The Prince Albert Timberwolves started the Run Gunville Memorial Tournament on the right foot with a 7-4 victory over Humboldt at the Art Hauser Centre on Friday morning.
Timberwolves head coach Derek Simonson says Gunville was very dedicated to the hockey community in Prince Albert and he was happy to see the Timberwolves start the tournament with a win.
“It is a very important tournament in our community and something we talked about as a team before the tournament started was the dedication and commitment that Ron provided to our community in relation to the hockey world. From coaching to playing to scouting, we went out there today in memory of Ron and it was a nice start to the tournament.”
Gunville passed away on December 11, 2018, after a battle with cancer. He served as the Raiders director of player personnel and had a major influence on the Raider roster that ended up winning the Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2019.
Away from the rink, Simonson says he has plenty of positive memories growing up with Gunville and his brother Trevor.
“I know he was a great guy, always smiling. There is a connection to my family growing up with Ron and Trevor. We spent some time with them, a lot of time on the hockey rink. Just a great guy to be around and super dedicated to the community of hockey here in Prince Albert.”
In the morning game, Simonson says the Timberwolves were able to do enough to get the victory, despite being short on bodies.
“We started out okay. This time of the season we’re a little banged up with some injuries and what not. We had a few alternate players tonight, but everybody showed up. They did their job, we played hard and it was a grind, but we got it done.”
The Timberwolves return to action at 6 p.m. this evening when they take on the Martensville Marauders at the Art Hauser Centre
