Collingwood’s Junior A Blues stirs team rivalries and a community’s love of the game.
by Roger Klein // photography by Nathan Bedard & Roger Klein
It’s a scenario that was bound to stir the souls of hockey fans in Collingwood. The Collingwood Blues were the top team in their division and the visiting Georgetown Raiders were riding high on an extended winning streak. The Junior A hockey matchup was the biggest ticket in town and the game would take place on a Friday night at Collingwood’s very own ice palace, the Eddie Bush Memorial Arena.
Anchored in the heart of downtown, the Eddie Bush was built on the heels of the Second World War. Its riveted steel girders and steeply sloped concrete steps give it the overall ambiance of a mini Maple Leaf Gardens. Recently renovated, there are nearly a thousand seats, and there’s room for more people along the back railings where decades of blood, sweat and tears are buried under layers of enamel paint. A large, modern scoreboard hanging over centre ice gives the arena a big-league feel.
This is home turf for the Collingwood Blues and the grassroots support for the hockey team is second-to-none in the league, according to Blues head coach Andrew Campoli.
“There’s something different in Collingwood, there’s a buzz that hasn’t been created in junior hockey for quite some time.”
Campoli says it’s the first time in the limelight for many of the young players.
“When you get the kids asking for high fives, kids waiting an hour after games for autographs, that’s something you really don’t see at this level. For these guys it’s an experience they may never see again if their career doesn’t happen after junior hockey. While they are here, they really enjoy it,” said Campoli. “We are thankful for our fans.”
Beyond the cheers from the stands, it’s evident that the community is heavily invested in the Blues. The boards, seats and walls of the arena are plastered with ads from local businesses.
Local business owner Cliff Hollinshead takes his support beyond sponsorship and billets Blues forward number 44 Mark McIntosh.
“Without billet families we wouldn’t have a team in Collingwood because there would simply be nowhere for the players to stay,” said Hollinshead.
He says McIntosh is part of the family. “He’s just like one of our boys. We know his family well and his family has stayed at our house and we’ve gone and seen them. It’s a rewarding experience for anyone who is thinking of doing it.”
With ongoing community support, the Blues organization has everything it needs for success. But delivering a win on game night ultimately rests on the players’ shoulders. Blues captain Cameron Garvey, number 91, likes the team’s chances.
“We got serious goals this year, and I think we’ve got a really good shot to win the championships,” Garvey said.
On this particular night, the Blues were playing the Georgetown Raiders. It’s a team the Blues beat once earlier in the season, but the Raiders came prepared to weather the storm.
“We want to play with the top teams and keep moving up, so this is a good test to see where we are at,” said Raiders head coach Shawn Snider. The Raiders centre, Andrew Della Rovere, hoped to take the game from Collingwood.
“It would show the guys in the league that we are a contender in our division,” Della Rovere said.
It was standing room only at the Eddie Bush as the two teams faced off. The players on both sides carry the hopes and aspirations of their communities on their shoulders. Big games like this are also an opportunity for players to prove themselves on an individual basis as they work towards a college scholarship or a career in the big leagues. The Blues aim their development efforts toward American universities.
“What our program focuses on is pushing guys to the NCAA because it allows them to play four years of school and get an education and then continue their career,” says head coach Campoli.
“Win or lose, hockey night in Collingwood is always entertaining. “You won’t find anything better.”
“It’s about getting them fired up, it’s about getting them on the edge and playing with a bit more consistency and let’s call it grit and determination,” Campoli later explained.
Campoli said the Blues weren’t being beaten on systems—it was work ethic—so he did his best to stir the team’s pot of emotions. Blues captain Cameron Garvey led the charge, scoring in the third period. Mark McIntosh and Aiden Dooley also scored, but the Blues ran out of time to catch up.
It was the first loss at home and only the third loss of the season but it struck a nerve with the Blues. Fortunately, there’s plenty of hockey left in the season and the Blues will get a chance for redemption against the Raiders on Friday, March 3.
“Every game is important but that one is going to be circled on the calendar,” Campoli said. “They got the best of us early on in the game. For us, we like to fight back and push back, so we will have that one circled come March.”
That game is also scheduled at the Eddie Bush Memorial Arena. Win or lose, hockey night in Collingwood is always entertaining, says Terry Geddes, board chair of the Blues.
“It’s just a really fun place to be on a Friday night or a Saturday afternoon. You won’t find anything better.”
