NEW GLASGOW – Since 1986 Audrey Weeks has attended major midget and junior A hockey games in Pictou County after her husband Scott took on sponsoring a major midget team in the county.
After being approached to sponsor a junior B team and declining, Scott was later asked about sponsoring a major midget team, an opportunity he jumped on. Audrey said that he was always thinking about kids and how to give them the best opportunities.
“Back then in 1985 the team wasn’t a midget AAA team yet, nor were we in the league,” said Audrey. “It was mostly local boys back then and we had to play a year at the midget A level before we were granted status in the league, but after that year the program really took off.”
Although none of Audrey’s children played hockey, once Scott began sponsoring the midget team through Weeks Construction Limited, she was at the rink constantly with him to support the team. Even after Scott’s passing in 1995, Audrey was still there showing deep interest in the teams, something she still does today.
“I go because I know he would be there if he was still here,” she said. “I go for him and I know it means a lot to some of the kids that someone from our family is there and that the coaches tell them that.”
“When we started this girls didn’t play around here like they do now and my son didn’t play either, so it was completely new to us.”
Audrey said that in the early years of the team that both she and Scott would be at every home game. He would also travel to Hull every year with the team, while both would travel to the Monctonian tournament and to Atlantics when they were in Newfoundland.
“Scott always wanted to be there to support the kids and would go into the locker room and say hello to them,” she said. “He always made sure he would say positive things when he went in or wouldn’t say anything at all to them. Years after some of the players moved on we would get notes from some of the midgets thanking him for everything he did for them.”
In the summer of 1995, the Scott Weeks Celebrity Golf Tournament was started in his memory. Audrey said the tournament has been a great way to not only remember Scott, but also to help with something he believed to be so important.
“Whenever he was around the kids Scott always encouraged them to get their education and knew the value in it,” she said. “He didn’t finish school at first, but then went back to finish before starting his company and felt the boys should do that as well. When they started the golf tournament they created bursaries, three for the Midgets and two for the Crushers that can be used anywhere that the boys are furthering their education.
“It’s something Scott would love to see because it was something very important to him.”
This year was the 40th anniversary of the Weeks Construction Limited, the 26th of the Weeks Major Midgets and eighth for the Weeks Junior A Crushers. Audrey said when the company celebrated its 15th anniversary that it was a big deal, but they never thought it would still be as strong today.
“Back then I don’t think he expected the company to ever reach 15 years and I think that’s something we’ve been proud of is that both the company and hockey organization have lasted so long,” she said. “We’re the only major sponsor of a major midget and junior A team under one organization and it’s been a strong organization from day one.”
“When the Crushers moved to Pictou County I didn’t have much to do with it, but all the knowledgeable hockey people were excited to have it here and I’m sure Scott would have been heavily involved with it, so I was really happy to see all the effort put into bringing them here.”
Although the Crushers are the major team in Pictou County today, Audrey said she still enjoys watching the Major Midgets hockey just as much if not more.
“I wish they drew more than they do now and I still remember when they were the big team in town,” she said. “I really enjoy watching them play and still make sure that I support them no differently now than before the Crushers.”
In the Crushers final game in the John Brother MacDonald Stadium this week, Audrey said it was sad to think they will no longer be there after all the memories throughout the years from both teams.
“It will probably take awhile for people to get used to the move because that’s where it all happened,” she said. “Everyone will think of Major Midget or Crushers memories and for the next while those memories will be from the John Brother MacDonald Stadium. On Thursday night I saw people that weren’t there on a regular basis so you know the rink had a big impact and meant something to people.
“It’s a sad but exciting time for the Weeks organization and hopefully with the new rink they will be able to draw more fans to the games.”