Canada ping!
Please FReepmail me to get on or off this Canada ping list.
Posted on 06/19/2006 1:14:27 PM PDT by fanfan
If the Stanley Cup is headed to Edmonton for a victory parade this week, could one of the storied trophy's next stops be 10,500 kilometres away in this baking dust bowl in the Afghan desert?
The universal wish of the Edmonton-based Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry battle group is that their Oilers win Lord Stanley of Preston's silver chalice when they play Game 7 against the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C., tonight. If the Oilers are victorious, the troops are optimistic the team will add another chapter to the Cup's colourful 113-year history by bringing it - and a few of their favourite players - to their heavily defended base on the outskirts of Kandahar.
"It would be huge to have the Cup here," said Sgt. Mark Pharoah, who normally works at the garrison in Edmonton. "It would be darn good for morale."
During the Oilers' 4-0 triumph in Game 6 of the final - shown here live before dawn yesterday - Pharoah said, the cheering was so loud from fans watching in Canada House that "there wasn't a sleeping soldier in the entire Canadian tent lines."
And why not despatch the Stanley Cup to Afghanistan? After all, the venerable trophy has been thrown on to the frozen Rideau Canal in Ottawa and into the swimming pools of Mario Lemieux and Patrick Roy, has visited a strip club with Mark Messier, spent time in an igloo in the High Arctic and been to the White House to meet three U.S. presidents. It has even been to Moscow's Red Square several times, and only two months ago it was returned to its original home in England, where it was hoisted by Lord Stanley's great-great grandson, the 19th earl of Derby.
"It should come to Kandahar because there are no bigger hockey fans in the world than there are here," said Tammy Howard, who works as a civilian cashier for the Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency.
Bombardier Bill Hill, a 26-year-old reservist from the Kenora, Ont.-based 116th Independent Field Battery, not only wants the Cup to come to Kandahar, he wants it to be escorted here by Chris Pronger, the Oilers towering defenceman who is from Hill's hometown, Dryden, Ont. He also wants the NHLers to play a ball-hockey tournament with some of the troops.
"With so many of the guys being from Edmonton, the Oilers have tons of support here," Hill said. "But we are all cheering for the Oilers because they are a Canadian team."
The NHL already has an Afghan connection. Former Toronto Maple Leaf and Vancouver Canuck Tiger Williams visited the old Canadian base in Kabul two years ago, and Canadiens great Guy Lafleur played ball hockey at Canada's Provincial Reconstruction base in Kandahar last year.
Thinking about hockey in a windblown moonscape where daytime temperatures can touch 50 degrees Celsius is not so easy. One of the difficulties is that the games from North America are usually shown before breakfast. Another complication is that many of the front-line warriors are in the middle of spearheading the biggest coalition offensive against the Taliban since it was ousted from power not long after terrorists attacked the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon in September 2001.
Game 7 of the Stanley Cup series will be telecast live in Afghanistan at Canada House tomorrow morning at 4:30 local time (it's on at 8 p.m. tonight in Montreal).
But Canada House, which is a relatively small, tube-shaped army tent with some flags and hockey memorabilia on the walls, can accommodate only about 100 soldiers at a time. Officials were looking for a way more of the 2,200 troops deployed here could catch the game.
With the base being dry, the beverage of choice for watching hockey is bottled water.
Back in Edmonton, though, those who chose to worship their beloved team with alcohol and rowdy behaviour on the Alberta capital's trendy Whyte Ave. kept police busy.
Officers arrested 394 of the more than 30,000 triumphant fans who congregated in the area Saturday night, high-fiving and chanting "We want the Cup!"
Most of the arrests were for liquor-related offences. Of those, only six people were charged - for assaulting an officer, resisting arrest, mischief under $5,000 and outstanding warrants.
Edmonton police have launched an internal investigation into one altercation, where an officer slapped a handcuffed woman in the head, then threw her to the ground, leaving her bloodied.
Edmonton Journal photographer Jimmy Jeong witnessed the incident. The woman was among a group of people who were arrested then shipped off to spend the night in jail.
A police officer came to walk the woman to the bus. Her hands were secured behind her back with plastic cuffs.
At one point the woman turned to say something to the officer. The officer then cranked his arm to strike, Jeong says.
"It seemed unprovoked," Jeong says. "She was in handcuffs. There was no way she was doing anything."
Canada ping!
Please FReepmail me to get on or off this Canada ping list.
NICE!!
Hockey.. that's like Hurling!! ;)
That's where it comes from, but you knew that.
Good thing they don't call it "Hurling Night in Canada"!
That happens after the game, when the fans have had too much beer.
;-)
Good thing they don't call it "Hurling Night in Canada"!
That happens after the game, when the fans have had too much beer.
Yeah, I thought someone was going to make a 'hurling' joke! ;)
OK I think it's great the Canadians are helping us out in Afghanistan, and I'm glad there's a new conservative movement afoot and all that....
But man oh man, who in their right mind would name an infantry division "Princess" anything?
They are leaving themselves wide open on this one.
Resisting Arrest? Woman you hadn't enough sense just to keep walking? She will be charged.
Oilers UP! Good Luck lads!
It comes from our British Monarchy history.
They are one of our best and toughest infantry groups.
The Oilers will.
That settles it, I'm cheering for the Oilers.
Not sure if you've been pinged on this yet or not...
I've read a lot of history.
May the best team win.
There will be more than a few Fort Bragg based troops pulling for the 'Canes.
Two storm flags are going up all the poles around here.
Thanks to CurlyBill for pinging me on this one. Hope all you hockey ping-listers get a chance to watch game 7 tonight. 50 or so very lucky men have they opportunity that they all dreamed about as boys to play one game for the chance to have their name inscribed on the greatest trophy in all of sports. It's gonna be a great one. 13 game 7's - since the league went to a 7 game final series - home team has won 11 of them.
More than that, let's hope and pray that each one of those Canadian men and women watching this game in Afghanistan get to come home safe and sound.
Freep mail/ping airborne or Hat-Trick if you want on or off the Hockey Ping List.
Thanks for the ping! Great article.
I'm pulling for the Canes, but it would be INCREDIBLE to have the Stanley Cup visit the Canadian troops overseas.
At Last a subject i know alot about GO OILERS.
Ken Danyeko once told me, as a kid he used to carry a garbage can over his head to make like he won the Stanley Cup. Tonight 50 kids, their coaches, trainers, friends and family will participate in the greatest game of the season.
Good luck to both teams tonight.
I guess it's an issue of comprehension then, eh?
Canada has paid off their debt for those two Toronto Blue Jays World Series titles, 13 years is enough for them to suffer without a Stanley Cup.
Actually the Canadian "military" doesn't feature prominently in history books outside of Canada, eh?
Go Oilers
bring the cup to Kandahar
Battle honours First World War: Mount Sorrel, 2-13 June 1916* Somme, 1 July-18 November 1916* Flers-Courcelette, 15-22 September 1916* Ancre Heights, 1 October – 11 November 1916 Arras, 9 April – 4 May 1917 Vimy, 9-14 April 1917* Hill 70, 15-25 August 1917* Ypres, 31 July – 10 Nov. 1917 Passchendaele, 12 October 1917 and/or 26 October – 10 November 1917* Amiens, 8-11 August 1918* Arras, 26 August – 3 September 1918 Scarpe, 26-30 August 1918* Hindenburg Line, 12 September – 9 October 1918* Canal du Nord , 27 September – 2 October 1918 Pursuit to Mons, 11 November 1918* France and Flanders, 1915-18 Second World War: Landing in Sicily, 9-12 Jul 43* Piazza Armerina, 16-17 Jul 43 Leonforte, 21-22 Jul 43 Agira, 24-28 Jul 43 Adrano, 29 Jul – 7 Aug 43* Troina Valley, 2-6 Aug 43 Sicily, 9 Jul 43 – 17 Aug 43 Colle d’Anchise, 22-24 Oct 43 The Gully, 10-19 Dec 43 Ortona, 20-28 Dec 43* Liri Valley, 18-30 May 44* Hitler Line, 18-24 May 44 Gothic Line, 25 Aug 22 Sep 44* Monteciccardo, 27-28 Aug 44 Monte Luro, 1 Sep 44 Rimini Line, 14-21 Sep 44* San Fortunato, 18-20 Sep 44 Pisciatello, 16-19 Sep 44* Savio Bridgehead, 20-23 Sep 44* Naviglio Canal, 12-15 Dec 44* Fosso Munio, 19-21 Dec 44 ITALY, 1943-45 3 Sep 43 – 22 Apr 45 Apeldoorn, 11-17 Apr 45 Northwest Europe 1945
Fixed.
Look Out !!!
U.S. ambassador a Canuck-at-heart
"... should the final involve Edmonton,
he'll be ready to sing the once
elusive words to O Canada."
Beautiful story.
I sent it out to all my high school team parents!
Alas... a subject I know as well(grew up in burbs of Edm...now in Chgo),but I would cheer too for Carolinas goalie..as he's from my home town. GO OILERS!!!
Whimper...grew up in Northern Quebec, was reared on Habs game. I will be happy just to see it back in Canada.
I can't argue. I am pulling for the Canes, but I won't be upset if the Oilers win. It's been a great series and that oil well the skate through is way cool.
LOL! That's so funny that you spell Detroit like that!!! Must be a cultural difference, eh? I know, it's french, right??
I didn't get a chance to reply to you on the other thread, but what you son said about watching the captain raise the cup was really cute. Have you seen the Stanley Cup commerical with Ray Borque raising the Cup and his son in the background completely choked up? It gets me every time.
:-(
Could be worse. You could have the Hawks. ;-)
We had to go grocery shopping tonight. We were just flinging stuff in the cart. "C'mon! Let's go!! We have to get home in time for the game!!" LOL
HEADQUARTERS
EIGHTH UNITED STATES ARMY ( KOREA )
Office of the Commanding General
APO 301
GENERAL ORDER
number 453
23rd June 1951
Section 1
AWARD OF DISTINGUISHED UNIT CITATION
BATTLE HONOURS – By direction of the President, under the provisions of Executive Order 9396 (Sec I, WD Bul. 22, 1943) Superseding Executive Order 9075 (Sec III, WD Bul. 16, 1942) and pursuant to authority in AR 260-15, the following units are cited as public evidence of deserved honour and distinction.
3RD BATTALION, ROYAL AUSTRALIAN REGIMENT
2ND BATTALION, PRINCESS PATRICIA'S CANADIAN LIGHT INFANTRY COMPANY A
72ND HEAVY TANK BATTALION (UNITED STATES)
are cited for extraordinary heroism and outstanding performance of combat duties in action against the armed enemy near Kapyong, Korea, on the 24 and 25 April 1951. The enemy had broken through the main line of resistance and penetrated to the area north of Kapyong. The units listed above were deployed to stem the assault. The 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, moved to the right flank of the sector and took up defensive positions north of the Pukham River. The 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, defended in the vicinity of Hill 677 on the left flank. Company A, 72nd Heavy Tank Battalion, supported all units to the full extent of its capacity and, in addition, kept the main roads open and assisted in evacuating the wounded. Troops from a retreating division passed through the sector which enabled enemy troops to infiltrate with the withdrawing forces. The enemy attacked savagely under the clangor of bugles and trumpets. The forward elements were completely surrounded going through the first day and into the second. Again and again the enemy threw waves of troops at the gallant defenders, and many times succeeded in penetrating the outer defences, but each time the courageous, indomitable, and determined soldiers repulsed the fanatical attacks. Ammunition ran low and there was no time for food. Critical supplies were dropped by air to the encircled troops, and they stood their ground in resolute defiance of the enemy. With serene and indefatigable persistence, the gallant soldiers held their defensive positions and took heavy tolls of the enemy. In some instances when the enemy penetrated the defences, the commanders directed friendly artillery fire on their own positions in repelling the thrusts. Toward the close of 25 April, the enemy break-through had been stopped. The seriousness of the break-through on the central front had been changed from defeat to victory by the gallant stand of these heroic and courageous soldiers. The 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment; 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry; and Company A, 72nd Heavy Tank Battalion, displayed such gallantry, determination, and espirit de corps in accomplishing their missions under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions as to set them apart and above other units participating in the campaign, and by their achievements they brought distinguished credit on themselves, their homelands, and all freedom-loving nations
BY COMMAND OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL VAN FLEET:
Leven C. Allen
Major General US Army
Chief of Staff
Source
"It's a great day for hockey!"
Don't write off those Blue Jays this season. As a member of Red Sox Nation, they scare me more than the Damn Yankees this year...
Yes. Good job. They were brave men. Brave men fought from many countries.
I stand by the earlier points I made.
"But man oh man, who in their right mind would name an infantry division
"Princess" anything? "
Yeah, it doesn't sound right to our ears here south of the border. Especially
when we've grown up hearing about "Screamin' Eagles", "Thunderbirds"
and the like.
But I'd be careful of saying anything about The Patricias.
And be well over 1.5 miles away, if you must say something other than
"those guys are d-mned good shots!".
OK, this is from Wikipedia, but a good condensate:
"In March 2002 during Operation Anaconda, a five-man sniper team from
the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry set two new world records
for farthest combat kill with a rifle. First, Master Cpl. Arron Perry broke
the old record by hitting an al-Qaeda forward observer from a distance
of 2,310 metres (over 1.43 miles). Days later, Perry's sniper teammate
Cpl. Rob Furlong set the current world record by firing a shot from a .50
cal McMillan Tac-50 sniper rifle that killed an al-Qaeda soldier at an
estimated distance of 2,430 metres (over 1.5 miles).[1] Both shots surpassed
the long-standing previous world record of 2,250 metres (over 1.39 miles)
set by U.S. Marine Gunnery Sgt. Carlos Hathcock during the Vietnam War.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Patricia%E2%80%99s_Canadian_Light_Infantry
Same here.
My 'Canes are up 1-0!
Helluva great start!
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