Today is Canada Day! Essentially, this is functions as Canada's "birthday," when the British North America Act was enacted and unified the provinces. I learned that on Wikipedia, which as we know is infallible as a source. While this is not nearly as bada$$$$ as event that we commemorate on the United States' birthday, we here at RWD still want to recognize a holiday that's important to some folks very important to RWD.
We have had a LOT of Canadians come through the DECC and the Duluth Curling Club; 140 to be precise. I counted! But I might be off by one or two. Let me know.
Currently, UMD has 5 returning Canucks on the roster: Brady Lamb (AB), Travis Oleksuk (ON), Cody Danberg (SK), Mike Connolly (AB) and Justin Fontaine (AB). We're also adding two more Canadians this fall: Wade Bergman (AB) and Dylan Olsen (AB, although I think he was born in the U.S.). I love Canadians! They add so much to my roster. A lot of My Guys have been Canadians... I pretty much favor Canadians and Northern Minnesotans, except for Gergy and Curry. Canadians were very good for UMD last year! They scored a lot of points and won a lot of games for us (including some BIG ones in the playoffs!) Canadians scored 63 goals and had 115 assists for 178 of the 344 points the team got.
Some of UMD's most successful alumni are Canadians. In addition to the awesome guys we have on our roster, last year's superstar senior MacGregor Sharp (AB), Hobey Baker winner Lucien Lessard, Jr (QC), WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod (ON), Bulldog legend Keith "Huffer" Christiansen (ON), TV Analyst Judd Medak (BC), Bulldog daddy Bill Oleksuk (ON), former NHLers Curt Giles (MB), Pat Bouttette (ON), Norm Maciver (ON), and Glenn Resch (SK), UMD assistant coach and Hobey Baker winner Bill Watson (MB), Hall of Famer Brett Hull (BC), current NHLer Mason Raymond (AB), and most importantly, the original My Guy and all-time RWD favorite cutie pie, Evan Schwabe (SK) are ALL Canadians and important players in Bulldog history. Not that the rest of the guys aren't important.
Robby Nolan is Canadian, too. Even though he's not a Bulldog, he's still a very special person to RWD.
Happy Canada Day, everyone!!!!