Saskatchewan saw the return of sports to full capacity in 2022 as the province prepared to host some of the most exciting national events.
However, the year started with more COVID-19 hiccups as the Western Hockey League (WHL) delayed the return of the season after the break due to a spike in cases. The league would finally return in mid-January.
In February, Mosaic Stadium hosted a historic outdoor curling match between Team Koe and Team Dunstone. The event was organized as part of “Curling Day in Canada”. The match was delayed due to weather which created challenges during the game.
Across the pond, Saskatchewan athletes were represented on Team Canada at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Sixteen athletes had ties to Saskatchewan, while six were born here. As for the gear they brought home: Emily Clark of Saskatoon won a gold medal in women’s hockey, Mark McMorris of Regina added to his snowboarding legacy with a bronze medal in the event men’s slopestyle and Ben Coakwell of Regina also won a bronze medal in category four. men’s bobsleigh event.
Success on the world stage continued as The Rebel’s Cheerleading -Team Smoke, based in Regina, became the first team from Saskatchewan to win a world championship.
Spring also meant that the WHL season was drawing to a close. The Regina Pats failed to qualify for the playoffs, but phenom Connor Bedard still managed to become the youngest 50-goal scorer in league history and recorded 100 points over the course of his 16-year-old season.
Meanwhile, the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) was a battle for bragging rights in the final series. The Estevan Bruins were set to host the Centennial Cup this year and had already booked a berth in the national tournament, but the Bruins wanted to prove they had done it and took the Flin Flon Bombers to a seven-game series in the SJHL Championship. The Bruins eventually came out on top, which ended in a 23-year franchise drought.
The Flin Flon Bombers and Estevan Bruins made it to this year’s Centennial Cup, but neither team would go very far. The Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) won the national title on Saskatchewan soil.
As hockey closed its doors, football opened its doors. However, not without some speed bumps, as the Canadian Football League (CFL) and players’ association struggled to reach a timely negotiation agreement. The move forced the Roughriders to postpone some of their pre-season action. It wasn’t the only game that should have been postponed. The Riders would have one of the biggest COVID-19 outbreaks of the season in July, which forced several players to sit out a delayed game against the Toronto Argonauts. The game then saw third-string quarterback Jake Dolegala make his first CFL start.
The COVID-19 outbreak was just one of many setbacks to the Riders season. Defensive lineman Garrett Marino made national headlines when he received the biggest suspension in CFL history for antics and a low blow against Ottawa Redblacks quarterback Jeremiah Masoli . Marino was then released by the Riders in September.
The summer also saw one of sport’s biggest trophies make its way around the province as members of the 2022 Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche with Saskatchewan roots each had their day with Lord Stanley: Ryan Murray (White City), Jared Bednar (Yorktown / Humboldt), Darcy Kuemper (Saskatoon) and Josh Manson (Prince Albert).
Meanwhile, a different kind of football invaded the Mosaic Stadium as Saskatchewan hosted a football friendly match between England’s Sunderland AFC and Toronto FC II.
Fall football returned as a major feat for a few Saskatchewan teams. The Regina Thunder of the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) went undefeated in their regular season, but ultimately lost the national championship to the Okanagan Sun at home. However, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies found success defending their Hardy Cup title in a 23-8 win over the UBC Thunderbirds.
The Roughriders continued to struggle despite starting the season with a 4-1 record. The team finished with a dismal 6-12 record and failed to qualify for the playoffs in a year when Regina was scheduled to host the Gray Cup. It also left the team wondering who would be the team’s quarterback in 2024. The poor season was capped by the release of several members of the offensive coaching staff in early November.
Even though the Gray Cup game didn’t feature the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the city was buzzing as Regina hosted several big events and festivities for the 2022 Gray Cup. The grand finale saw the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Argonauts of Toronto face off at Mosaic Stadium. The Argonauts lifted the coveted trophy after a narrow 24-23 victory in what has been dubbed by many as one of the best Gray Cup games of all time.
Regina is getting used to hosting major events as it was announced in December that the Queen City will once again host the Brier at the Brandt Center in 2024.
But before we take on the world of sport in 2024, we need to catch all the action in 2024. Cheers to another year of great talent, success and hospitality from Saskatchewan.
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