
Former Regina Rams coach to be inducted into Canadian Football Hall of Fame
Frank McCrystal has announced he's retiring as head coach of the University of Regina Rams football club. (File photo)
Frank McCrystal, a former head coach of the Regina Rams who was part of seven Canadian Bowl winning teams will be inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame this year in the builders' category.
McCrystal joined the Rams as its head coach in 1984 when the team was still a part of the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL). He remained with the program through its transition to collegiate play with the University of Regina in 1999 and would stay on until his retirement following the 2014 season, which included leading the Rams to the Vanier Cup game in 2000.
During his time with the Rams, McCrystal received the Gord Currie award for CJFL Coach of the Year in 1993 and 1998. He also won the Frank Tindall Trophy in 2007 as Canadian Interuniversity Sport Coach of the Year.
'I will look back at my time with this organization with great pride for what we accomplished and fond memories of the people I worked so closely with over the last three decades,' McCrystal said in 2014 after announcing his retirement.
McCrystal was inducted into the Regina Sports Hall of Fame in 2021.
McCrystal and the rest of the class of 2025 will be inducted on Sept. 19, the night before the CFL's Hall of Fame Game in Hamilton between the Tiger-Cats and Edmonton Elks.
Glen Johnson will also be inducted into the builders' category.
Entering the players' category in 2025 will be Bryan Chiu, Jovan Olafioye, Jermaine Copeland, Scott Flagel and Darryl Hall.
Paul Friesen and Judy Owen will be inducted in the media wing.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Halifax's long, complicated relationship with building a stadium
As Halifax council ponders a plan to transform a pop-up stadium at the Wanderers Grounds into a more permanent space, it's the latest chapter in a decade-plus long debate about building a stadium in the city. Past discussions have come with a range of price tags for taxpayers and been derailed by unforeseen circumstances, including a global pandemic. "It's a huge opportunity for us right here. Our city is truly growing and we need to get this right, but we've been talking about a stadium for way before my time on council," said Coun. Tony Mancini, who first joined council after a January 2016 byelection win. He made the comments Wednesday as municipal staff presented a plan for the so-called Wanderers Block to the city's community planning and economic development committee. The area is mostly municipal land and part of the Halifax Common. "How do we finally get to a conclusion on this stadium conversation?" said Mancini. The Halifax Wanderers professional men's soccer team has played at the site since 2019, while the Halifax Tides women's team started playing at the Wanderers Grounds this year. City staff came up with a mix of stadium options for the site that would range in size, as well as changes to facilities operated by groups such as the Halifax Lancers and the Wanderers Lawn Bowling Club. The anticipated costs ranged from $116 million to $123 million, assuming construction starts in 2029. Contingencies of 25 per cent were included in the estimates to account for things like inflation and changes made during the construction process. No action was taken Wednesday, and council will consider the plan at a future meeting. In 2023, the Wanderers suggested a stadium would cost about $40 million. They asked Halifax to build and operate the facility with the team as the lead tenant. CFL hopes While stadium talk in Halifax relates to professional soccer teams, the previous debate was anchored on bringing a CFL franchise to Halifax. A group known as Schooner Sports and Entertainment was behind the proposal and it sought municipal and provincial funding to build a 24,000-seat, $110-million stadium in Shannon Park in 2022. Besides professional football, the space would have been used for community sports and major concerts. In December 2019, Halifax council voted to give the proponents $20 million, but only if a list of conditions were met. Considering that the proponent's preferred location for a stadium was Shannon Park, it was odd that council approved the funding on the condition that the stadium be built in another approved location. The proponent's enthusiasm wasn't dampened. "We're thrilled. We thank council for their due diligence and very spirited debate. We're very excited to move forward," said SSE partner Anthony LeBlanc. By April 2020, LeBlanc had taken an executive role with the NHL's Ottawa Senators. But in his absence, other SSE officials remained bullish. "We're more optimistic than we've ever been probably on the stadium itself," said founding partner Gary Drummond in late 2020. The project soon quietly disappeared from the public conversation, while the two affiliated companies behind the venture — Schooner Sports and Entertainment and Maritime Football Limited — have had their registrations revoked in the Registry of Joint Stock Companies. 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup The 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup was played in six Canadian cities: Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal and Moncton, N.B. For a time, Halifax hoped to be one of those cities, but Halifax council voted in early 2012 to withdraw its bid. The reason? A stadium was too expensive to build on its own. While the stadium cost was estimated at between $54.8 million and $71.1 million, the provincial government had not signed on to the project. The city was willing to spend $20 million on it. 2014 Commonwealth Games A different international sporting event was the motivation behind another Halifax stadium push. In 2005, Halifax won the right to be the Canadian city to bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. While hosting the games was once projected to cost $785 million, Halifax abandoned its bid in early 2007 when the projected bill reached $1.7 billion. At the time, Chris Algar, a 1999 Canada Games athlete, described the disappointment of missing out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. "They're saying we couldn't host it because we don't have the infrastructure," he said. "This is a chance to build that infrastructure. How do you suppose we're going to get it now?" Almost two decades later, Halifax is still trying to figure out the answer to that question.


The Province
2 hours ago
- The Province
Oilers go with undefeated ace in goal for Game 5, bring back top point scoring winger
SUNRISE, FLORIDA - JUNE 12: Evan Rodrigues #17 of the Florida Panthers shoots on Calvin Pickard #30 of the Edmonton Oilers during the third period in Game Four of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena on June 12, 2025 in Sunrise, Florida. Photo by Bruce Bennett / Getty Images This in from play-by-play announcer Jack Michaels of Sporsnet, news that Calvin Pickard will start in Game 5 for the Edmonton Oilers. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors 'Pickard starts Game 5.' So far in the playoffs, Pickard has a record of seven wins and no losses. He's been the hero, coming in when the Oilers were down by three and leading the team to a Game 4 historic win, the first time since 1919 a team had been down by three goals in a Stanley Cup Final and come back to win the game. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. And from Tony Brar of Oilers TV: EDM lines – Saturday Morning Skate: RNH – McDavid – Brown Podkolzin – Draisaitl – Perry Skinner – Henrique – Frederic Kane – Janmark – Arvidsson • Kapanen, Ryan, Jones Ekholm – Walman Nurse – Stecher Kulak – Bouchard • Klingberg, Emberson, Dineen Pickard Skinner And from ESPN's Greg Wyshynski: 'Good Edmonton Oilers stat: Teams that start at home in a best-of-7 SCF and are tied 2-2 have won 77% of series. Bad Oilers stat: Time leading in this series is FLA 149:37 vs. EDM 33:51.' My take 1. Arvidsson has the second highest points per 60 at 5-on-5 of any Oilers forward in the 2025 playoffs after Connor McDavid. He also scored a big goal in Game One. Kapanen's game had dropped off a bit in terms of his physicality. And fresh legs and hyper-motivated players seem to work well for the Oilers in the playoffs. Arvidsson is also a better, less chaotic defender than Kapanen. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. I like Arvidsson's insertion into the line-up. Good plan. 2. Connor Brown has been struggling since he came back from injury. He's not played well. But coach Kris Knoblauch seems to know what he's doing, correct? Perhaps this is the game Brown snaps out of it. He's certainly getting another push being put with McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. 3. Calvin Pickard over Stuart Skinner is an obvious move. A no-brainer really. Skinner made some big saves early in Game 4 as the Panthers came out ready and the Oilers came out nervous and weak. But he could not maintain that high level until the end of the period, letting in three goals, and this after a mediocre Game 3, where he let in five goals on just 10 Grade A shots. An NHL goalie, on average, is expected to stop at least four out of five Grade A shots, and two out of three of the subset of most dangerous 5-alarm shots. Skinner has not come close enough to that mark in the Stanley Cup Final. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. According to shot quality in Game 4, you'd expect Skinner to let in 3.3 goals against Florida in the first period. He let in three. Skinner was average in Game 4, maybe a bit above average given the shot volume. According to shot quality, you'd expect Pickard to let in 2.9. He let in one. Pickard was great in Game 4. Skinner wasn't the cause of the 3-0 deficit in the first. But Pickard played a huge part in that win. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 4. Evander Kane has been bumped down to the fourth line with Janmark and Arvidsson. Some real talent on that line, with Janmark playing strong hockey just now. Kane deserves the demotion, however, for not being in better control of his stick and taking some iffy penalties. Yes, the refs are looking out for him. But he's giving them ammunition. It's also the case that both Kane and Draisaitl can focus a bit too much on offence, leaving them open to counterattacks when they're together on the ice. I see the Oilers at their best when Kane and Draisaitl are not on the same line. 5. If Edmonton is going to win today it needs at least NHL average goaltending, but it also needs its top players, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Darnell Nurse, to ramp up their defensive play. They all had weak games on defence in Game 4, all of them major culprits on goals and numerous Grade A shots against. Essentially, either through over-aggression, poor reads or inattention, they left too many attackers wide open for slot shots. They're all capable of solid defensive play, they've all done it regularly in the past, but now would be a fine time for each of them to play shut-down defence. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 6. Adam Henrique bossed the game in his own end in Game 4, providing steadfast defensive play, anchoring a strong line with Jeff Skinner and Trent Frederic, who both had their best games of the playoffs. I wonder if we'll see this line against Florida's excellent third line? It might well work. At the Cult of Hockey STAPLES: 'Pure garbage': Panthers fanbase rants about Skinner hold, say it proves refs biased against Florida STAPLES 'Oh God, that hurt': Toronto Maple Leafs insider can't bring himself to celebrate Oilers OT win Staples: 'Not the ref's fault': Florida Panthers country reacts to historic Stanley Cup Final collapse in Game 4 LEAVINS: Game grades in historic Oilers win Vancouver Canucks Sports Vancouver Canucks News News


CBC
3 hours ago
- CBC
From sippy cups to Stanley Cups, these First Nations fathers share the love of their children
Social Sharing Father's Day is an opportunity to honour the love and leadership that so many of our fathers, step dads, and guardians have given us in our lives. For others, it is a complicated day that can be experienced many different ways. CBC Indigenous spoke with three dads about the beauty and the hardships of fatherhood. Former Stanley Cup champion Reggie Leach, known as the Riverton Rifle, was famed for his play during his NHL career from 1970-83, and for his time with the Philadelphia Flyers during the "Broad Street Bullies" era. He's a father of two and said his greatest joys were the day his children were born and the day his son won the Stanley Cup. "I think that's the thing with our kids, you let them do what they enjoy. Cherish all the moments that you have," he said. Now Leach, 75, is a coach at the Shoot to Score hockey camps and his current boss, his son Jamie Leach, joined him on the call. Jamie, 55, is no stranger to hoisting the Stanley Cup either, winning in 1992 with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Leaches are members of Berens River First Nation in Manitoba and are the first and only First Nations father and son pair to win the Stanley Cup as players. Speaking of his own son, Jamie agreed with his dad about cherishing moments. "The more and more that you get to witness — graduating high school, getting his licence, making some hockey teams that he wanted to make — it's just so nice to be a part of." What kind of fatherly advice does a Stanley Cup champion share to a fellow Stanley Cup champion? Jamie Leach shared the ice with names like Lemieux, Gretzky, and Messier, but nothing compares to the emotion that comes when he shares lessons that he learned from his dad. "He always told me whatever you do in your life, you shoot to score," said Jamie. "If you're going to do something, do the best you possibly can. You shoot to score." "Now he passes that onto his son," Reggie said with pride. Resilience But what if hockey stardom wasn't your destiny, how does a regular dad get by doing his best? Charles Bird, 48, is a father of two and grandfather of one from Black River First Nation in Manitoba. A child of residential school survivors, Bird has put a life together that his children are proud of. Bird has had sole custody of his children since 2009. His son has special needs and his daughter is studying Indigenous language at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. It wasn't the challenges that this generation presented that Bird worried about. His father struggled in the face of trauma and addiction that residential schools brought on. A promise between father and son led to Bird making better decisions. "He told me, 'Son, live a better life for yourself. Make better choices. Don't fall into addictions and don't let them overcome you," said an emotional Bird. "You can be better than that, and you will be, because I believe in you." A promise that Bird said he has held for his father to this day. The celebration of his grandson's arrival and graduating alongside his son are two events that Bird was elated to share. His son Thurston graduated from high school the same year that Bird upgraded his education through the school division's adult education department, so they were able to walk the stage together. Fatherly advice As for some advice from the dads to other dads: Reggie Leach:"Listen to your kids, listen to what they have to say to you." Jamie Leach:"Foster a relationship with your children where they can come to you with anything."