Final Season A Tribute To Her Dad
Editor's Note - When MJ Independent first started almost four years ago we wanted to cover local sports.
The only team who replied at the time were the Moose Jaw Bantam Mavericks.
This year we are featuring the Milestone U18A Female Flyers where four Moose Jaw players - Ember DuSomme, Nikita Halyk, Sidney Ellingson and Taryn Sandbeck are finishing out their minor hockey careers.
Second in a series.
By Robert Thomas
“I thought I should do it for him,” Sidney Ellingson about her late father Ryan Ellingson and the 2021/2022 season.
On July 7th, 2020 Sydney Ellingson's entire world crashed down on her when her father, her coach and inspiration Ryan suddenly passed away.
“I thought at first how am I going to play without him…he had always been my coach and he would have wanted me to finish this last season,” Ellingson said.
A grade 12 student attending Peacock Collegiate this will be her final year of eligibility for minor hockey.
Hockey came easy or at least through the way of a shock value for Ellingson.
“I was four years old and wanted to play hockey. My mom bought me all of the equipment and said have at her,” she said, adding “and I was literally shoved onto the ice and that was it.”
As a four year old her first year of learning was through the Learn To Skate program in Moose Jaw followed right up with playing Spring hockey in Saskatoon and then it was off to the Mavericks program.
“I loved it because of my dad…I use to be in dance but I didn’t like it.”
In Ellingson's mind hockey was the game for her.
“There is no doubt in my mind I always wanted to play hockey.”
In fact hockey has figured heavily in her family life.
“It (hockey) brought our family together.”
Entering into the Mavericks program as a five year old or atom division Ellingson played with the all female team the Pink Panthers.
Sidney Ellingson (center) from her years with the Moose Jaw Mavericks - MJ independent file photo
Ellingson entry into the Mavericks’ program corresponded with the tenure of Stephane Gauvin years of coaching in the Moose Jaw Minor Hockey Association (MJMHA).
Gauvin, whose day job is principal at Central Collegiate, was widely regarded as the best coach in the MJMHA system at the time
When asked about being the best coach on the MJMHA system by MJ Independent Gauvin would always say thank for the compliment but it “was not true.”
Ellingson for her part said she had been blessed to have great coaching over the years - Gauvin, Mike Botterill and Shane Kaufmann in Milestone - but Gauvin is the one who stood out the most.
“I love hockey. I love the girls. I love the teamwork. I have had some amazing coaches playing hockey. It was amazing to be coached by Stephane Gauvin…he was my coach until his daughter (Ellie Gauvin) went to play with Notre Dame (18AAA).”
Despite the Pink Panthers being a 100 percent female team at the atoms level they played in the boy's league.
The same girls playing together year after year on the same team builds bonds and friendships, she said.
“You have that bond between one and another as you have the same girls playing all together on the same team year after year,” Ellingson said.
But one of the greatest changes for Ellingson came with the arrival of Ember DuSomme to the Mavericks program.
“She started quite awhile after us..she is like part of my family, she is like my sister,” Ellingson said of DuSomme.
Ellingson said both her mom and DuSomme's mom were really good friends.
“My mom likes to call us the Hanson Brothers.”
Sidney Ellingson behind an opponent's net - MJ Independent file photo
“She (DuSomme) brings out the best out of my hockey skills and we just seem to understand each other on and off the ice.”
Although they have played on the same baseball and other teams it was hockey which made their friendship so close.
“I probably would not have been very close (friends) with her if it had not been for hockey,” Ellingson said.
The two have played on the same line for five years.
Hockey has helped her meet people in not just Milestone but also in Swift Current, Notre Dame (Wilcox) and Saskatoon.
Ellingson hockey career came close to being over due to a major knee injury which required surgery.
First she would over extend her knee where she felt there was internal damage and then she would tear her ACL requiring surgery and physiotherapy to repair it.
“First I over extended my knee and then two years ago I tore my ACL and I needed surgery.”
Recovering from what could have been a career ending injury and surgery took a lot of work with Ellingson saying “I pushed myself, I had physio every day to recover.”
Although it meant she would have to miss a year of hockey the injury and recovery came at “the opportune time" as the COVID - 19 pandemic meant hockey was cancelled for that year.
After her recovery Ellingson looked towards her final season of minor hockey eligibility and needed a team.
She phoned around to all of the people she had played with in the past trying to get them to come back to play hockey for one final year but was unsuccessful as many had moved on to other sports they excelled at.
With her dream of playing that one last season for her dad over in Moose Jaw now over she looked at playing elsewhere - either with the Prairie Storm Thunder or the Milestone Flyers.
With Nikita Halyk and Taryn Sandbeck already playing in Milestone she decided to go there.
“I don’t think I would have went alone without friends going as well so I went to Milestone.”
She did have some fears of playing in Milestone but those were quickly put to rest.
“I was nervous at first but the girls are so nice there. And the coaches are super nice there. Everyone is so nice there and there is no drama in Milestone,” Ellingson said.
“They (my teammates) are farm girls and they bring a new vibe that isn’t always about winning but for many of them it is just about going out and having fun.”
It is something Ellingson said her dad would want her to have out of hockey - not just that all four members played or coached it but having fun a major part of it.
The trip to Milestone has the added excitement that many games have in excess of 200 fans out and cheering loudly at the games.
“It’s a lot of energy and it is pretty cool that everyone goes and cheers so loud for you and they don’t even know you…it gives us such a high (to have so many cheering for us) you feel like you are on top of the world.”
Asked about her teammates Ellingson said everyone on the team was important not just the four girls from Moose Jaw. Playing with a large 18 player roster has been a great experience she said.
“Every player is important. It is not just the four girls from Moose Jaw. We need everyone or you would not have a whole team.”
She is also appreciative to Milestone for allowing her to finish off her minor hockey career there in memory of her dad.
“I’m grateful to everybody that got me where I can play one last final season for my dad. I want to thank the Milestone Flyers for having me on their team.”
The late Ryan Ellingson was a lover of hockey - photo courtesy Moose Jaw Today
Following graduation she wants to become a nurse and plans to study at the university in Lethbridge.
“My dad wanted to help people. He wasn't a nurse but a police officer. I want to become a nurse to help people too, like my dad.”
Playing hockey, other than recreation hockey, is in her future but she looks forward to snowboarding there.
Next in the Series - Nikita Halyk