KINGSTON, Ont. – Rick Lang will never forget the past two weeks of his life.
The head coach for Northern Ontario’s Team Brad Jacobs arrived at the Tim Hortons Brier in Kingston, Ont., on Saturday, less than a week after surviving a frightening plane crash while returning home from the Scotties Tournament of Hearts where he was the bench boss for Team Krista McCarville.
“I think we’re very grateful to be alive,” the three-time Brier champion told reporters on Saturday.
Lang, Northern Ontario skip Krista McCarville, second Ashley Sippala, plus three other passengers and two crew members all survived the crash with minor injuries after their Bearskin Airlines flight went off the runway during takeoff on Monday in Dryden, Ont.
The near-death experience was just one part of an unbelievable stretch of days for the 65-year-old.
During a stunning upset loss to Nunavut at the Scotties in Moose Jaw, Sask., the week prior, Lang’s daughter Sarah Potts gave birth to twin baby boys named Cohen and Leo, making Lang a grandfather for the first time. Potts is an elite-level curler herself, representing Northern Ontario four times at the Scotties.
The babies were born at 31 weeks and five days, approximately two months premature.
Lang says the babies stayed in hospital for a few days and were hooked up to incubators and ventilators but are now back home with their parents happy and healthy.
Congratulations to Sarah & Jordan Potts on the birth of their twins Cohen & Leo this week! Born at 31 weeks & 5 days, they are currently in the NICU. Both are doing well, though will be staying in hospital while they continue to grow & develop in these crucial first weeks. pic.twitter.com/EPoLq0XbBk
“We all know about the Sandra Schmirler Foundation,” said Lang of the organization that raises money for life-saving equipment to help babies born prematurely. “We’ll be donating more money in the future to that for sure.”
Still, at the time Lang was anxious to get home as soon as possible due to the surprise nature of the birth.
“I was so looking forward to getting home,” he said.
Getting home to Thunder Bay, Ont., was easier said than done, however. Northern Ontario lost to Ontario in the page playoff 3 vs. 4 game last Saturday as Lang and other members of the team were hoping to get a direct flight home out of Winnipeg or Toronto. With the Special Olympics taking place in Thunder Bay, flights out of those cities were booked solid meaning Lang and company needed to take a series of smaller aircrafts through multiple airports to get home.
“We’ve flown Bearskin before and we wanted to really get home,” said Lang.
The long travel day was going fine until takeoff at the Dryden Airport. Lang says the plane got about three quarters of the way down the runaway when it veered off to the right and hit a snowbank. The collision with the snowbank wasn’t too awful, recounts Lang, but once the propellers started to slash through the ice, that’s when things got very scary.
“It got quite violent. They [shrapnel and debris] were coming into the cabin,” said Lang. “I sat in the very front seat because there was a lot of leg room. That was a mistake because there was a propeller here and they were both coming at me.
“My first thought before the violence was ‘sh*t we’re not getting home today.’ I know how bad the girls wanted to get home for all our kids and everything. I can’t describe my thoughts at the time. Things started exploding and I covered my head in my hands. I put my head down. The level of violence was significant.”
Lang suffered the worst injuries on board as pieces of wooden debris impaled his hand, including one shard that went right through.
“I pulled it out because it was such a big piece of wood. It would hurt to leave it in there,” Lang said.
Lang, who famously played third for popular skip Al Hackner during his playing days, was treated at hospital and was able to drive home to his family and meet his grandchildren for the first time the next day.
The coach says he doesn’t know how long it will take to get over this experience but is just thankful he’s still alive.
“I got together with Krista and Ashley just to compare notes to talk it through. We’re all just feeling the impacts of it. It will be a while before you get over that. I think I’m better everyday. Then I talk to you guys [media] and I’m not so good,” Lang joked. “It was frightening. Absolutely frightening. But, honest to God, so grateful that the girls didn’t get hurt and my injuries are minor. We’re all alive.”
It wouldn’t be surprising to anyone if Lang feared jumping on a plane going forward. But Lang has a job to do at the Brier. Lang, with his son Adam by his side for support, flew direct from Thunder Bay to Kingston for the opening day of the Canadian championship.
Lang is hoping the intensity of the Brier will be a welcomed distraction.
“I’m not going to be emotionally impacted here. We can pull this off,” said Lang. “Get on the ice. I’m a curler. I’m a competitor and I think once we start throwing rocks I’ll be thinking about that and be able to move on.”
Lang says they should know more about the cause of the crash in 10 days or so. For now, Lang is just focusing on winning a fourth Brier Tankard and his first as a coach.
“I’ve been looking forward to the Brier ever since they won provincials,” said Lang.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
