A Loonie For Your Thoughs

Thirty years ago, today - the day before Canada Day (speaking of, check back tomorrow!) - The one dollar coin in Canada was first minted. This created a two year window between 1987 and 1989 where both a one dollar bill and coin overlapped. Now, they are practically a staple of daily life.

All because of a request by hockey's greatest player who knew a gentleman on the ice-making crew for the Salt Lake Winter Olympics in 2002 from the then-Skyreach Centre in Edmonton. Once the "Lucky Loonie" (now in Hockey's hall in Toronto) helped win both the women regain their crown from the US and the men win to end a fifty year gold drought, it's popularity went from mixed reviews to everybody's buddy. But what if it were simply a ten-cent coin, there might not be such an enthusiasm but it almost happened until it was replaced by the loonie upon the dime being lost when the ice-making process was in progress.

But in design, it is a hendecagon in technicality that almost had a different design on the back, one of a voyageur boat with two rowers. This is being minted for the very first time as a part of the thirtieth anniversary celebration of the loonie. In association with tomorrow's festivities, one can even find a "glow-in-the-dark"  Canada 150 loonie for purchase. All of this, though expensive for the non-coin collector, can be found through the Canadian mint.

Once again, sports are the real ties that bind.

-Ricky

Six-On-Six: The Drama to End All Dramas

Last night, I witnessed on live stream something I have never seen before in that magnitude of an event. Enter Game 2 of the NLL Champions Cup Final, 15 seconds to play. The Georgia Swarm, up 1-0 in a best of three, have their goalie pulled to try and tie the game trailing 14-13 to the game host Saskatchewan Rush with possession after a timeout, when at the next few moments the ball is forcibly turned over. Saskatchewan immediately calls timeout when the player with the ball is double teamed at 9 seconds. As Rush head coach Derek Keenan has been known to do, they pull their goalie to make sure Georgia does not double team the ball with the Swarm being a man up. Nine seconds, left, no goalies on the floor. But Saskatchewan still has the ball. "If he does that here now, the fans in here are going to have a heart attack...he's doing it...great play but they gotta execute," said Brian Shanahan in real time during the broadcast. What happened next will live in infamy forever...

Yes, you saw it. The Rush turn it over off the restart, with an incredible save from a runner then the goal then the Swarm winner in overtime. If you decided to not watch and just read this, watch it because you’d have to see it to believe it. One of the biggest moment’s right up there with Kaleb Toth in 1999, and others. You have to feel for those fans in Minnesota that had their team taken away unjustly. It has reminiscence of the Nordiques in the NHL leaving for Colorado. But this is for the Hive. The only thing is: it should've happened while they were still in Minnesota.

-Ricky