Sports Oakville Beaver www.aplushomes.ca from 2 .4% ·Full MLS ·Full Service Call ADAM CAMPBELL Broker 905-844-4444 SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2007 25 Forty years, and still going strong Former players impressed with modern-day Oakville Blades By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR Forty years after its inception, the Oakville Blades organization seems as strong as ever. That was the consensus opinion, at least, of those who participated in Saturday's Oakville Blades Alumni/Leafs Alumni and Friends hockey game at Dominion Twin Rinks, an event held to celebrate the club's ruby anniversary. Former Blades and ex-NHLers alike were quick to rave about the current state of the local Provincial Junior A Hockey League squad, with Blades vice-president, general manager, head coach and directory of hockey operations Don Edwards receiving the bulk of the praise. "I'm really impressed with Don Edwards, bringing in his hockey pedigree," one of the original Blades, Bill Perras, said of the former NHL all-star netminder. "It's obvious he puts everything he has into this position. He could come in with his name alone and sit on it, and he's not. He's working very hard. "This is a viable community asset," continued Perras, whose father, Bill Sr., was one of the original founders of the club. "When (the Blades) are reaching out to (the alumni) as they are, we embrace it. For them to welcome us back as part of the current Blades family is something we've been looking for for years." Local resident Tom Fergus, who played with Edwards when the two were members of the Toronto Maple Leafs, added, "Donnie is trying to get people more aware (of the SABRINA BYRNES / OAKVILLE BEAVER See Alumni page 26 GOOD GAME: Former long-time NHL defenceman Craig Muni (left) shakes hands with Oakville Blades blueliner Cody Goloubef following Saturday's Oakville Blades Alumni/Leafs Alumni and Friends hockey game at Dominion Twin Rinks. ARE YOU READY FOR THE 2007 OUTDOOR SEASON? OPEN REGISTRATION SATURDAY FEBRUARY 3, 2007 9:00AM - 12:00PM INTERESTED IN BECOMING INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY OF OAKVILLE AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE? TOWN HALL - SOUTH ATRIUM PROOF OF BIRTH REQUIRED SEE WEBSITE FOR COMPLETE DETAILS BECOME A SPONSOR WITH THE OAKVILLE SOCCER CLUB! Camp Registration Coming in February! etails or @ cer.on.ca Oakville Soccer Club www.oakville-soccer.on.ca 504 Iroquois Shore Rd., Unit #11, Oakville, On L6H 3K4 Tel: 905-849-4436 Fax: 905-849-3677 A Proud Sponsor of Oakville Soccer Club