8 OCTOBER 15, 2004 SMOKE SIGNALS OCTOBER 15, 2004 Smoke Signals 9 3r ELmwt See Winter Hawks on page 8 Festerling Out Scoring the team. Came But most of all, it teaches them Winter Hawks' Center Garrett professionalism and provides real Festerling, 20, started the sea- world experience. And that is not - son this year as team high scorer j V- Jv: always pleasant. Robin Big Snake .. y':f:. with two goals in each of the first I is a case in point. Last month, he two games. 1-- -- The team was nonetheless 1 was the team's leading draw, a iU.mmmmmmJ.Lu& Uii.' ' 2K 5-- 3 hard-hittin- g, wing v with a win in the first game who mixed it up with the best of against the Blazers and the league. Today, he is off the a 6-- 4 loss against the Vancouver Portland roster and back home in Giants in the second game. To- Alberta, Canada. See sidebar day, the Winter Hawks sit in third From the Tribe's point of view, the e - place in the U.S. Division with a vwmm 4-- 4 $35,500 annual investment to be- record. come a major sponsor of the Winter The Quesnel, Hawks is an investment in a team teenager was called up to the worth following, a team that many Winter Hawks at the end of 2003 Tribal members already follow. iL from the tier two Junior A hockey 250,000-400,00- team, Vernon With some 0 fans WSJ Wi the Vipers, of the attending Winter Hawks games in Contact Sport Winter Hawks Right Wing Sasha Golin (left) gets up close and British Columbia Junior Hockey Kris League. Portland every season, the team personal with Versteeg ofthe . The PortlandWinter Hawks Garrett Festerling reaches a potentially vital group draw more than a quarter of a million fans to the Rose Garden and Memorial Coli- He was sixth on his team in that in general is believed to be seum every season. scoring at the time of the call-u- p but all of the players above him well-dispose- 19-- d toward the Tribe's were and Festerling was 16 at the time. gaming operations. the team. They wear jerseys. And "I think the marriage is real im- The 5'9" Festerling has a 6'1" twin brother, Brett, who is a It will mean "a lot of exposure for it's a really really neat thing and I portant to both," said Vrooman. defenseman for the Tri-Cit- y Americans. They played on the samj the Tribe," said Vrooman. "We're think when the people come from "Our goal is to make everybody team in Quesnel all the way through minor league hockey, and won going to have the Confederated the Reservation to see games, happy and try to do the best we can, the British Columbia Midget AA Provincial Championship i i Tribes logo on the ice. We're going they're going to see a very fast, ex- executing the sponsorship to Smithers, B.C. when the two were Their dad, Briar ., to have big signs. On the nights Face Off The Winter Hawks Braydon Coburn (center) defends against the Lethbridge Hurricanes Michael Kaye during the citing game to watch. And they're everybody's satisfaction, so that this played forward in the World Hockey League for the Blades

m 1974-7- 7. that there is going to be a presence October 1 0 game at Memorial Coliseum in Portland. The team hosted a reception after the game forTribal members. going to see a lot of fun people have could be the beginning of a long-ter- and from of people from the Reservation, a great time. partnership." we're going to do more promotions. give back to the community. And the championship of all amateur in the playoffs last year and have We're talking about using the big it's fun for the membership with all hockey. "A lot of people think it's most of their players back, so they screen used to show slow motion the free tickets." the hardest trophy in sports to win should be very good, too. It should instant replays, and part of that will The Tribe joins Fred Meyer, Bank because there are so many teams be a real competitive division," said The Travails ofWinter Hawk's Robin Big Snake be putting some advertising up of the West, the Plumbing and Me- - that are going for ," said Vrooman. it Vrooman. Robin Big Snake, 20, was one of following Snake's return from the Canada. of jred some mes- periods where he sc there and "The goal of the the Winter Hawks most popular tryouts that got him bounced from "I'm there for my teammates," he sages and things about more than a goal a game. league is to get these players. With 21 "major" penalties the roster. The team will not talk said, and "I play the way I want to As Tribal history basi- the first from his Tribe to guys to the National for fighting and a team high 230 about it except to say that "we were be played with." cally educating our fan reach this level of hockey j lay, Hockey League. Give minutes in the penalty box in his unable to get Robin to channel his "My game itself eggs people to try base to what you're all Snake seemed to recognize tht.t he them their best first season (2003-04- ) with the Win- competitiveness and talent, which and fight me, too," he said. "Like I about, and building was a role model for everyone from chance. And one of ter Hawks, Snake, as he is called, are two of his biggest assets, in lay big hits. And when you a fc) (of the lay kids in general to Tribal kids his awareness the the ways to do that is created the kind of excitement that right direction," according to Win-- big hit, you're bound to get asked Tribe) in the Portland little brothers, who "like to wea r my to have the teams makes hockey the game worth hockey market." stuff." very close, very com- watching for thousands of fans. He talked his "I think that anytime about success as a petitive, have the Being half Cree (on mom's side) fulfillment of his dreams. "When I you can go out and get somebody chanical Contractors Association This year, the team sits right in guys play their best every night to and half Blackfoot (on dad's side), was younger, I used to sit around in the public eye like a sports team, and UA Local 290 of the Plumbers the middle of its division, third place win, and I think the league has he also was a great headliner for the in my hockey equipment at home it shows that you are investing in Union in sponsoring the Winter of five with a 4-- 4 record. done a good job of that." Confederated Tribes of Grand watching TV." the community," said Reyn Leno, Hawks. "We have a great chance to be People that come to our games Ronde, a major sponsor for the team. He described Tribal suppoit for Vice Chair of the Tribal Council, The Winter Hawks have won two great this year," said Vrooman. have a great time. Our fan base is An Indian athlete that Tribal mem- his efforts this way: "At first, they "and we always said that we would Memorial Cups 1983 and 1998 The Tri Cities team beat Portland fun. They're loud. They support bers took a lot of pride in support- were a little, like, they wanted to ing, Snake also remarkably, was a see where it was going and vhere soft-spoke- n, thoughtful and patient" it was taking me, and that had young man in an interview. the drive to make it. Once I d d get Snake was headed for the big listed to Western Hockey L ague leagues - and still may be - before and started my career, they were his fall from grace earlier this it more and more supportive. Now, month. In fact, he had just returned they back me one hundred pe 'cent. from what reportedly was a great 7. If I need anything or I need help tryout with the Hartford Wolf Pack, with anything, they're there." the affili- "I just played hard and things ate of 's ,- out," the 1- worked he said. . v". " ,., - -- ..V.... J "It feels good when I know that "Any other year," said Winter Super Star Robin Big Snake signs an autograph for a Winterhawks fan at a I'm doing my job, and can gi e the Hawks GM Ken Hodge, "they prob- meet and greet session at the Tribal Governance center, on Thursday, September fans the entertainment that hockey ably would have signed him to a 16. Big Snake, who is half Cree and half Blackfoot, grew up playing hockey. is." contract, but with the NHL locked Before the incident, Snake said out, Hartford has 35 hockey play- that his ambitions were to stay in ers trying for 23 spots so Robin was ter Hawks Coach Mike Williamson, to fight." hockey in any capacity he could in pretty tough (company). But, who made the decision to take "It's just how I play hockey," he find. As one of the great promises they liked what they saw. He Snake off the roster. said. for tomorrow, Robin Big Sna ke has showed them some things. Now, "I play kind of He's a fighter, but he also has a a snag. - . N - 1 hit -- ...ni i mi MA j they will monitor his performance hockey," said Snake, who grew up record of scoring regularly from his More than most fans, Grand Sam The Man Tribal member Sam George (front, left) was among the 50 Logo Board Winter Hawks Center Brandon Dubinsky squeezes past Hurri with us as a ld this sea- on the Blackfoot Reserve in Siksika, left wing position. Throughout his Ronde Tribal be Grand Ronde Tribal members who were in attendance at the October 3 game with members vill canes Defenseman Brent Seabrook right in front of the Tribal logo during the Sunday, son." Alberta, a community of 6,000, the amateur career, beginning when watching for a comeback, looking the Kamloops Blazers. October 1 0 game at Portland Memorial Coliseum. The Winterhawks lost 4 to 1 . Then came the locker room "issue" second largest Land Nation in he was 16, he has gone through a forward to a promise fulfilled.

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