Page 27 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 8

sportsenergynews.com 27

Presents... The Games Are Over,

The Memories Live On

Mark Evans: Former Cornwall Royal Looks Back

By Morley Seaver And that was the end of playing with game. Because I liked to hit but The former Cornwall Colts head
Matt Schneider. We didn’t get paired the anger part of the game wasn’t coach also currently serves as a coach
Mark Evans made his home in the up after that.” necessarily there for me. So it taught mentor for the South Stormont Minor
Cornwall area following his playing me that to get into the lineup and have Hockey Association helping other
While Evans was a stay-at-home
days with the Cornwall Royals. defenceman during his first two a regular shift, I was going to have to volunteers with tools to help teach

That’s surprising considering the big get a lot more aggressive and work the game.
years, coach Orval Tessier moved
defenceman didn’t know anything him to a winger position and he hard. I really took that away from When asked about the influence

about the city prior to being drafted scored 11 goals that year. “I loved Floyd Crawford, who was the head hockey has had on his life, he replies,
by the team. coach at the time.”
it,” he recalls, “because I got to see “Hockey is the basis of how I make

“I was heading down to the draft both positions. I’m a coach now and Today, Evans is an OPP officer my decisions. I have most of my life
with my parents,” he remembers “and I think I’m better able to coach from and married with eight kids, seven experiences through hockey. Playing
my oldest sister asked how many both a forward’s and defenceman’s of whom play hockey. “Last year, we hockey. Coaching hockey. Coaching
teams there were in the OHL. And I perspective and I can understand what tracked the number of ice sessions we the Colts for two years. That taught me
said 15. I started going through them each one needs. So it taught me a lot. had to get to and it was about 320,” an awful lot about decision making.

and I could only figure 14. And the It was a totally different perspective he laughs. “Every year my wife and I Restraint. Just the mindset of the

15th one, I figured out who it was moving up to right wing.” say at training camp ‘OK, see you in game and how coaches do infl uence
when I was drafted. I looked her and Like most players, Evans fondly the spring.’” their players. My life is centered
said, “Hey, it’s Cornwall.” around the game of hockey.”
remembers his first goal, even if

Hailing from Fergus, Ontario, it’s not the one he had planned on
$
population 6,000 at the time, Cornwall scoring. “My fi rst goal as a Royal was SAVE OVER 10,000
was a different world to a 17 year-old. in Toronto,” he says. “It was against
“When I arrived here, Cornwall was Sean Burke. I did a rush and ended up
absolutely huge,” he says. “It was in front of the net but the defenceman
massive. My mom and I got lost. I from the Marlies cross-checked me
was from a very small town and when and I fell down. The puck ended up ONLY 4
I came down here, Cornwall was a going back to the point and I don’t NEW 2012 LEFT!
big city. We got lost coming out of the know who it was but they shot it and
Wheel
on
2013 Can
y
rail 5th
T
parking lot of the Civic Complex. But it went off my butt and it ended up 2013 Canyon Trail 5th Wheel 2005 Zinger 30 BH
it was a great experience. I lived out going over Burke’s glove and into the
of the hotel for the first week with my net. They awarded me the goal. And

mom until they made room for me. I was like ‘Yeah!’ Everybody was
And I stayed here ever since.” laughing on the bench. It was good
times.”
Evans played for the Royals from $ 22,900 $ 12,900
1985 to 1988 and he racked up the Two games remain etched in his
memories along the way. “Well, mind as special. His fi rst OHL match
I guess partnering with Mathieu at home against the Oshawa Generals 2007 Flagstaff 28rks 1996 Mallard 25rk
Schneider ranks up there,” he says featured a bench-clearing brawl. Also,
with a laugh. “In my second year, his fi rst game near his hometown
Orval Tessier came to me in training taught him a valuable lesson. “It was
camp and said, ‘I want that American a warm day and there was a lot of fog.
kid to stay on the ice. Nobody gets I basically sat in the middle of the
at him.’ So we got partnered up right bench and my parents were there and $ 16,900 $ 4,595
then. From there, we went on a no a lot in attendance were my friends
goals-against streak, something like and family. And I didn’t see any ice
12 games of no goals-against when except to go and clear the fog. REMEMBER NO FREIGHT, NO ADMINISTRATION FEE
we were on. It all came tumbling “It was a great learning experience
down in Belleville when they scored because it taught me I had to step
four or five goals in the first period.

up and start playing a more physical
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