to chat because, really, the young women and men that play sports in general are genuinely good people! I’d be hard-pressed to find enough bad ones to count on the fingers of my two hands over the nearly 47 years that I’ve been in the mainstream sports media!!

That’s my Parting Shot. I’m Les Lazaruk…and it turned out nice again!