May 30 2012

Don’t Make Me Hit Somebody!

By Robert Lavigne

Don't Make Me Hit SomebodyBack in June 2010, I made the trek from Toronto to Brantford to see Kevin Smith play in the Walter Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament. It was supposed to be a one day trip. Drive in to Brantford, buy a few Big Macs, watch Kevin play street hockey, catch Kevin do a live SModcast (podcast with Scott Mosier) at the Sanderson Centre, and drive back home to Toronto. Then something funny happened, I never left.

Skip forward to April 2012, I have been asked and have accepted the Vice-Chair position with the Tournament Capital of Ontario (TCO). This community based organization is responsible for promoting Brantford as a recreation and sport tourism destination. It is the organization responsible for originating the very tournament that brought me to Brantford. It is the organization that provides excellence in tourname nt services and assists organizations who host sports events in Brantford. It is the organizati on responsible for redefining Brantford as a global thought leader in sport tourism.

This year The Lung Association has taken the lead in organizing and hosting the 6th annual Walter Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament at the Steve Brown Sports Complex / Lions Park from June 1 to 3. To commemorate this transition, I asked Tournament Capital of Ontario Coordinator Pat Shewchuk, Brantford Parks & Recreation, to highlight some of the milestones of this tournament.

In 2007, the Tournament Capital of Ontario (TCO) Board and staff created and spearheaded the Walter Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament, to first recognize the outstanding contributions that Mr. Gretzky has and continues to do for our community and secondly to raise funds for the newly created Brantford Sports Infrastructure Legacy Fund. Forty (40) teams participated in youth and adult divisions during the inaugural year.

In 2009, Kevin Smith, international film direct or, actor and producer, heard about Walter’s tournament and decided to come to Brantford to play in the tournament. He registered 4 teams that were made up of his fans from across Canada and the United States. Kevin hosted his first live SModcast in Brantford at the Sanderson Centre, it was a sold out performance.

In 2010, Kevin Smith returned to play in the tournament and this time brought 7 teams to play in the tournament. Kevin wanted to get Walter’s name in the record books so we decided to go after the Guinness World Record for the Largest Street Hockey Tournament. The tournament grew that year to 205 teams with 2,096 players and we broke the Guinness World Record for the “Largest Street Hockey Tournament.” It was a HUGE accomplishment for our community and for everyone involved. Walter was thrilled and grateful for all of Kevin’s support.

In 2010, the TCO was recognized by the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance, a national sport organization, with the prestigious ‘President’s Award’ for breaking the Guinness World Record for the Largest Street Hockey Tournament during the 4th annual Walter Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament. A significant accomplishment for a community of our size in Canada.

While I originally planned to attend the 2009 tournament to see Kevin Smith, it wasn’t until 2010 that I would visit Brantford for the first time. I still look back at that decision and wonder how much my life would be different had I made the trip one year earlier. You see while I came to Brantford to meet Kevin Smith and Walter Gretzky, I happen to also meet someone else that would forever change my life.

It was shortly after Kevin Smith’s Too Fat to Fly incident with Southwest Airlines. As a result of the public humiliation, Kevin decided to rent a tour bus instead of flying for his cross continent trips. So I arrived at Lion’s Park and staked out his tour bus patiently awaiting Kevin to exit. As I leaned against a building wall, I started chatting with fellow fans also awaiting an opportunity to get their favourite piece of memorabilia autographed. It was then that I first cast my eyes on Karen. She was wearing her “I have: no job, no money, no car, but, I am in a band” T-Shirt. Having recently called off a very expensive wedding engagement in Toronto, the last thing on my mind was to start a relationship in Brantford. My initial thoughts were “run away.” Oddly enough, her reaction was to also “run away” that day. We parted ways and I joined so me locals for a few beers at the Piston Broke in the newly revitalized Harmony Square. Little did I know that plans were afoot to get Karen to rejoin us. I would spend that evening sitting beside Karen enjoying the live SModcast at the Sanderson Centre. I left Brantford that night expecting never to come back let alone calling it my home a year later.

In 2011, Karen decided to join the View Askew Girls (V.A.G.) team and play in the Walter Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament for the first time. That year I got to meet Walter Gretzky also for the first time. He signed my Team Canada hockey jersey with his famous words “Go To where the Puck will be not where its Been” in traditional Gretzky Blue Sharpie ink. It was that year that I got introduced to the View Askew Street Hockey League. Even though Kevin Smith couldn’t make the trip to Brantford, VASHL contributed seven entries to that year’s tournament.

In 2012, I will be playing in the Walter Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament as a proud member of the View Askew Street Hockey League initially formed by Kevin Smith. I have been training for the last few months using the very trails that the Brantford Parks and Recreation Department, which oversees the TCO, are responsible for maintaining. I now jog nearly daily and make a point of checking into foursquare at the famous Wilkes Dam. I update my Path and Instagram networks with daily pictures of the beautiful scenery that graces the Grand River during my cardio training. People around the world, on my social networks, get to see the wonders of Brantford that I get to experience during my training regimen.

The Tournament Capital of Ontario Board and staff would like to wish The Lung Association much success with this year’s tournament. I personally would like to welcome to Brantford the View Askew Vulgarians, the Leonardo Reapers, the Monroeville Zombies, the View Askew Girls (V.A.G.),the Funployees, and the Hit Somebody HITMEN. While Kevin Smith himself has expressed an interest in coming back to Brantford in 2012, it is his fans who have committed their time and money to attend the tournament since 2009. It will be an honour to grace the Number 42 jersey as part of the VASHL Monroeville Zombies this year. I hope to see you all at the 6th annual Walter Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament at the Steve Brown Sports Complex/Lions Park from June 1 to 3. Who knows, maybe the big guy will read this and grace the net in Brantford with Puck U once again. Yeah Kevin Smith, I am calling you out to take on the Monroeville Zombies in a rematch in 2012. Don’t make me Hit Somebody!

Oct 24 2011

Mandie’s Crack – Street Hockey

Mandie's CrackThis weekend, I attended my first View Askew Street Hockey League (here fore known as VASHL) event in New Jersey. A little background, the VASHL began when Kevin Smith decided to attend the Walter Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament in Brantford, Ontario, Canada back in 2009. A bunch of people from the board created teams and went to compete and have returned every year since.

Being that I was stationed in Italy, I wasn’t able to attend any of the Brantford tournaments. Close to a year before this event, I was (unknowingly) drafted to be a part of the View Askew Girls (or more lovingly known as the VAG). On the VA board, we do a gift exchange every year for the holidays and my Santa last year (Talos) got my VAG jersey for me. On the morning before it showed up, I received a Private Message from Katie, Captain of the VAG, asking me if I wanted to be a part of the team. Best Present Ever.

Fast forward to about a year later, everyone else went to Brantford during the first weekend of June and it was decided that waiting another year for hockey was just a ridiculous idea. So our VASHL Commissioner, Darryl, started getting together a charity tournament to support both The Wayne Foundation and RAINN.
After my wonderful experience back in July and my wanting to get to hockey for a long time, coming up for this tournament was a given. The only drawback for me was never playing hockey before and really not having any idea what to expect on the rink.

I’m on vacation for 2 weeks. While I am travelling around, my sister in law and nieces are visiting their family in Pennsylvania. So I drove with them as far as Maryland and rode to New Jersey with Gavin and Nikki. We got there and I met up with my roommates, and we all headed out for dinner since there were so few of us in town.

Friday was pretty awesome. We went to eat brunch at Broadway Diner then headed to the Jay and Silent Bob Secret Stash. I got a really awesome deal on the full run of Ultimate X-men in Trade Paperback and X-men: Age of Apocalypse from Mike before heading for the Quick Stop.

Most of everyone else had arrived during the day while we were out. Everyone just grabbed whatever for dinner and we headed out for karaoke. The place ended up being the worst dive bar that most of us have ever seen, but we had a good time doing some karaoke. Yours truly sang “18 and Life” by Skid Row.

Saturday was Day 1 of hockey, and this first time that I would ever step on the rink. Needless to say, I was nervous. The team that I was on was going up against pretty much the entirety of the View Askew Vulgarians (Paul, Darryl, moTT, ArtistJim, Mike M, Keith and a few others) for the first game.

For most of the first day, I just played defense so I could get a feel for it all. The first two games were played via the rosters that Darryl had made prior to us getting there, then on the third one we all put our sticks in the middle and did teams that way. I basically ended up with the Vulgarians, which was awesome. ArtistJim was in the goal and was coaching me for pretty much the duration of both days (even when he was on the opposite team).

It was a blast. We wrapped up around 5 on Saturday so that everyone could go back to the hotel to shower and get ready for Tell Em Steve-Dave! and Jay & Silent Bob Get Old live at the Count Basie. This was the first time that I saw Kevin and Jay in person and was my first ever live show for anything SModCo wise. So besides popping my hockey cherry, I got to pop that one too.

The show was great. TESD was fantastic as always. They had puppets that were made of each of them and it was just a good time. Kevin and Jay were also excellent, and at the end they do a feature called “Let Us Act!” to which they brought Gavin onstage because it was his birthday.

After the show, we all headed to the Dublin House for drinks and food. It was a good time. Got to chat with everyone and catch up with Brian Quinn of Tell Em Steve-Dave!

Quinn
We all headed back for our hotel after a bit because we had another day of hockey to go. I woke up on Sunday and had to do the Robot to get out of bed. I was so sore that I could hardly move. Took some Motrin and a hot shower just to get mobile, but was good to go once we got to the rink and I was able to stretch out.

We first did a game of the Vulgarians vs. everyone else. Then we played USA vs. Canada, and USA won! After that, we played 37 & older vs. everyone else. I played in all 3 games and mostly played offense. It was fantastic.

I surprised the hell out of myself. I figured I was going to go out on the rink and just be terrible at hockey, but I got the hang of it pretty quick. Quite a number of people told me that I did a great job, but I think the best compliment came from Ming who said that I had impressed a lot of people over the weekend when I put my heart into the game and didn’t stop for one minute.

The greatest thing about VASHL is just the kindred feeling and everyone being so encouraging. I walked in there not knowing exactly what to expect. I walked out with a couple more friends and head over heels for street hockey. So when’s the next tourney? I am so ready. – See more.

via starbuckspitfire.blogspot.ca

Jun 01 2010

Kevin Smith Strikes Back

Filmmaker Kevin Smith will be returning to Brantford’s Walter Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament this year. In 2009, his primary goal was to meet Walter, one of his idols, and play net in the tournament which raises money for the Brantford Sports Facilities Infrastructure Legacy Fund. This year, he has his sights set on two new goals. My aim is to not vomit, because I did after the second game last year, and to break the Guinness record for street hockey teams in a tournament, as thanks to Wally, he said on the phone from his home in Los Angeles, California. According to the Guinness World Records website, the current record for street hockey teams in a tournament is 192, set in Ladysmith on Vancouver Island in 2007. I said I’d be back and we’re coming back in a big way, he said. It’s possible. We figured last year we had a lot of teams and we only really promoted it a month before. Smith is known for films such as Clerks, Mallrats, Dogma and the upcoming film Cop Out, a detective film starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan.

The director, writer, producer, actor and cult phenomenon attended the tournament for the first time last year, after he stumbled across a poster for it online while doing a Google search of Walter. He then called Pat Shewchuk of Brantford Parks and Recreation and said he would like to play in the tournament and sponsor three teams of his fans to play as well. His attendance in the tournament was a huge success, not only did the number of teams competing nearly triple, to 94 in 2009, but he sold out a show at the Sanderson Centre and donated the $10,000 proceeds to the sports infrastructure fund.

While his intention was always to throw some weight behind the tournament, he also managed to fulfill a dream of meeting one of his idols. I had such a blast last year, he said. That was one of the top 10 moments of my life. I still look at those pictures and smile. I’m used to working in front of an audience under circumstances I can control, but I’ve never done anything remotely athletic in front a crowd. Smith said the thrill of last year’s experience had provided more than enough incentive to commit to it again. People always ask me what my motivation behind it is. I need nothing more than the motivation to play street hockey in Wayne Gretzky’s home town in front of his father, he said. The filmmaker has already started to promote the event on his website and through social networking tool Twitter, but said a big announcement as to the finer details of the tournament would be made during a press conference with Walter at Wayne Gretzky’s Restaurant in Toronto on Feb. 3.

Shewchuk, of Brantford Parks and Recreation, said Smith’s participation will provide an opportunity to make the street hockey tournament a huge part of the Brantford sports calendar. Our vision is to make it a signature event, she said. I think with Kevin’s continued involvement, he wants to make it the biggest around. Shewchuk said Smith’s enthusiastic approach to the tournament allowed it to expand in a way that wouldn’t be possible without him.

When you have someone of his stature promoting it, it has the potential to be one of the biggest the city has seen, she said. With someone of his notoriety promoting this isn’t an opportunity that comes to everybody. However, Smith isn’t the only one who deserves credit, Shewchuk said. The reason Smith attended and promoted the tournament last year was because he is a big fan of the Gretzky family, especially Walter. (Smith) really admires Walter and that is the reason he attended, Shewchuk said. I don’t think the city realizes how lucky we are to have him and everything he does for us.

Last year, in an interview with Brant News, Smith said of Walter: He’s the cream of the crop – I look up to him as a human being – there’s always room for a guy like that in your world.

PS …. We Broke the Record … Over 200 teams registered for the 2010 Walter Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament.

Mar 25 2010

Episode 16 – VASHL Podcast

Featuring:
Mark Bell (Monroeville Zombies),
Clayton Hernden (League Convener, Monroeville Zombies)

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Mar 03 2010

Episode 15 – VASHL Podcast

Featuring:
Mark Bell (Monroeville Zombies),
Frank Ciampi (Leonardo Reapers)
Warren Stanley (Leonardo Reapers)
Mike Crandall (Leonardo Reapers)
Mike Duyn (Monroeville Zombies)
Isabelle Laroche (VAG)
Grace Ultsch (VAG)

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Feb 27 2010

Episode 14 – VASHL Podcast

Featuring: Mark Bell (Monroeville Zombies),
Steve Attwell (Monroeville Zombies),
Brian Maxwell (Monroeville Zombies),
Brad Silzer (Monroeville Zombies),
Ralph Beavers (Monroeville Zombies),
Darryl Clarke (View Askew Vulgarians),
Mike Crandall (Leonardo Reapers)

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Jun 05 2009

Kevin Smith Comes North

Filmmaker in Brantford to Support Gretzky

BRUCE KIRKLAND, SUN MEDIA
Brantford Expositor

Fresh and fragrant from the set of his new Bruce Willis movie, A Couple of Dicks, Kevin Smith is planning to hop on the last plane to Toronto out of L.A. today.

Destination: Brantford.

Smith has a purpose: Play goal for the Puck U team in the Walter Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament that starts with a charity memorabilia auction tonight and runs through Sunday, with Smith playing his games in the round-robin tournament on Saturday and Sunday.

Smith has a passion: He says he loves hockey in general, Walter and Wayne Gretzky in particular and is keen to support youth sports in Brantford, the town where Wayne was born and raised.

All the Brantford events this weekend, from the street hockey to Smith's Stocky Night in Canada stage show at 8 p.m. on Saturday night, are charity events to raise money for Brantford's sports facilities infrastructure legacy fund.

WHY?

"People keep asking me, 'Why?' " Smith tells Sun Media about going to Hockey Mecca in Brantford to visit with Walter and pay homage to Wayne Gretzky. "It's been 25 years since those crazy Oiler kids — captained by the lanky, polite Ontarian who always seemed to know where the puck was gonna be — took home their first Stanley Cup. And 10 years since the greatest hockey player the world has ever known retired from the game.

"This is just my way of thanking Wayne and his greatest coach for the memories, the excitement and the heart.

"They say nobody could ever replace number 99 but I say: 'Let's try! The world needs more Wayne Gretzkys.' The last one came out of Brantford, so I figured we should raise some loot through the Wayne Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament and maybe one day the town produces another humble genius who, against all conventional wisdom, dominates the game and our hearts all over again."

Street hockey is perfect for the New Jersey-born Smith, who is famous for his stand-up comedy chats and for creating movies from Clerks to Zack and Miri Make a Porno.

He says that, once he posted on his website about his desire to play the games for Walter Gretzky, "other dudes like me — old, fat, unathletic, more-body-fat-than-bone — started dreaming they too could forecheck it up the slot and slap themselves some middle-aged glory in the hometown of the Great One."

Smith & company — his team includes Silent Bob's sidekick Jason Mewes — could be in for a rough and tumble ride.

"I haven't net-minded in 15 years," Smith says, "and let me tell you, I wasn't good then. I'm hoping that whatever I lack in (Martin) Brodeur-like brilliance and (Roberto) Luongo-level dexterity I can make up for in sheer width and mass in goal. God willing, my child-bearing hips stretch pipe to pipe."

More daunting, however, is the prospect of meeting Walter Gretzky himself. Smith is at ease with movie stars.

Hockey gods? Not so much.

"I think it'd be uncomfortable for us both," Smith says of the promised introduction, "as I'd be reduced to a blubbering mess trying to express through tears and snot how much he and his son have meant to me and millions others. Seriously, if we're introduced, I might nervously throw up. I got no business letting my loser stink anywhere near Mr. Gretzky."

Details on the Brantford weekend are available online at Smith's own website, viewaskew.com, as well as on the Gretzky family's official website, gretzky.com. The street hockey games, along with live concerts and a display of goodies from the Hockey Hall of Fame, take place Saturday and Sunday at the Ball Hockey International at the Steve Brown Sports Complex in Lions Park. The official opening ceremony is at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

TIX AVAILABLE

Stocky Night in Canada, with Smith teaming up with his producer Scott Mosier, is set to roll at 8 p.m. in the Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts. Tickets for this only are $25.75, with proceeds going to the charity. Call 800-265-0710 for info.

The final kicker is a special Sunday afternoon hockey game in which Smith's Puck U team will play the winners from the teen division of the tournament. "If they can beat us," Smith says, "we're going to donate a bunch of loot to Brantford Youth Athletics. If they can't beat us, their citizenship — and street cred as electric youth — should be revoked!"

via www.brantfordexpositor.ca

Jun 02 2009

We Get Kevin Smith’s Affection for Wally

Brantford Expositor
Opinion Editorial

There might not be many people out there who appreciate director Kevin Smith’s affection for Walter Gretzky, but we here in Brantford understand.

What others may not get is how or why the New Jersey native, who directed Clerks, Mallrats and Jersey Girl, grew to appreciate Wayne Gretzky’s dad so much.

They might also have trouble comprehending why a Hollywood director would come to compete in an annual street hockey tournament in Brantford.

We think it’s the type of attention Wally has long deserved and is finally getting.

Sure, attracting a celebrity like Smith doesn’t compare to getting the Order of Canada, which Gretzky received last year, but Gretzky is all about lending his name and presence to good causes for the city and his annual street hockey tournament is no exception.

The tournament, which runs from Friday to Sunday, helps fund parks and recreation projects in the city.

Smith’s presence, along with a few other actors he’s bringing with him, will help draw more attention and stir up more excitement for the tournament at Lions Park.

The American has been promoting the tournament in media such as the New York Times and Time magazine. He’ll also be performing his live show, Stocky Night in Canada, at the Sanderson Centre. Eight hundred tickets have been sold for the Saturday show.

It’s always gratifying for us as Canadians when we hear of an American who embraces our culture (i. e. hockey) and our national icons (Wayne and Walter Gretzky).

We all understand hero worship for athletes since it’s so prevalant in society, but an appreciation for an ex-athlete’s father? From another country? That’s far more rare and gives enhanced meaning to Smith’s reasons for taking part, even if we can’t quite fathom the connection.

Never mind that Kevin Smith is not exactly a household name.

Pat Shewchuk, co-ordinator of the Tournament Capital of Ontario, admitted to The Expositor that she did not realize the extent of Smith’s celebrity when he first contacted her about participating.

Gretzky himself was even more succinct when first told of Smith’s interest: “Do I know a Kevin Smith? What’s he do?”

However, there will soon be no excuse for not knowing Smith.

Actually, this is not Smith’s only connection to the Brantford area.

Smith is a big fan of the original Degrassi series and has appeared on Degrassi: The Next Generation.

Degrassi, of course, was created by Linda Schuyler, who grew up in Paris.

So Smith’s participation in a Brantford signature event seems like a natural progression. The director had just finished reading Walter’s autobiography before he contacted Shewchuk about participating in the tournament.

One mystery about Smith’s participation remains: Why would anyone volunteer to play goalie in street hockey, as Smith has pledged to do in the tournament?

Street hockey goalie is a position you usually talk or threaten your little brother or sister into playing.

Perhaps Smith learned a lesson or two from Walter Gretzky about being there when someone else needs your help.

via www.brantfordexpositor.ca

May 29 2009

Good on ya Kevin Smith

By Tom Kennedy
Brantford.com

Firstly, in case you didn’t know, good on ya , is an Australian way of saying well done or thanks.

So why would I be thanking well-known filmmaker, director, writer, actor Kevin Smith?

Well, the Walter Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament is just a stone's throw away and, without a doubt, the knowledge that Smith will be fielding a team has brought huge interest to the event and the city.

With just seven days till the event, the news is that registrations for the third annual Walter Gretzky tournament are more than double that of its inaugural year and Pat Shewchuk of the Tournament Capital of Ontario board said she knows all too well that Smith has been a huge draw card.

So far, 85 teams have registered for the tournament and when I spoke to Shewchuk earlier today she said she expected to be receiving more over the weekend despite today being the unofficial deadline.

It seems a lot of those teams would be travelling on the news that Smith and his crew would be competing in the tournament.

Were I not going to be involved in the media side of things, I would surely have planned to be there as a player or a spectator … Wouldn’t you?

Not only is a ball hockey tournament a good way to have fun and raise money for a good cause but you also have the chance to meet Silent Bob . How cool is that?

And as far as his participation and promotion of the event goes, I think he deserves a pat on the back and a round of applause from all those involved in the Brantford sporting community because the whole point of the tournament is to raise money for that very community.

Smith is not only bringing himself, his wife and whole bunch of friends up for the weekend, but is also sponsoring three teams of fans to play as well.

Not to mention, he’s doing all of this while also working on directing his upcoming film A Couple of Dicks, a detective comedy starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan.

When he’s done goaltending for his team, Puck U., he will be performing at the Sanderson Centre on June 6.

Smith’s Stocky Night in Canada will feature his popular question and answer style rhetoric as well as a podcast with Canadian film producer and longtime industry friend of Smith, Scott Mosier.

Now what, I hear you ask, is Smith’s motive for travelling to Brantford, fielding teams in the tournament and subjecting his goaltending skills to the scrutiny of hundreds, if not thousands, of fans?

To put it simply, when I spoke to him a while back he said that Wayne Gretzky was a man worthy of a religion and that, similarly, Walter was an amazing person, and that he wanted to give back to the city that produced these amazing people and meet Canada’s best-known hockey Dad.

So he does have a motive but I don’t think anyone will criticize him for bringing huge exposure to the event which now has the potential to continue to grow and raise funds for the city’s sports community.

So from myself and, I’m sure, the local sporting community and the city as a whole:
“Good on ya Kevin Smith.”

May 26 2009

Episode 13 – VASHL Podcast

Featuring:
Mark Dicicco (Leonardo Reapers)
Mark Bell (Monroeville Zombies)

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