Celebrating 100 years of Wilkie Outlaws hockey

If you want to see a mile-wide smile on a man, invite him to an event where he can re-unite with his former hockey teammates. The smiles and ear-to-ear grins were in full evidence in Wilkie all weekend long as the Outlaws Hockey Club celebrated their 100th anniversary July 31 and Aug. 1 and 2. Former players from over six decades of senior hockey came from as far away as Ottawa, Ont., and Vancouver Island in British Columbia.

After registering and socializing Friday evening and a day of golfing and visiting, guests attended a banquet Aug. 1. The banquet was followed by a program, for which Kevin Waugh, CTV news sportscaster, was MC.

Coaches, executive and even fans were represented at the event, with fan Shane Hosken, a Calgary native who lived in Wilkie for a few years, sending greetings from Calgary, Alta.,  along with a large metal sign he made as a gift for the hockey club. The sign was presented to current president Gerry Cey.

The large steel sign, cut with the Outlaws’ logo, their name and reading “Est. 1914” will be permanently hung at the arena. Waugh noted, “Very few sport organizations in this province … have a hundred years of history. He added, “May this steel plaque hang in these hallowed halls for another 100 years.”

Cey used to play for the Humboldt Broncos of the SJHL. Waugh, who grew up in Humboldt and started his broadcast career on the microphone in the Humboldt arena, remembered Cey and announcing “Gerry Cey in the corner …”

After greetings from Wilkie Mayor David Ziegler, Cey and organizing committee chair Wally Lorenz, Waugh brought Linda Clifford and Helena Long to the stage.

Some 40 years ago, Clifford had written a thesis on the first 60 years of the Outlaws, which was later used for a history book entitled 70 Years of Outlaw Terror. Long helped the committee put together a new book to commemorate the 100th anniversary – a reprint of 70 Years and adding details from the Outlaws’ subsequent 30 years. 100 Years of Outlaw Terror can be ordered online at wilkiestories.com/outlaw-players/.

The highlight of the evening was the “hot seats.” Waugh called for volunteers from various decades of hockey; players and executive came to the stage to talk about their hockey days and the team of their era. Memories were rekindled, anecdotes were shared and tribute paid to coaches, executive and other supporters of the team.

Art Reil, who played from 1953 to 1964, came to the stage solely to pay tribute to the late Dave Young. Young had owned the Rex Café and was an avid supporter of the Outlaws. He also served on the executive.

“If it wasn’t for Dave, I would have starved to death. He made me eat the biggest T-bone steaks in the world,” Reil said. Young was known for feeding the Outlaw players at his own expense, and feeding them well.

Mayor Ziegler was careful not to mention names for fear he would miss someone, but he “had to” make one exception – Jim “Percy” Williams. Still the team’s trainer, Williams started helping the team with their equipment in 1968. He received a standing ovation from all the past and present players, executive, coaches, fans, spouses and others in attendance.

Rudy Weber and Dale Donald talked about the 1950s, a low point for the Outlaws. The CPR Beavers played for Wilkie instead, but Weber pointed out, “it was all the same players” and it kept hockey alive in Wilkie.

Weber, who grew up in Revenue, said playing in Wilkie, in a closed-in rink, felt so luxurious, “I thought I was in the NHL.”

Donald told a story about the provincial final in 1958 in Gravelbourg, where it was the Outlaws back in action. It was a warm spring day. There was “probably about an inch and a half of water over the ice … When you carried the puck, it created a wave.”

Bruce Bradshaw, who played as an import in 1987-88 and ’88-89, was unable to attend the celebration but sent the following message.

“I had a lot of years playing at a high level of hockey but the two years in Wilkie with the Outlaws are a definite highlight. A provincial ‘A’ and a provincial ‘B’ championship those two years was incredible. The fans were awesome at home and on the road but you always play for your buddies in the dressing room and this team was one of those best ever for being a close-knit group of guys. Thanks for letting me a part of it.”

Proving the contention by past and present coaches that the Outlaws choose their imports carefully with a focus on team, a number of former imports along with players who grew up in Wilkie attended the three-day anniversary event.

Long-time player Bruce Yockey paid tribute to the people in the community who kept the team alive through some tough years in the 1990s. Rob Griffiths agreed and also acknowledged the players who stuck with the team through those years, saying “They maybe didn’t get the accolades but they still put in the same amount of time and effort.”

Without those players and the support of the community over that time period, the Outlaws wouldn’t have got to “where we could hang some more banners in this arena,” as they did in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Yockey also emphasized the importance of team for the Outlaws. “We beat teams with six, seven, eight junior ‘A’ players because we are a team,” he said.

In his concluding remarks, Waugh urged everyone to keep supporting local hockey. “Big screens are keeping people at home. It’s pretty easy to sit on the couch and watch hockey but unfortunately they’re not watching local hockey. Hockey’s an expensive business right now.”

“I don’t care if it’s junior hockey, midget AAA or senior hockey, they need you. They need you in the stands, they need you supporting … I’m really worried these 50-inches are going to kill sports,” he said.

After Waugh and his “hot seat” guests had left the stage, former and current Outlaws, their wives, fans and supporters stayed in the arena long into the night, sharing stories about victories and defeats and catching up on each other’s lives.