Toe to Toe – Outdoor rinks, fields and Olympic hockey

Two combatants from Cogeco’s Sports Firing line Frank “The Toe” Caruso (left), and Chris Dawson (right) now take their arguments to the web with a new BayToday.ca weekly sports opinion feature called, “Toe to Toe.” Photo by Lee Anne Dawson.


The city of North Bay has been criticized in the past about how outdoor rinks and fields are maintained. Which do you think is the bigger problem?

Chris:

“Personally, I’ve seen and chatted with the volunteers who maintain outdoor rinks in the city. After talking with them and hearing their stories I believe Parks and recreation has to put more focus on helping to maintain our outdoor rinks. This has even been a hot topic at the hockey town hall meetings.

“The volunteers don’t have the time to maintain these valuable sports facilities the way they should be without more help from the city. It’s a shame to see all their hard work and that the city has turned their back on these hard working volunteers who are struggling to keep outdoor rinks running in a city that’s minor hockey system needs them more than ever.
“I agree we are very short in the field department too compared to other communities in the North like Sault Ste. Marie and Timmins, but let’s see the city open their purse strings and help revitalize these very unique and historic outdoor facilities.”

Frank:

“Well Chris, like the hockey guy that you are, of course you’re going to say the money and the government should look at outdoor hockey rinks, well you know what Chris, more people baseball and soccer in this city than hockey because it is more affordable. Get some field, no not just get some fields, maintain the fields, that’s the problem with North Bay, the fields aren’t being maintained well enough, you take a look right now down by Lee park , I guess it’s called Veteran’s Field now. They are three weeks behind schedule because the field wasn’t prepared and ready to go. They have Frisbee football on that stuff, more people play stuff in the summer. Start maintaining the fields, get more fields and everyone would be happy.

“We’ve got to build a sports complex, because a complex will bring in revenue not only to the fields where they are playing but it will bring in revenue to hotels, you can have many youth soccer tournaments, you could have many youth baseball tournaments in the city, they need a facility, 3 or 4 soccer fields in that facility, 2 baseball fields in that facility, then we’ll have something to talk about here in North Bay. Then we can have teams coming here for tournaments, that will generate some revenue. We talk about tourism in North Bay all the time, let’s start making things happen.”


Hockey Canada is holding an orientation for potential players who could play for Canada at the upcoming Olympics in 2006. The NHL is considering shutting down its All-Star game to allow for its players to participate in the Olympics. Do you think the NHL should continue to press to keep its players in the Olympics or would you prefer to see the amateurs back in the Olympics?

Frank:

“In the Olympics, amateur athletics no longer exist, it’s the best athletes Chris and the best athletes in hockey are the people from the national hockey league so without a doubt, the NHL should stop, they shouldn’t hold any all-star game and they should be going to the Olympics because we want the best players available at the best time and what a better venue to market a product that is hurting because of the lockout than the Olympics next year.”
Without a doubt the Olympics should have professional hockey players there and the NHL finally after years are making a good move.”

Chris:

“I still get goose bumps thinking back to one of the best tournaments I’ve ever watched back in Lillehammer at the 1994 Olympics. Canada sent an amateur team that wasn’t expected to even get into the medal round with young guys like Paul Kariya, Petr Nedved, and Brian Savage. They upset the Czechs in the quarters, beat the unbeaten Finns in the semi’s, and lost in a shootout in the gold medal final against Sweden.
“That was more fun to watch for me, than seeing Mario wearing the flag or hearing about the loonie buried in the ice in Salt Lake in 2002. I love seeing young players who may never get a regular job in the NHL, like former Centennial Greg Labenski, who I believe played on Canada’s last full-time men’s amateur National team, get an opportunity to represent our country.
“I’d love to see the World Junior tournament pushed back and every 4 years, it becomes the Olympic championship. I’m sure the CHL would amend its schedule to fit its players into that prestigious tournament. The Olympics are about the love of the game, the passion to win, not about a bunch of millionaires trashing their room like the U.S. Team did in Nagano in 1998.
“I loved seeing Canada break their 50 year gold medal jinx in ‘02, but I would have preferred to see it won by hard working amateurs.”

Toe to Toe can be seen every Friday on BayToday.ca.