Gerard Halfyard was on a mission.
The Trenton resident and his daughter Sierra showed up early at the Pictou County Wellness Centre. Rocking a vintage Team Canada jersey (Jarome Iginla’s name on the back), he had a red maple leaf painted on his skull by one of the kids in the Wellness Centre lobby, along with a #40, the jersey number Blayre Turnbull will wear tonight when Team Canada plays the U.S.
“It’s pretty exciting that someone from Pictou County is playing for Team Canada in the Olympics,” he said. “it’s an exciting moment that doesn’t happen very often.”
Halfyard is a Calgary Flames fan. Because the Flames are usually on television later at night, he sometimes wakes his kids up during games “yelling at the TV,” Sierra said.
Upstairs at the PCWC, two large screens were set up to view the big game (11:10 p.m. start time) and by 10 p.m. the tables and chairs were starting to be filled.
Earlier, about a dozen Junior A Crushers skated with about 60 kids, part of the night’s activities.
The word people keep using is ‘inspiration.’
Jodi Matlock lives not far from where Turnbull grew up.
“Blayre is an inspiration for any young athlete, from any small town,” she said, as she took a break from skating around the Wellness Centre ice surface.
Emma MacLeod and Jana Cameron had some tests to write at school tomorrow.
The studying had to wait. This game is too big to miss.
“She’s like, a big inspiration,” says Jana, who plays with the Bantam A Selects female hockey team.
“It’s pretty cool that she’s in the Olympics. I hope one day to go as far as she did.”
Emma plays with the Peewee A and attends Dr. W.A. MacLeod school in Riverton.
“I have a test tomorrow,” she said. “Social studies, on Louis Riel.”
* * *
There aren’t many empty seats upstairs at the PCWC, as they get set to drop the puck in South Korea. The crowd here cheered when Team Canada hit the ice. There are close to 200 people here, although some of the younger ones are starting to wind down early.
* * *
The fans here just went nation-wide, when CBC cut to the PCWC after a commercial break. A CBC employee directed the fans to whoop it up.
* * *
Canada just had an apparent goal disallowed. Good call by the referee, but the PCWC’s celebration went quiet real fast.
* * *
Interviewed Brent Turnbull during the first intermission. He’s been keeping in contact with his sister during the Games, and said she’s been going to other events such as figure skating, and is “soaking up the experience,” he said. “She’s living her dream.
“It’s nice to see all the people here, supporting her.”
* * *
A big cheer, as Canada scored a power play goal. Meghan Agosta got the goal, 1-0 Canada.
Canada scored again with five minutes left in the second period – 2-0 on Sarah Nurse’s goal.
* * *
Half-minute into the third and U.S.A. just cut the Canadian lead to 2-1. An audible groan just went up at the PCWC, where the crowd has thinned out (but there are still 70 or 80 people here).
* * *
CBC just gave a little more air-time to the PCWC die-hards still here at almost 1:30 a.m. (2:30 p.m. in South Korea).
* * *
After some hair-raising moments in the last 90 seconds, Blayre Turnbull and Team Canada hang on. 2-1 final. Big cheers at PCWC.
