UFA Joins WHT —
When I started Winnipeg Hockey Talk, I hoped I would be able to offer hockey fans in Winnipeg some different insights into the terrific brand of hockey available to Manitoban’s on any given night. Although we all love the Winnipeg Jets, they aren’t the only game in town and they are a tough ticket to acquire for most Winnipegers.
As the site began to develop a following, I found the need to provide more content and I know I couldn’t provide it by myself. I was lucky to have ex-Jet 1.0 Scott Campbell come aboard, then Ben Finlayson, Jerry White, Shawn Coates, Patti Dawn Swansson, Darryl Mills and now my newest “Free Agent” acquisition Darryl Manchulenko.
I have had unbelievable luck connecting with hockey people through social media, especially Twitter. I have put out tweets looking for writers and I have had many diverse inquiries. I was looking for people with their own ideas and thoughts on Winnipeg hockey. Winnipeg Hockey Talk doesn’t have a site agenda outside of providing different opinions on hockey in our province. All I ask from our writers is to be fair and respectful to our readers and the teams and players they cover.
In my last round of looking for writers, I talked to a twitter friend Darryl Manchulenko that was interested in scribbling a few lines about hockey at Winnipeg Hockey Talk. Here is his story.
About Darryl Manchulenko In His Own Words
In 1976, Bobby Hull and the Winnipeg Jets were the talk of the town. My dad came home with news he had tickets to a Jets game and that I was going. Naturally, I was excited to be headed to my first pro hockey game. Game night finally came and I remember walking the stairs to the nose-bleed section behind the home side bench of the old Winnipeg Arena with an excitement I couldn’t fully comprehend. I was there to see Bobby Hull play hockey.
The Golden Jet
In between whistles, Bobby stood on the ice in front of the bench and was sipping on some water and when the crowd seemed to go quiet I stood up, waved, and yelled “Hey Bobby Hull”. Of course, when Bobby coincidentally looked up towards the crowd at that same moment I felt like he heard me and only me. I immediately turned to my Dad who acknowledged what I felt to be true. Despite cheering for the winning team the only thing I could talk about was Bobby Hull hearing and acknowledging my cheer. I was hooked and became a huge sports fan. It was not uncommon for me to know the “who’s who” of most sports, even sports I didn’t play.
I was born and raised in Winnipeg. For most of my professional career, I have placed my true passion further down the list of priorities. Having played and coached Junior and Senior level baseball here in Manitoba and British Columbia (amongst other sports), I recently felt that it was time to fully ingrain myself back into sports. Being away from the competitive side of sports for some time, I’ve missed its intensity and passion. When the opportunity came about to write for Winnipeg Hockey Talk, I felt it would be a great medium to have fun, try something new and keep the burn for sports going.
I invite you to follow us as we focus on the local sports scene and the odd “rant” on our beloved Professional teams. Thanks for following, enjoy the articles and feel free to send me our thoughts and comments.
WELCOME TO WINNIPEG HOCKEY TALK DARRYL !!!
Photos courtesy of curtiswalker.com
Loading ...