Dan Falloon
After leading the Muskies into battle against the International Falls Broncos for 13 years, Terry Ogden knows a little bit about the rivalry between the two teams.
“It goes back to the initial year of the Muskie program, 1964-65,” noted Ogden, who coached Fort High for 18 years before stepping down in 1997.
“And then there was a little bit of a hiatus. . . . it’s been going again since 1984.”
Now Ogden will be able to relive the games his teams played over the years as alumni from each program will face off at 5 p.m. on Boxing Day at the Ice For Kids Arena.
“This year’s a first for the alumni rivalry,” noted Ogden. “We’re hoping to keep it 30-and-over.
“We think that there are enough old boys around that we can handle that,” he added.
The alumni game used to be played between the current Muskie squad and graduates, and traditionally was played on Boxing Day until it was shelved earlier this decade.
“This is the revival of an alumni game in a different format, and I know some of the younger guys would be itching to get out there,” admitted Ogden.
“But if this follows though, they’ll get their crack at it. They’ll be 30 someday,” he reasoned.
In terms of the Muskies’ roster, Ogden expects that with the 30-and-over age limit, many of the players will be from his reign as coach.
The first three players to officially dust off their skates were Derek and Kirk Nelson, and Chris McKinnon.
“I think the Falls is going with speed,” said Ogden. “I wouldn’t say we’re starting with speed. We’re starting with hulk.
“But this is a no-contact game,” he chuckled.
Ogden has since beefed up his roster with former snipers Wayne Strachan and Rustyn Dolyny, and thinks there will be plenty of lamp-lighting from both sides.
“There’s going to be a few goals. I don’t think I’d want to be playing goal here.
“I shouldn’t say that for our goalies’ sake,” Ogden laughed.
Neil Cooper and Jimmy Armstrong are slated to be the goalies for the Muskie alumni squad.
Jon Cooper and Darwin Woods will join the Nelson on defence, with Shane Bliss, Pat Cross, Jason Smith, Trevor Oltsher, Jeff Wright, and Chris Wielinga as the other forwards.
As of yesterday morning, Ogden had room for five more players on the roster. Those interested can contact him at home (274-5195).
McKinnon, who played both forward and defence in his time at Fort High, said the home-and-home exhibition games against International Falls could overshadow even the playoffs.
“Playing the Broncos was always a big game,” he recalled. “The years I played, we were always pretty close. We never got blown out, or vice-versa.
“No matter what, that was the biggest game of the year,” McKinnon stressed. “Playoffs were big, but when you played the Broncos, that was your highlight of the year.
“The hair would stand up on the back of your neck.
“You could go over to the Falls and they could be on a 10-game losing streak, but you had that Muskie-Bronco rivalry and it was a game,” he added.
McKinnon explained the effect of the Bronco game wasn’t just felt for an evening as it helped to set up the dressing-room ladder for years to come.
“You used to get stars on the back of your helmet for certain games, and one of them was the Bronco game,” McKinnon noted. “You look at the back of the helmet for a guy who had played for a couple of years, he’d have a dozen stars or 14 stars, and that was kind of your ranking in the dressing room in a way.”
McKinnon also felt the competitiveness between the Muskies and Broncos was always friendly, not like in some of today’s classic match-ups.
“In our era, like you see now where there are fights in the crowds, it wasn’t like that,” he recalled. “It was just more of a healthier rivalry.
“I wouldn’t say there was a bunch of trash talking,” he added. “There were physical games, fast games.
“There was a big difference at that time,” McKinnon continued. “They were playing on the big surface over there, and we were playing on the small surface, so the games here were usually a little more physical and the games on the other side were a little quicker.”
He also figured the Broncos were one of the biggest draws of the season in terms of attendance, which set up an explosive atmosphere inside the arena.
“I would say the Bronco games brought in 700-1,000 people. It was a full house. It was standing room only,” said McKinnon.
“When you hit the ice and the fans are yelling and there’s a big rivalry, whether it was on this side or it was on the other side, it was a rush.”
McKinnon’s most memorable rivalry moment came courtesy of a break-out performance from his teammate.
“I think it was Rustyn Dolyny’s first year and it would have been my last year [1992],” he noted. “He came out and he scored three goals—a hat trick to win us the game.
“That was kind of his crowning moment, and Rustyn went on to play semi-pro hockey.”
While thinking back to his high school days, McKinnon remembered there was parity among the NorWOSSA teams and an entertaining game was a near-guarantee.
“It was always good rivalries. The games were close,” he said. “High school hockey has always been a little pocket here in Northwestern Ontario that the high school teams were strong and the rivalries were strong and the teams were good.
“When you would go in there on a Tuesday night, there wouldn’t be an empty seat,” he added. “As a kid, as a high school athlete, it was incredible, it was a rush.
“Just to play as a Muskie hockey player in that tradition was really something you really strived for.
“You wore your jacket with pride, and you walked around town and you were proud of what you did.”
In terms of this Saturday’s showdown, McKinnon anticipates another classic is in the making.
“We’re not worried that we’re going to blow these guys out or that we’re going to get blown out, but I think it’s probably going to be a pretty close game like it always was,” he remarked.
“Hopefully, we get a lot of people out to see us old guys skate around.
“The U.S., for some reason, they seemed to be better skaters,” added McKinnon. “That was something that seemed to be more ingrained in their program.”
Ogden agreed with his former player’s assessment—and doesn’t anticipate the Broncos have lost much of an edge.
“They’ve always produced good skaters,” Ogden said. “They’ve got a lot of guys playing in their Sunday night league and we’ve heard they’re going to be good.”
The coach expects the Muskies of the present will be a little more revved up on the ice for their game with the Falls at 3 p.m. on Boxing Day, but expects the juice will be flowing by the time his charges take to the ice.
“I think for the current Muskies, it’s a big game,” Ogden remarked. “I think for the old Muskies, it’ll be more of a reunion of sorts.
“They’re older, but I don’t think they’ve lost the competitive edge,” he stressed. “There’ll be some.
“Yeah, it’ll be competitive.”
