B2 ■ SPORTS THE BRANDON SUN ■ MONDAY JANUARY 4 2021

TODAY IN SPORTS ON TELEVISION • HOCKEY — 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship semifinals, Canada vs. Russia, 5 p.m. (TSN1); Finland vs. United States, 8:30 p.m. (TSN1) • NBA — at Toronto Raptors, 6:30 p.m. (SN1); at Houston Rockets, 7 p.m. (TSN1); at Golden State Warriors, 9 p.m. (SN1)

IN LOCAL HISTORY • 30 YEARS AGO — Mike Vandenberghe scored the winning one minute into overtime as the defeated the Regina Pats 5-4 in the . Hardy Sauter had two goals for the Wheat Kings, while Rob Puchniak and Glen Gulutzan had singles. • 40 YEARS AGO— Wade Little scored the winning goals with only 18 seconds remaining as the host Neepawa Natives edged the St. Rose Royals 6-5 in the SouthWest Hockey League. • 50 YEARS AGO—Kim Wood scored three goals as Virden dumped the nine-year-old Brandon Little Wheat Kings 6-2 in minor hockey.

IN OTHER NEWS

BLACKHAWKS RE-SIGN DYLAN STROME Brandon Wheat Kings captain Taylor Langford accepts the national U18 championship trophy from organizers on April 25, 2004 after scoring in overtime for a 2-1 victory over the Riverains du Collège Charles-Lemoyn. (Courtesy of Hockey Canada) CHICAGO — The Chicago Blackhawks and forward Dylan Strome agreed to a two-year contract extension Sunday. Strome was a restricted free agent. The extension runs through the 2021-22 season and carries a $3-million salary- cap hit. » Celebration ensues after goal The 23-year-old Strome had 12 goals and 26 assists in 58 games last season. With captain Jonathan Toews sidelined by Continued fom Page B1 an illness and fellow forwards Kirby Dach and Alex Nylander out with injuries, the play of Strome is more important than JUSTIN WATTERS: “It’s a feel- ever for Chicago. ing that you really can’t describe “We believe Dylan is ready to take the next step in his ca- until you feel it. It’s the outpour- reer and build off the strides he has made in his fi rst two years ing of everybody coming onto in Chicago,” president of hockey operations Stan Bowman the ice. It’s a feeling of complete said in a release. shock and literally the next three Strome was selected by with the No. 3 pick in the to four hours are all just one 2015 entry draft. He had seven goals and nine assists in 48 memory.” games for the Coyotes before he was traded to the Black- BRANDON LOCKERBY: “I hawks in November 2018. just remember a lot of guys hug- Strome played well after the trade, scoring 17 goals and ging each other and happiness. adding 34 assists in 58 games. He had some issues with in- It was hard for us to understand consistency last year and missed time because of a concus- at the time what we had done.” sion. MARK JOHNSTON: “It was a dream come true … This wasn’t FOOTBALL GREAT FLOYD LITTLE DIES AT 78 supposed to happen but it did.” Floyd Little, the versatile running back who starred at Syra- KURT JORY: “When we were cuse and for the Denver Broncos, has died after a long bout jumping the boards we all got a with cancer. He was 78. little crazy and wiped out on the The Pro Football Hall of Fame said he died Friday night at ice, and I remember lying on the his home in Nevada. ice looking up at the ceiling.” Little was a three-time All-American at Syracuse, where he SHAUN EARL: “The whole wore No. 44 like Jim Brown and Ernie Davis before him. From thing is a blur. I just skated out 1964-66, he ran for 2,704 yards and 46 touchdowns. there and jumped on him. I Little was the sixth overall pick in the 1967 AFL-NFL draft. don’t really remember anything He played nine seasons in Denver, where he earned the nick- after that until I got a picture name “The Franchise” because his signing was credited with with my brother and sister with keeping the team from relocating and helped persuade voters the trophy.” Brandon Wheat Kings forward Andrew Gurba hoists the national U18 championship trophy. to approve funds for the old, iconic Mile High Stadium, which MICKEY McCRIMMON: “By has since been replaced by Empower Field at Mile High. the time we were on the blue- our minds at that time. We were around. We were just a group 30 seconds. Nobody said a word. Little was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in line I can remember looking blown away. There was so much from Brandon who all grew up Everyone was just staring at the 1983 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010. up at our parents being there. excitement. It was special.” there and played together for a trophy. To me, that’s the mo- Floyd is survived by his wife DeBorah. You’re starting to feel what it TYLER PLANTE: “It didn’t long, long time.” ment it sunk in. In those 30 sec- might be like when the celebra- matter what you did in your onds, you’re going through the tion goes off the ice. You’re real- hockey career or what you did BACK TO THE ROOM last eight months and thinking PENS SIGN MARINO TO SIX-YEAR EXTENSION izing you get to take this feeling in your life, it was such a pivotal Eventually, the on-ice cel- ‘Wow, what a journey.’” PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins are betting big home.” in all of our lives. It was ebration came to an end and The moment was broken on defenceman John Marino. KEN MOTT: “I vaguely re- such a mission-accomplished the team retreated to the dress- when one of the other coaches The team signed the 23-year-old Marino on Sunday to a member helmets off skating feeling.” ing room it had used for the past told Argyriou it was the longest six-year contract extension that carries an average annual around waving to the fans and TAYLOR LANGFORD: “It was week. he had ever heard him silent. value of $4.4 million. stuff like that, people coming disbelief that we were able to ALEX ARGYRIOU: “We’re on Before long, the bus hit the The deal caps a meteoric rise for Marino, who was acquired in and asking for autographs. pull it off. Honestly you start to the ice for an hour and there’s highway to bring the winners from Edmonton in July 2019 in exchange for a sixth-round I couldn’t believe why anyone realize how long of a journey it the media there and the parents home. pick. Marino impressed as a rookie last season, scoring six would want my autograph. It was and how big of a deal it was. and the families and you’re tak- TYLER PLANTE: “I threw up goals to go with 20 assists in 56 games to go with a plus-17 was maybe the fi rst time that It was televised and the Hockey ing pictures and all this crazy twice on the bus. I wasn’t sick. rating. He is the sixth rookie defenceman in team history to ever happened. It was a blur. It Hall of Fame guys are on the ice stuff is going through your head. I was just physically and emo- register 20 assists. all went so quick and then the after picking up memorabilia We eventually make our way tionally depleted.” The contract starts immediately and runs through the next thing you know you’re on a and being the fi rst back to the dressing room, and 2026-27 season. bus on the way home.” team to advance to the position I remember Taylor popping the » TUESDAY’S BRANDON Marino was scheduled to become a restricted free agent CRAIG ANDERSON: “I was that we did, a small-town team trophy down in the middle of SUN: Final chapter — Nearly next summer. Now he can settle in with the Penguins. very proud of our boys and our with all guys from Brandon the dressing room and every- 17 years later. The move gives Pittsburgh added long-term security on the staff and our parents. There when there are other regions one just sitting around. You » [email protected] blue line. Marcus Pettersson signed a fi ve-year contract ex- was so much going through in Canada where guys can hop could hear a pin drop for 20 or » Twitter: @PerryBergson tension last January.

TIGER-CATS RE-SIGN THREE RECEIVERS Paul Westphal, Hall of Famer HAMILTON — The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have re-signed American wide receivers Jaelon Acklin, Marcus Tucker and Jalin Marshall. Acklin, 25, was named the Ticats’ most outstanding rook- ie in 2019 after registering 58 receptions for 708 yards and and NBA champion, dies at 70 three touchdowns in 17 games. The 6-2, 190-pound native of Mountain View, Mo., led eligible rookie wide receivers in tar- gets (74), receptions and receiving yards, and was fourth in BY BETH HARRIS ton before being traded to Phoenix. receiving touchdowns. In 1976, Westphal helped the Suns reach Tucker, 28, posted 38 receptions for 475 yards and two Paul Westphal, a Hall of Fame player who their fi rst NBA Finals against the Celtics. touchdowns with Hamilton in 2019, his fi rst season in the won a championship with the Boston Celt- Game 5, a triple-overtime thriller in that se- CFL. ics in 1974 and later coached in the league ries, is often called “the greatest game ever Marshall, 25, played eight games with the Ticats in 2019, and in college, died Saturday. He was 70. played.” accumulating eight receptions for 139 yards, one carry for He died in Scottsdale, Arizona, according The Suns trailed 94-91 in the closing sec- fi ve rushing yards and a touchdown, and two kickoff returns to a statement from Southern California, onds of regulation when Westphal stole the for 23 yards. where Westphal starred in college. He was ball from JoJo White and got fouled. His diagnosed with brain cancer last August. 3-point play tied the game at 94. A fi ve-time All-Star guard, Westphal In the second overtime, with 15 seconds RISING STAR GARCIA DROPS CAMPBELL played in the NBA from 1972-84. After win- left and the Suns trailing 109-108, Westphal DALLAS — Ryan Garcia staggered Luke Campbell with a ning a championship with the Celtics, he stole the ball from , who had body blow after coming back from an early knockdown, win- made the fi nals in 1976 with Phoenix, where taken an inbounds pass. That led to a se- ning a WBC lightweight title fi ght on a seventh-round knock- he was a key part of one of the most riveting quence in which the Suns scored to take a out Saturday night. games in league history. He also played for 110-109 lead. The 22-year-old California was in control when his left Seattle and the . Havlicek scored with fi ve seconds left to hand to Campbell’s right side sent the English fi ghter to one He averaged 15.6 points, 4.4 assists and put the Celtics ahead 111-110. The buzzer knee at 1:58 of the seventh. Campbell couldn’t get up, giving Former Sacramento Kings the undefeated Garcia his 18th knockout in 21 fi ghts. 1.9 rebounds during his career. Paul Westphal, shown during a National sounded and Celtics fl ooded the court, be- After his playing career ended, Westphal lieving their team had won. However, the Campbell (20-4) knocked down Garcia with a left hook in Association game in 2010, the second round, but didn’t land many other punches while moved into coaching. He led the Suns to the has died at age 70. (Associated Press) referee ruled that Havlicek scored with two NBA Finals in 1993, and also was head coach seconds remaining. Garcia was the more aggressive fi ghter until the decisive blow. of Seattle and Sacramento. He had stints as yon and Pepperdine. One second was put back on the clock. Campbell had lost two previous title fi ghts after winning a an assistant with Dallas and Brooklyn. Westphal played at USC from 1968-72, Westphal called for a timeout that the Suns gold medal at his home Olympics in London in 2012. It was “There may be just a handful of people and the Trojans honoured him with a mo- didn’t have, resulting in a . The the fi fth straight knockout for Garcia. who have as much infl uence and signifi - ment of silence before their game Saturday. Celtics made the free throw for a 112-110 » Wire Services cance on the history of the ,” His No. 25 jersey hangs in the Galen Center lead. After a timeout, the Suns inbounded at former team owner said. rafters. He led the Trojans to a 24-2 record midcourt and scored to force a third over- “All he accomplished as a player and as a in 1971. The following year, he was an All- time. coach. Off the court, he was a gentleman, a American and team captain who led the With 20 seconds left and the Celtics lead- family man, great moral character. He rep- Trojans with a 20.3-point average. ing 128-122, Westphal scored two quick resented the Suns the way you want every Born on Nov. 30, 1950, in the Los Angeles baskets to cut it to 128-126 and nearly stole player to represent your franchise.” suburb of Torrance, Paul Douglas Westphal the ball at midcourt, but failed and the Celt- At the college level, Westphal coached at was drafted 10th overall in the fi rst round ics ran out the clock to win. Southwestern Baptist Bible College (now of the 1972 NBA draft by the Celtics. The The Suns retired his No. 44 jersey. Arizona Christian University), Grand Can- 6-foot-4 guard spent three seasons in Bos- » The Associated Press