Regardless of who is taking the ice at the Art Hauser Centre, there’s always a full scorer’s table of volunteers.
Lloyd McBeath has been volunteering his time at games for the Prince Albert Raiders, Mintos and Northern Bears for the past 25 years. In an interview with the Daily Herald on Sunday, McBeath says he enjoys watching hockey and has seen the game evolve over the years.
“First of all, we see some pretty good hockey during the winter with the girls and it’s to help the team out. The main thing is we see some pretty good games during the season and I love the game too. Seeing the girls getting better every year there, in this division here, it seems to be over the years they get better shooters, better skaters. It’s just getting to be better hockey all the time there and it’s really fun to watch.”
McBeath runs the score clock for the Northern Bears games but takes on other roles for the Mintos and Raiders.
“We just love the game and we just come here to help out the girls.” McBeath says. “You never get tired of this. You get too involved with it and you want to stick with it all the time.”
Another frequent face at the scorer’s table is Phil Bourque. After retiring from his work with Parks Canada, Bourque says he needed something to keep himself busy.
“I’ve been a lifelong hockey fan. It’s my passion. Now that I’ve been retired for seven years, I can commit to helping the minor hockey and the teams and what I enjoy: hockey. I love seeing all the teams play and I like to be able to help the parents out so they can watch their kids play and not get tied up in the penalty box.”
In 2023 when Prince Albert hosted the Esso Cup, Bourque says he worked over 111 games split between the Raiders, Bears and Mintos.
“I can’t give away any secrets, but there is a lot of laughter shared and a lot of teasing.” Bourque says about the experience. “It’s just a great bunch of guys and it’s fun to be with them. It’s never a dull moment and everybody’s passionate about hockey so it’s fun to be with them.”
sports@paherald.sk.ca
