Among the stops I’ve made in the last week, was a visit to Ottawa.
The primary activity was to call the Attack-67’s game at the renovated Civic Centre.
Let me say this, the renovations to the broadcast area at the Centre aren’t necessarily ” upgrades “.
Regardless, as the Attack departed for Mississauga, I stayed in Ottawa with Reid-McArthur Travel, a relatively new agency in Owen Sound that specializes in unique junkets and bizarre incidents.
I don’t have nearly enough time to get into ALL of the details, but if I’m honest, I’d say the highlight of the trip was seeing former Sauble Beach resident Kendrick Nicholson make his NHL debut as a referee for the Senators-Hurricanes game at the Canadian Tire Centre.
Watching Nicholson bolt onto the ice at the start of the game was a thrill to see, and I can only imagine what a rush it was for him.
In a well officiated game, you’re not supposed to notice the ref.
We did, but only because we were specifically watching.
Maybe the Hurricanes should have been penalized on a hook, and yeah, at one point the wrong Senator momentarily ended up in the penalty box.
But overall, for an NHL debut, I’d think Kendrick Nicholson’s first NHL game as a referee had as many highlights as the Reid-McArthur Tour.
I’m Fred Wallace