Hockey's holy grail is coming to Abbotsford on Monday.
Scott Bradley, a longtime Abbotsford resident who serves as the Boston Bruins' director of player personnel, is bringing the Stanley Cup to his hometown.
Bradley's Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks in a thrilling seven-game final series, and Bradley is believed to be the first person from Abbotsford to have his name inscribed on the Cup.
On Monday afternoon, between 2:30 and 6:30 p.m., the trophy will be made available to the public at The Baron Bar and Grill (1266 Tower St.). For a minimum donation of $10 to Miracle Flights for Kids Canada – a charity which supplies low-income sick children with flights for medical treatment in distant locations – people can have their picture taken with the Cup. Individuals can use their own camera, or for a small additional charge, an on-site professional photographer sponsored by Belfor Canada will provide a glossy print.
FERGUSON ON THE RADAR
Austin Ferguson of Abbotsford has been shortlisted for Team Pacific for the World U17 Hockey Challenge.
Ferguson, a forward, registered a team-high 17 goals and 20 assists for 37 points in 40 games with the Fraser Valley Bruins of the B.C. Major Midget League last season. He was selected in the 10th round of the 2010 WHL bantam draft by the Kelowna Rockets.
The World U17 Hockey Challenge runs Dec. 29 to Jan. 4 in Windsor, Ont. The 23 B.C. players on the short list will continue to be evaluated with their club teams until mid-November, at which point 11 will be selected to join the top players from Alberta to form Team Pacific.
WHITECAPS HOSTING CAMP
Vancouver Whitecaps FC is running a "Play like a Pro" summer camp in Abbotsford next week.
The camp runs Aug. 15-19 at DeLair Park. Led by former Whitecaps players Carl Valentine and Sam Lenarduzzi, the camps are an excellent way for kids from U6 to U14 to develop their soccer skills and have fun. A few current Whitecaps players will visit the campers on the final day of the week.
More info on the camps is available at http://club.whitecapsfc.com/youth/camps/
BLAZE SWEEP SELECTS
The Langley Senior Blaze swept a trio of games against the B.C. Selects at DeLair Park on the weekend.
On Saturday evening, the Blaze beat the Selects 5-1 behind a strong outing from pitcher Shawn Schaefer, who pitched four innings to earn the win. Andrew Bell hit two home runs for Langley, while former Abbotsford Cardinal Brad Ferraro also collected a hit.
The Blaze went on to sweep a Sunday doubleheader by scores of 6-4 and 3-1.
The Selects roster features a trio of current Cardinals players – third baseman Brandon Todoruk, pitcher Matt Forsythe and outfielder Tyler Krahn – and they were using the games against the Blaze as a warm-up for the Baseball Canada Cup, a 17-and-under championship in Moncton, N.B. this week.
LOCALS EXCEL AT PICKLEBALL TOURNEY
Local teams showed well at the second annual Abbotsford Pickleball Tournament, held last month at Abbotsford Recreation Centre.
The duo of Rhys Martel and Mike Shepherd won silver in the men's doubles under-55 category, while Elaine Griffiths and Kathy Parkes (ladies doubles 55-plus) and George Pool and Ganbat Tsend (men's doubles under-55) won bronze.
Pickleball, a racquet sport that combines elements of badminton and tennis, is said to be one of the fastest-growing sports in North America.