Top sports stories of 2007
The year 2007 will be remembered for a lot of great highs
and some sad lows. There was plenty to celebrate and plenty
to reflect on. Athletes, coaches, team officials and clubs
gave Sudbury fans a lot to celebrate.
From rabid city championships to international champions,
Sudbury athletes and teams gave powerful performances all
year long.
The following pages include sports stories that left a big
impact on the community as a whole.
(NOTE: The Sudbury Wolves run to the 2007 OHL Championship
isn't included on this list. Their playoff performance is
included in the Top News Stories of 2007 as the impact from
their thrilling run engulfed the entire city of Greater
Sudbury, affecting everyone positively from hard core fans to
every day people.)
By Scott
Haddow
Azilda's Randy Carlyle never realized true NHL playoff success
until becoming head coach of the Anaheim Ducks.
He played three years with the Sudbury Wolves and was a high
NHL draft pick to Toronto. He played more than 1,000 NHL games
with Toronto, Pittsburgh and Winnipeg, amassing 647 points. As
a player, Carlyle never went further than the second round in
the playoffs, amassing just 69 post season games in 17 NHL
seasons. In 1981 he was named the best defenceman in the NHL
and won the Norris Trophy. During the 2005-06 and 2006-07
seasons, Carlyle enjoyed a successful run as the coach of the
Ducks and realized his goal of becoming a Stanley Cup Champion.
(He was a coach in the minor leagues for six seasons as well.)
In 2005-06, Carlyle guided the Ducks to the Western Conference
Championship before bowing out to Edmonton.
In 2006-07, Carlyle coached Anaheim to its best season in
franchise history as the team went 48-20-0-14, good for 110
points and fourth overall.
The Ducks then rolled over Minnesota, Vancouver, Detroit and
Ottawa to win the Stanley Cup.
Carlyle enjoys his time as a head coach in the NHL despite how
unforgiving the profession can be.
"The best part is when you win...no doubt," he said in an
interview with Northern Life in May. "The worst is when you
lose. I enjoy the lifestyle. It's hard work but I love being
around the game. Being a coach is the closest thing to being a
player."
Hoisting the big prize was what Carlyle and the Ducks were
hunting for last season.
"It's the ultimate goal," Carlyle said at the time.
"It's not just me, the whole organization wants to win. We're
all pulling in the same direction. There's a lot of positives
right now. We believe we have a good club here (that is)
capable of winning and we go out to prove it every time we
play."
When all was said and done, Carlyle brought the Stanley Cup
home for Azilda and Sudbury residents to enjoy. He and and the
famous mug made an appearance at the Dr. Edgar Leclair
Community Centre located in Azilda.
Hundreds of fans attended the event and had their pictures
taken with Carlyle and the Cup.
