The temperatures may have been freezing cold, but that didn’t stop the Lacombe community from coming and enjoying the many festivities featured during the Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour this past weekend.
“I think it was a big success for us,” said Community Economic Development Manager Guy Lapointe. “Anytime that we get into the national spotlight — that’s great for the community. Also, the participation — the businesses got into it, there were a number of displays in the storefronts. We heard feedback from Rogers that this is one of the best stops that they had had, too.
“I think the community getting involved, and still coming out in what was really frigid temperatures especially on the Sunday, I don’t think it dampened spirits at all. People really bought into the concept and enjoyed the weekend.”
Many residents were taking advantage of the displays and interactive events set up in the City’s downtown core.
The weekend also featured broadcast hosts Ron MacLean and Tara Slone, meet-and-greet opportunities with NHL alumni Rich Sutter and Darcy Tucker, live local entertainment and fun activities for the whole family.
“It had been awhile since Rogers had made a stop in Central Alberta so I think the number of activities they had — I think people thought that was great. And again, the non-stop entertainment that they had going on was something people responded very positively too as well.”
Having the Stanley Cup onhand for awhile was also a tremendous highlight, he said. “It was certainly a draw on Saturday for sure.
“The response from the community, from the businesses - minor hockey got a $15,000 cheque from Scotiabank - there was just a number of positive things that went along with this.’
Meanwhile, prior to arriving in Lacombe, MacLean talked about how he was anticipating a fabulous trip down memory lane during his time at Rogers Hometown Hockey.
The famed broadcaster, who hails from Red Deer, has certainly made his mark on the Canadian landscape as a polished and accomplished journalist in his own right - from those early days at CKRD when one of his tasks was doing the weather at 6 p.m.
That was way back in the early 1980s he noted during a chat from Oakville, Ontario.
Surprisingly, his whole foray into journalism wasn’t exactly a planned thing - MacLean had originally wanted to head to the University of Alberta and earn his education degree.
“What happened was when you were the noon to 4 p.m. DJ on CKRD radio — it didn’t matter who you were — you are the weather presenter on TV at 6 p.m.,” he said with a laugh. “You got off the shift at 4 p.m,. you did a few commercials and go on TV and present the weather.”
But it was key experiences like that that helped provide the foundation of a tremendously successful career in broadcasting. Interestingly, MacLean had no inkling of an impending career breakthrough that would lead to such exciting, international opportunities over the years.
“I’ve written about in my book — I’ve always been kind of stumbling along with good luck and happenstance,” he said, reflecting.
“And I always feel guilty when I do those talks at a school career day - I’m supposed to give motivational pep talks, and I always revert to this idea of how this magic wand seemed to keep hitting me on the head and driving me in new directions.
“But I ended up with a job that I enjoy — I loved hockey and I loved to watch it, too. I sort of had built my whole childhood around watching sports.
“I was an only child, so when I wasn’t out playing, I would be in my bedroom watching sports on television,” he said. “That’s how life is — I ended up stumbling into radio in Red Deer and I had no ambition to do that — I wanted to go to U of A and become a teacher.”
But through a chain of events, MacLean ended up filling in for a high school friend at CKRD.
“Then I got to be a DJ, and before you know it, I was introducing songs. That teaches you about timing — it teaches you how long a four-second intro is versus a 22 second intro.
“So when you had to craft your on-air bit, you had to mentally edit it to get a sense of time. That was such a gift for television — not even knowing at the time I would be doing television,” he said. “But I was inadvertently getting lucky and training for the career.”
For MacLean, visiting communities across the nation for events like Rogers Hometown Hockey is always a joy.
And over the years, his commitment and love for Central Alberta hasn’t dimmed one bit.
“Your heart gets really filled with appreciation for a Red Deer upbringing.”
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