If there’s any colour that stands out at the Farrell Agencies Arena on a hockey night, it’s orange. But on Saturday night, pink overpowered the orange as the Yorkton RawTec Maulers hosted their third annual Paint the Rink Pink fundraiser game.
The annual event is a fundraiser for breast cancer, with all proceeds going to the Canadian Cancer Society. This year was another successful one, which resulted in the Maulers donating close to $3000, which came from 50/50 draw, a raffle table and other donations. The referees for the game - Mark Dubreuil, Jeff Bahrey, Evan Johnson and Jay Rockey - also donated their wages from the game to the cause.
The game was in rememberance of Pat Friesen, who is the late wife of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League president Lloyd Friesen.
Although hockey wasn’t necessarily the most important part of the night, the Maulers were able to come out on top of their game against the Swift Current Legionnaires with a 3-2 decision.
When the game ended and the Maulers headed down the back hallway of the F.A.A. towards their dressing room, between the cheers and chants you could hear players saying, “that was the best win of the season.”
On such an important night, it’s no surprise that the players would feel that way.
For one Mauler, the game had a more significant meaning. Veteran goalie Jordan Schmuland, who happened to get the win for Yorkton that night, said breast cancer hits close to home for him.
“My grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, so it was a really big game for me,” Schmuland said. “I had a lot of pressure, but I thought that helped – that I had my grandma on my side there. And it was awesome.”
Schmuland said since he and almost everyone on the team was affected by cancer in some way, the Paint the Rink Pink event is their way of giving back.
“But you just have to focus on the game, and I think that’s what we did tonight,” added Schmuland.
Head coach Kevin Rawlick said he was thrilled with how the night played out - both on and off the ice.
“It’s an absolutely awesome event, and it’s our opportunity to be visually giving back,” he said. “We give back in so many different ways, but doing this and having the whole board involved and everything you saw tonight, it was awesome.”
With the night resulting in a win, Rawlick praised his players for doing their jobs, and doing them well.
“We’re sticking with our process. They don’t care if we’re up or we’re down, it’s the same work ethic all the time,” said the coach.
“For the longest time, you preach to kids to just work hard and it’ll happen. They’ve earned everything they’re getting right now.”
The Maulers have moved into the sixth place spot in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League rankings, which puts them right in the middle of the pack. As the team meshes both on and off the ice, their level of play just keeps growing.
From following the Maulers on their social media networks, it’s clear that the team spends a lot of time building their bonds off of the ice, whether it’s volunteering, visiting the zoo in Saskatoon, or taking in WHL games while they’re on the road, they do all they can to create a family vibe.
“It’s just a great character team. It starts with the captain, Aiden [Bulych], and works the way down,” said Rawlick.
And Bulych agreed.
“We gel together really well – it’s kind of surreal how well we gel,” said the captain.
Schmuland added that the relationships the team has built with each other makes for better results on the ice.
“We’re all really good friends, and that plays a huge role in sacrificing and all those other things that make for a successful team,” said Schmuland.
The Maulers’ goals on Saturday night were scored by Zach McIntyre (2) and Reid Arnold.
It was a quick game turn around for them, as they were back on the ice on Sunday at noon for their second game against the Legionnaires.
Despite a hard effort, the Maulers fell 8-4 in that contest.
The Maulers hold a 9-7-1-1 record, giving them 20 points for the sixth place ranking.
On Wednesday night they’ll play the Notre Dame Hounds on the road, but they’ll return to the Farrell Agencies Arena on Saturday, Nov. 25. They’ll host the seventh place Saskatoon Contacts at 8:00 p.m.
