Latest news with #Strummer
Calgary Herald
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Davis: Former Regina Pats captain Bill Ansell running short on time to speak with old hockey teammates
Feisty, high-scoring forward Bill Ansell played for the Regina Pats when the legendary franchise won its last league championship — 45 years ago, believe it or not — and he became the Western Hockey League team's captain for most of the next season. Article content 'Until Strummer ripped the 'C' off my jersey with two or three games left,' said Ansell, referring to former Pats general manager Bob Strumm, who was well-known for his impassioned outbursts at players, officials, media and league administrators. Article content Article content 'We started the season really strong then lost four or five games in a row at the end of the season. Strummer was apoplectic!' Article content Article content Recently retired from 33 years in the Royal Canadian Navy, where he achieved the rank of lieutenant-commander and fittingly enough served on the HMCS Regina, 63-year-old Ansell and Strumm have crossed paths a few times since their final, tumultuous season together with the Pats. Article content Indeed, Strumm was one of the first teammates to call after hearing Ansell was dying from pancreatic cancer. Article content 'I had a long, long chat with Strummer,' said Ansell during a recent phone conversation from his Sidney, B.C., backyard while visiting with older brother Max Ansell. 'And I'm expecting a couple other guys are gonna call me up shortly. Kelly Livingston, my best buddy because we used to hang out all the time, is calling. Article content 'Every time I look at my phone now, it's usually got some American numbers on it. I keep thinking they're scams. Apparently not. It's my teammates leaving me messages, so I call them back.' Article content Article content Jock Callander and Garth Butcher have called for 'chin-wags.' And there's still a huge list of former teammates Ansell would love to hear from. Article content Article content Ansell played 2 1/2 seasons with the Pats, recording 182 career points (69 goals, 113 assists) and 246 penalty minutes. He added 15 goals, 17 assists and 61 penalty minutes in 28 playoff games, including an appearance in the controversial 1980 Memorial Cup played in Regina and Brandon, where the vaunted Pats were infamously eliminated from the round-robin tournament against the Peterborough Petes and champion Cornwall Royals. Article content Article content The Pats, who won their last Memorial Cup in 1974, have appeared in the Canadian junior hockey championship only twice since 1980, as hosts in 2001 and 2018. Article content That 1979-80 squad was coached by Bryan Murray. It included a record-setting power-play unit of Doug Wickenheiser, Darren Veitch, Mike Blaisdell, Ron Flockhart, Brian Varga and Bart Hunter. With most of the high-profile Pats gone in 1980-81, Ansell became captain until just before a postseason run that ended in a semifinal series loss to the Calgary Wranglers.
Ottawa Citizen
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Davis: Former Regina Pats captain Bill Ansell running short on time to speak with old hockey teammates
Article content Feisty, high-scoring forward Bill Ansell played for the Regina Pats when the legendary franchise won its last league championship — 45 years ago, believe it or not — and he became the Western Hockey League team's captain for most of the next season. Article content 'Until Strummer ripped the 'C' off my jersey with two or three games left,' said Ansell, referring to former Pats general manager Bob Strumm, who was well-known for his impassioned outbursts at players, officials, media and league administrators. Article content Article content 'We started the season really strong then lost four or five games in a row at the end of the season. Strummer was apoplectic!' Article content Article content Recently retired from 33 years in the Royal Canadian Navy, where he achieved the rank of lieutenant-commander and fittingly enough served on the HMCS Regina, 63-year-old Ansell and Strumm have crossed paths a few times since their final, tumultuous season together with the Pats. Article content Indeed, Strumm was one of the first teammates to call after hearing Ansell was dying from pancreatic cancer. Article content 'I had a long, long chat with Strummer,' said Ansell during a recent phone conversation from his Sidney, B.C., backyard while visiting with older brother Max Ansell. 'And I'm expecting a couple other guys are gonna call me up shortly. Kelly Livingston, my best buddy because we used to hang out all the time, is calling. Article content 'Every time I look at my phone now, it's usually got some American numbers on it. I keep thinking they're scams. Apparently not. It's my teammates leaving me messages, so I call them back.' Article content Article content Jock Callander and Garth Butcher have called for 'chin-wags.' And there's still a huge list of former teammates Ansell would love to hear from. Article content Article content Ansell played 2 1/2 seasons with the Pats, recording 182 career points (69 goals, 113 assists) and 246 penalty minutes. He added 15 goals, 17 assists and 61 penalty minutes in 28 playoff games, including an appearance in the controversial 1980 Memorial Cup played in Regina and Brandon, where the vaunted Pats were infamously eliminated from the round-robin tournament against the Peterborough Petes and champion Cornwall Royals. Article content Article content The Pats, who won their last Memorial Cup in 1974, have appeared in the Canadian junior hockey championship only twice since 1980, as hosts in 2001 and 2018. Article content That 1979-80 squad was coached by Bryan Murray. It included a record-setting power-play unit of Doug Wickenheiser, Darren Veitch, Mike Blaisdell, Ron Flockhart, Brian Varga and Bart Hunter. With most of the high-profile Pats gone in 1980-81, Ansell became captain until just before a postseason run that ended in a semifinal series loss to the Calgary Wranglers.
