The arrival of the August long weekend means different things to different people in this part of the province.

With thoughts ranging from a reminder to squeeze in some enjoyment from the final four to six weeks of summer to musing about the “to-do list” that will lead into the upcoming school year, folks are sure to have plenty on their minds.

For those of us enraptured with all that is involved with the local sports scene comes the realization that fall and winter sport seasons are not that far off – and that our locals who ply their trade at institutions or venues some distance from home are soon to bid their end of summer farewell.

The August goodbyes have been a staple for those in the elite hockey community for some time now – though with every passing year, the number of young prospects leaving town for what they hope to be greener pastures is ever increasing.

Not that anyone was expecting 26 year-old Damien Giroux to be suiting up anywhere close to northern Ontario this winter. A fifth round draft pick of the Minnesota Wild in 2018, the young man who amassed nearly 200 points over the course of his four year OHL career with the Saginaw Spirit decided to make the jump overseas last year, racking up 26 points in 40 games with Spisska Nova in Slovakia.

Though he and his wife enjoyed the vista of the Tatra Mountains and other scenic jaunts in the eastern European country, the move to Mora IK of the HockeyAllsvenskan Swedish League is certainly a sound one – all while opening up another little corner of the world to the Giroux clan.

“The main reason for signing there is just the possibility of moving up in other leagues in Europe,” said Giroux, noting that the SHL (Swedish Hockey League) and DEL (Deutsche Eishockey Liga) are certainly two options that come to mind. “Sometimes by going to a league that isn’t as high, there is more playing opportunity and more of a chance to develop and showcase yourself.”

One of only two imports on the team, Giroux will settle into a town of 10,000 situated just north of Lac Siljan, roughly a four hour drive from both Stockholm and Oslo (Norway). “To be honest with you, as long as the organizations treats me well and with respect, treats my family well, I will go anywhere,” said Giroux.

The opportunity also represents something of a full-circle moment for the gifted scorer who morphed to a completely different role in his years with the Iowa Wild. “Going from the OHL to the AHL, my game completely changed,” said Giroux. “I was now heavily relied upon to kill penalties and play that third line matchup role against their best players.”

“I took a lot of pride in my defensive game in my time in the AHL. But to be on late in the game when we need a goal, that’s why you play the game. You play to score – it’s what you live for.”

Though he knows that a return to professional hockey in North America is unlikely, Giroux will forever carry the memories from his one NHL game – and the incredible story that goes with it.

On April 12th (2023), the Iowa Wild had dropped a 3-1 decision to the Milwaukee Admirals when Giroux was called in, post game, to the team management office. Asked if he would be fine to play the next night – and realizing that Iowa had the night off – the Valley East native who starred with the Nickel City Sons for years assumed he was being summoned for an ECHL playoff push.

“Minnesota needs a centre,” he was told as Ryan Hartman would be suspended for the encounter in Nashville. “I couldn’t believe it. I snapped out of it and started packing.”

The Minnesota Wild would contest their final regular season game of the 2022-2023 on the road, opposite the Nashville Predators the very next night. With flights out of Des Moines (Iowa) unable to get him to Tennessee on time, Giroux was picked up by a chauffeur at 1:30 a.m. and driven through the night to Minneapolis for a 7:00 a.m. flight.

Meeting his NHL teammates at the Bridgestone Arena, he participated in the morning skate – and by the time he would finally get to the hotel, the adrenaline and timing made it next to impossible to sleep.

With but perhaps an hour of shut-eye over the course of a 48-hour span, Giroux stepped on to the ice with three-year Iowa teammate Nick Swaney, both lads making their NHL debut.

Giroux picked up an assist on a game-tying third period goal and vividly remembers both the hug he received from Marcus Foligno – as well as the joy of having family and girlfriend in attendance – the latter having driven from Sudbury to Nashville overnight as well.

The family of 17 year-old local defenseman Hunter Currie will not have to drive anywhere close to 15 hours to see him play – though they will still have to hit the highways. After spending the 2025-2026 season as part of the BioSteel Sports Academy U18 AAA program in Windsor, the puck-moving blueliner has signed on with the Woodstock Navy Vets of the Greater Ontario Hockey League (GOHL).

Recording 23 points (including eight goals) in 42 games last year, Currie is confident that he is ready for this next step. “Everything developed slowly – but by the end of the year, I felt I was better than when I got there,” said the Lively native. “The school and training was amazing – and I think I got faster.”

Currie will be joined by fellow Sudbury AAA talent Robert Landry in Woodstock and is anxious to showcase the skill-set that attracted the interest of the team that is transitioning from the PJHL (Provincial Junior Hockey League) to the GOHL.

“I like my skating and my physicality,” said Currie. “Those are the best parts of my game. My decision making has to be better, knowing when to pass or not to pass, knowing when to jump into the play or not.”

In other hockey news, Sudbury native Whitney Basso is among the dozen defensemen attending the National Women's Under-18 Summer Selection Camp from August 3rd to August 8th in Richmond, B.C.

Having recently committed to Northeastern University (NCAA Division I), Basso is coming off a season with the Whitby U22 Jr Wolves where she was the second highest scoring 2010-born blueliner in the OWHA U22 league last year.

Basso is making the move over to the Etobicoke Jr Dolphins for the 2026-2027 campaign and will be joined at the Hockey Canada west coast camp by no less than three natives of Sault Ste Marie: goaltender Maija St Pierre and forwards Haylee Lecuyer and Riley Pettit.