Possible Fund Raising Project for 2008 ??

If Crosby can, who will step up to the plate for SVCU ? Duke ?

Scrooge ???

This just in off the wire, SVCU may have put a slight damper on the Swan River Raider's Annual Christmas Gathering by handing them an 8-2 festive beating. Icing seven skaters , along with the joyful return of SVCU puck stopper Mike "Smitty " Smith and offensive standout Jeff "Skinny " Knight, SVCU played the roles of Scrooge to a T. Perhaps it was the anticipation of post game festivities that weighed heavily on the minds of Raider defenders, or maybe it was the underestimation of SVCU's Magnificent Seven, whatever the reason , the SVCU Juggernaut continued to steam along. Craig "Zammer" Zamzow, Jeff "Skinny" Knight, and Warren "Wheels" Gray each tallied two with singles added by Warren "New Guy " Clark and Jeremy "OT Kid" Gray. Mike "Smitty" Smith recovering from the flu bug, was once again outstanding in the blue paint posting an impressive .976 sv pctg. Derek "Hips " Henklemen and Blaine "Soupy" Campbell owned the ice from the blue line in. Next action for SVCU will be Wednesday January 2 when they host the Minitonas Logge

Winning Ways continue...

Coming off a Wednesday evening of festive fun, a Friday night date in Minitonas against the Loggers would perhaps be a tall order for SVCU to fill. Once again , with only a handful of skaters making the road trip, SVCU relied on the perfect blend of youth and experience, and came away with a 12-4 win. Pulled off waivers , and filling in for an ailing Mike "Smitty" Smith, Glenn Nichiporuk provided some solid backstopping . The young gun trio of Tanner "Kid" McDonald, Evan "Man Boy" Morden , and recent rookie call up Chris "RBK" Belhuemer, provided enough legs for the whole team. The vet line of Pat "Crash" Morden, Warren "Wheels" Gray, and Rob "Energizer" McDonald used their puck movement prowess, to score numerous high light reel goals. The defensive corp. of Derek "Hips" Henklemen, Brian "Barnes " Minish, and Craig "Zammer " Zamzow logged big minutes, made big plays. One however may have questioned Craig "Zammer " Zamzow's choice of move on a penalty shot. Having perfected the "Malik " move to near mastery he left teammates bewildered on his less than impressive "Genoway" wannabe move. One teammate and close personal friend was quoted " Jesus, if he tries that move again, he better sharpen his fucking skates and lose 30 lbs."
Merry Christmas and all the best in 2008 !

Merry Christmas SVCU style...

The annual "Christmas Inter Squad Skate and Feast" once again proved to be highly entertaining. Mike "Smitty " Smith and Marvin "Wall" Clarkson drafted 18 well conditioned athletes into "Team White and "Team Black". Clarkson, donning on the pads for team Black, was quoted "This is going to be a piece of cake". Jumping out to a quick 2-0 lead, it seemed if Clarkson's sentiments would ring true. Brian "Scoop" Gilroy, making his season debut, potted 2 goals, and was skating with the ease of an 18 year old. However, the Wall began to shake, and eventually came crashing down, as team White fought back and skated away with a 3-2 victory. Also skating with team Black was Chay Genoway ( on loan over the holidays from his parent club "The UND Fighting Sioux"), and Evan "Man Boy" Morden from the Swan Valley Bantam Stampeders. Skating with team White from the Bantam Stamps , Tanner "Kid" McDonald was caught looking at his pretty skates , and received a "Merry Christmas elbow Son ", delivered with perfection. Post game festive celebrations followed and a good game of cards rounded out the evening... Merry Christmas !!!!

Hockey Night with "Hips" Henklemen.....

"An Impressive Debut..."

A recent call up from "The Black Aces" Marvin "Sniper" Clarkson potted five goals in a 13 - 4 romp over the Kenville Flyer's. If there was any doubt to Clarkson's rust or game conditioning, the double shifting center men let his numbers do the talking. In fact , Clarkson was later quoted " I felt good out there tonight, so good in fact , that I think I just may be interested in adding some "distance running" into my off season dry land training program next year." Also have a strong offensive showing was Warren "New Guy" Clark. The shifty right winger racked up a hat trick. The defensive trio of Blaine "Soupy" Campbell, Derek "Hips" Henklemen and Brian "Barnzee" Minish , once again provided stellar defence and a superb transition game. Mike "Smitty" Smith shut down what little threat the Flyer's posed. Gary "Duke" Kennedy playing like a twenty year old, pulled a few moves that may not have been seen since the thirties. Showing that he hasn't forgotten the move that brought home the cup, Jeremy "O.T. Kid" Gray snapped a rocket under the cross bar. SVCU's annual "Christmas Turkey and Skate" will be held next Wednesday. Rumour has it that current "Black Aces" Brian "Scoop" Gilroy and Jayson "Stripes" Ryden may be ready to make the jump to the parent club. Only time will tell.

Bar Tending Santas......

In keeping with a festive season tradition, once again two Bar tending Santas from the S.V.C.U. Old Tymer's Hockey club provided their expertise to the staff of the SVCU Credit Union at their annual Christmas party. Despite the bitter cold temps., a hearty crowd of 80 or so, gathered Friday night at the Big Woody Hall. Sensing the crowd needed a little loosening up, the Bar tending Santas knew that Spicy Caesar's and Velvety Smooth Paralyzers would be welcome libations. Following a superb turkey dinner with all the fixings, prepared by infamous Vernice Eggie and staff, M.I.A . defence men and part time banker Craig "Zammer" Zamzow got the crowd participating in the annual Christmas Olympic Games. Other notable celebrities seen smooshing about were none other than SVCU defensive stand out Blaine "Soupy" Campbell and well known Philanthropist and General Manager Mel Edmunds . A relaxing and enjoyable evening was had by all, and as always , two new Bar tending Santas will be ready to pressed into action next year.

That will make Five...

In an up tempo game, SVCU skated to a 9 to 6 victory over the Swan Valley Outlaws. Once again Defence played a key role in securing their fifth straight win. Gary "Duke" Kennedy was recorded as having 8 shots on goal, capitalizing on one. Derek "Hips" Henklemen provided some scoring from the back end tallying 2 markers. Warren "Wheels " Gray , logging some major minutes on the blue line, broke up countless Outlaw rushes. Chris "Lanks" Zamzow also seeing action on the blue line found the back of the net twice. Warren "New Guy" Clark posted on the blue line, played a solid two way game. Mike "Smitty " Smith kept the Outlaws at bay, coming up with the big save time after time. SVCU will try to extend their streak to Six next Wednesday night when they host the Kenville Flyer's.

Four in a Row...

S.V.C.U. Old Tymer's kept their winning streak alive at four , with a 7-4 win over the R.C.M.P. After a shaky start, S.V.C.U. found themselves down 2-0 just minutes into the game. A tremendous glove hand save by Mike "Smitty " Smith shifted the games momentum . Rob "Energizer" McDonald opened the scoring for S.V.C.U. on a perfect feed from Blaine " Soupy " Campbell. Within minutes the score was notched, and by the time Chris " Lanks " Zamzow returned to the bench from a skate repair, S.V.C.U. was up by one. Veteran left winger Barry "Shooter " Eggie had a a very strong performance notching two goals and assisting on one other. Warren "Wheels" Gray found open daylight all night , only to fire shot after shot over the opposing goal. Jeff "Skinny " Knight, skating on new blades, found his game in the second period, scoring a beaut himself. The back end was once again solid as a rock. A true test of S.V.C.U. 's moxy, will be had next Wednesday night as they host the Swan Valley Outlaws.

One for The Rookies...

This One's For Barry, Duke, and The Golden Vet...

Three in a Row...

Skating to a 5-3 win over Swan River Raider's , S.V.C.U. extended their winning streak to three . Sporting a "full" bench , S.V.C.U. pressed rookie Raider goalie Josh Hohn all night long. As a late minute call up from the Parkland Rangers AAA Midget Hockey Club, Hohn came up big time after time, keeping the Raider's in the game. Credit Union's blue line played an outstanding transition game, capitalizing on turn overs, jumping in on countless odd man rushes. Sophomore Defense men Derek "Hips" Henklemen carried the mail more times than a city of Winnipeg Postie, leaving defensive partner Blaine "Soupy" Campbell wondering what side of the ice he should play. A welcome return to the line up, Warren "Wheels" Gray gave the break away threat that was sadly missing the previous game. T.S.N. Turning point of the game came when Jeremy "O.T. Kid" Gray roof daddied a snap shot under the cross bar. S.V.C.U. will try to continue their winning streak next Wednesday when they play host to the Swan River R.C.M.P.

The "Magnificent Seven" ....

Icing no less than seven skaters, S.V.C.U. Old Tymer's handed Swan River Action their second straight loss in less than a week. . In a game that saw S.V.C.U. play the trap to near perfection, and capitalizing on their scoring opportunities, the Old Tymer's easily skated to a 12-5 win. . Playing an estimated 58 minutes, defense men Brian "Barnes " Minish was once again solid on the blue line. Pressed into action on the back end, it was quite evident that Rob "Energizer" McDonald was in over his head. Adding a new dimension, his "stay at home " tactics many of his teammates confused. An unnamed source was quoted as saying " If I hear McDonald use "the I have no edge or blade "excuse for not crossing over the red line, one more time, I think I'm going to run him ! " The forward combinations of Kennedy - Gray - Morden - Bowles , executed the dump and chase game flawlessly. And of course Mike "Smitty" Smith stood tall between the pipes, denying Action shooters all night long. Looking for more depth on the bench, S.V.C.U . will host Swan River Raider's Wednesday Night.

Mike "Smitty" Smith stabilizes S.V.C.U....

Coming off a week and a half lay off, Mike "Smitty " Smith back stopped the S.V.C.U. Old Tymer's to a 10 - 4 victory over Swan River Action. Foiling opposition shooter's from close in , controlling rebounds with ease, Smitty single handily helped restore the confidence and order that was sadly missing in the previous outing. Derek " Tape to Tape " Henkleman made his season debut, shoring up that all important fourth D-man position. It was quite obvious that his off-season training and extra curricular activities, have helped him maintain his high level of fitness and stamina. Partnered up with veteran defence men Blaine "Soup" Campbell , the young Henklemen gave us a flash back to the past, emulating the passing prowess of his father, former S.V.C.U. all-star defence men Lorne "Hugs" Henkelmen. Garry "Duke " Kennedy, having one of his best games this season, ended up with the Gordie Howe Hat trick. His ability to intimidate opponents all night long, put him on the score sheet for two goals, two helpers, and four pims. Chris "lanks" Zamzow put in a strong third period. Shaking the rust from his legs, he had countless scoring chances. Now if he could only find a cure for the cement in his hands, and share it with teammate Rob "wrong turn" McDonald. Also making his season debut was Barry "Shooter" Eggie. The veteran line of Eggie, Gray, and Knight moved the puck around with the precision and control of a heart surgeon. At times they had a little to much "Finnish" and not enough finish. Action will have a chance to redeem themselves as both teams tangle again Monday night in the corral.

Just Plain Ugly.......

Coming off back to back wins, S.V.C.U. Old Tymer's decided it was time to take a page out of the Toronto Maple Leaf play book. What could at best be described as a less than Lacklustre performance, S.V.C.U. allowed a Heinz 57 team to come in and give them a sound beating. Rick "Red Light Raccicot " Reich was thrown into action and despite riding a very long winning streak, found himself battling the puck all night long. To his credit , his stand up style had on occasion stymied opposition shooters, as well as his teammates. One bright spot , in this dull sullen affair, was the play of Tanner "Kid" McDonald. A unnamed source was quoted , " kid can skate like the wind, but maybe he should try it with the puck. I did admire his grit and intensity, not sure about the "wife beater" though." After a few moments of reflection in the dressing room after this loss, veteran defence men Craig "Zammer" Zamzow summed it " Boys, we'll get over it, the sun will rise tomorrow morning ! Hey Rob grab me a beer will ya !"

More Tourney Tidbits....

S.V.C.U. OldTymer's extend their winning streak....

In what could be described as their best defensive outing this year, S.V.C.U. won a tight checking game against a much younger Swan River Raider hockey club 5-3 Sunday night . Once again running a short bench, which was missing the likes of Warren Gray and Jeff Knight, arguably two of the top snipers on the team, S.V.C.U. relied on a solid team defensive effort. At times , this type of play seemed to confuse the younger , faster Raider players. Veteran all-star defence men Blaine "Soupy" Campbell and Craig "Zammer " Zamzow logged their usual 58 plus minutes each, breaking up countless rushes, and sending head high clearing passes to breaking forwards. The dynamic duo also had a very strong offensive showing, accounting for three of the five S.V. C. U. goals. Rookies Chris Zamzow and Aaron Goethe had strong debuts. Chris had the the pleasure of filling in as the third D-man. and was overheard on the bench saying "I don't think I'm gonna puke, my wind is fine now, but my legs are toast." Lugging 40 plus minutes in his first game may have been a little to much to ask of the young fella. Rookie Aaron Goethe was the spark veteran line mates Dennis "Surgeon" Bowles and Gary "Duke" Kennedy were looking for. Leaving the tireless Goethe to handle all fore checking and back checking assignments, Kennedy and Bowles concentrated on hacking and wacking in front of the Raider goal all night. The McDonald Morden Gray line were not to be held scoreless as Jeremy "O.T. Kid" Gray found the back of the net early in the second period. Mike "Smitty" Smith was exceptionally sharp between the pipes, handling many close range shots with ease, once again showing that his expertise is not limited to his "Green " keeping abilities at the Swan River Golf and Country club.

S.V.C.U. Old Tymer's Bounce Back .....

The S.V.C.U. Old Tymer's avenged a 10-8 home opener loss with a masterful 11-5 road win in Hudon Bay on Sunday night. Returning to the line up was veteran defence man Barnes who immediately showed the results of an off season running program. He walked right in with the two other D-men , Soupy and Zammer, showing mid-season form in this his first skate of the year. Jeff " Skinny " Knight had a brilliant offensive showing netting 6 of the goals himself. The trio of Knight -Gray- Kennedy had the Bay Boys reeling in their own end for much of the game. The McDonald- Morden- Gray combination also had a strong outing, giving S.V.C.U an early 2- 0 lead. Smitty once again was solid between the pipes, shutting down shooters all night long. Warren Gray , skating on a pair of loaner skates, never missed a stride, and of course one cannot overlook the commitment of veteran defencemen Craig Zamzow, who once again took one for the team.

SVCU Old Tymer's Drop Season Home Opener...

In front of an ethusiastic crowd of four, the S.V.C.U. Old Tymer's lost 10 -8 to the Hudson Bay Old Bulls. S.V.C.U. came out of the gates fast opening up a 5-1 lead. However, the Old Bulls , who are a well disiplinced, hard working team from the Gap, never threw in the towel. Notching a few qiuck goals had the Old Bulls right back in the game. As the game wore on, it became very apparent that the 'Summer of Celebration" had finally caught up to the boys. Trading goals back and forth, the Old Bulls finally opened up a insurmountable three goal lead. A late come back fell short leaving the S.V.C.U. Old Tymer's questiong their off season antics. Game two of the home and home series resumes Sunday Night in Hudson Bay.

C.U. Oldtymer's Training Camp down in numbers....

For the first time in franchise history, the Swan Valley C.U. Old Tymer's opened training camp as the defending champions. A less than stellar turn out for the one evening camp, left some veteran's wondering if the post Championship celebration had been taken to the extreme. Many of the veteran players or better put , all returning vets were in anything but game shape. It was quite obvious that the strict off season dry land training regime that helped get this organization to the top, was shunned in favour of a more relaxed off season of long hours on the links or ball diamond followed by endless hours of over indulging in high carb refreshments. Time will tell if this type training will reap the same benefits ??

N.H.L.er Chris Chelios tells all about former C.U. Old Tymer's coach in an exclusive interview.....

Rex the Golden Vet

A tribute to the Golden Vet .....

More Tourney Tidbits.....

The 32nd annual Credit Union OldTymers hockey tournament was a smashing success as 12 teams competed for top honours.
This year’s A-side final was between Swan Valley Credit Union (SVCU) and Flin Flon when the SVCU scored two goals early in the first period.
The SVCU held their lead into the third period, but Flin Flon picked up speed and in the last six minutes of the game scored two goals making the score 2-2.
The game then went into overtime and SVCU forward Jeremy Gray ( O.T. Kid) scored the winning goal in overtime bringing the SVCU to 3-2.
“This is the first time I know, and I’ve been with the team for 30 years, that the A-side final has gone into overtime,” said SVCU team spokesperson Brian Minish. “Last year we lost to Flin Flon in the A-side final and this year we beat them. So it was pretty special.”
In the B-side final Hamiota faced off against Kenville and in the end Kenville won, beating Hamiota 7-4.
The C-side final came down to the Raiders up against Gladstone and in the end the Raiders beat them 7-4 claiming victory for the C-side final.
While there was one team who backed out of the competition on March 26, organizers were able to find a replacement.
“We were searching for a team and we were able to get Birtle in and so that was nice,” said Minish.
He also noted this is one of the longest running old timers hockey tournaments in the province.
“Some of the teams have been coming to this tournament just about every year,” said Minish.
“Gladstone has been here every year, they maybe missed one or two years.”
Teams keep coming back every year because they have a great time.
“Everybody had fun and nobody got hurt bad so it went very well,” said Minish. “And the guys are pretty happy.”

Better late than Never.......Credit Union Oldtymer's visit UND Fighting Sioux December 2006....

Up and Running.......

Welcome to the the new Credit Union OldTymer's Blog. We hope you will check us out on a regular basis, and we are open to all comments and questions. Don't forget to check out our original site, that unfortunately will no longer be updated. You can check that site out by following the CU link under links..........Videos that Rock should be just what the Doctor Ordered....... Oh Yeah , I forgot , We are the champions !!!! Check out our tourney photos.......