HUMBOLDT — Wardrobe dilemma: Green or green?
A pressing matter required resolution before Robyn Lopinski headed for Elgar Petersen Arena with her parents, Jim and Leah, on Saturday.
They routinely wear Humboldt Broncos garb to home games featuring their beloved SJHL team. But then the Saskatchewan Roughriders came to town, with the Grey Cup in tow, to celebrate the 2025 CFL champions on a night when the Broncos played host to the Estevan Bruins.
“Our two favourite teams being here? It’s a perfect night,” Robyn Lopinski said. “But how do you know what to wear?
“Do you wear a Riders jersey? A Broncos jersey? A bit of both? I texted my mom before the game and asked her, ‘What do you plan to do?’ ”
In Robyn’s case, a compromise was the solution. She wore a Broncos toque and a Roughriders jersey.
“But my Broncos sweater is underneath,” she specified.
Attired to suit the occasion, Robyn and her parents posed for photos before the game alongside Samuel Emilus, fellow Roughriders receiver Mitch Picton, and the Grey Cup.
That being done, the trio then lined up beside Gainer the Gopher and another photo was taken.
“My parents have Riders season tickets,” Lopinski said. “I’ve been a Riders fan since I was really small. Being able to see them here with the Grey Cup is really awesome.”
Humboldt was the automatic first stop on the formal Grey Cup Community Tour, which will eventually reach all four corners of the province.
Saturday’s visit honoured a commitment made by Roughriders President-CEO Craig Reynolds shortly after the Broncos’ tragic bus accident in 2018.
“I remember him saying, ‘The next time we win the Grey Cup, Humboldt will be the first stop,’ ” former Broncos board member Kevin Garinger, who was the community-owned junior A hockey team’s President at the time of the accident, said on Saturday.
“He made that commitment and here he is today. The Riders are supporting this community again, like they have all the way through. They support communities across this province and, really, across the country in so many ways.
“They’re a class organization that stands for so much about community and people.”
The Roughriders held a walk-through practice and barbeque lunch at Humboldt’s Glenn Hall Park on June 3, 2018, nearly two months after 16 people were killed and 13 others were injured in the bus crash.
A June 30, 2018 CFL regular-season matchup with the visiting Montreal Alouettes was designated by the Roughriders as the “Humboldt Strong” game.
“That was an extremely emotional time,” Reynolds recalled. “I think everybody was struggling with, ‘What do you do? How do we help this community?’
“I know we struggled as well. That’s why we reached out to the Broncos to ask them, ‘What can we do to help?’ We had the ‘Humboldt Strong’ game and we came out here for the practice. I remember being there that day and that was very special and really emotional.
“Today was also emotional — just being here and fulfilling that promise. We were in the dressing room when the guys announced the starting lineup with the Grey Cup. We were on the ice (for the ceremonial faceoff). It was special.
“We heard the appreciation from the crowd for the team and of the Grey Cup championship. It’s just a reminder that we’re the province’s team and the Grey Cup belongs to the province. Humboldt’s an important part of that legacy.”
A full hour before the opening faceoff, the Grey Cup was on display at the arena, where members of the Harvard Media Rider Cheer Team welcomed all attendees.
The lengthy lineup moved efficiently thanks to the efforts of Karina Peterson — the Roughriders’ Manager, Game Entertainment and Community — who used the fans’ own phones to take pictures for them.
Oftentimes, Peterson held a phone in each hand, ensuring that horizontal and vertical pictures were taken with each mobile device.
The photography was paused for a few minutes when the visiting Roughriders delegation headed downstairs and into the Broncos’ quarters.
“Follow these guys,” Broncos Head Coach and General Manager Brayden Klimosko told the players after Emilus and Picton placed the Grey Cup in the middle of the dressing room.
“These guys are champions. They know how to win. They’re going to lead our starting lineup tonight. We’ll lead it off with Sam.”
Fittingly, the first player identified by Emilus wore a number — 34 — that belonged to a Roughriders icon, George Reed.
After announcing Marik Mamic (No. 34) as a starting forward, Emilus turned his attention to No. 89 (Morgan Hackman) and No. 72 (Avery Lowe).
Emilus (No. 19) then handed off to Picton (No. 81), who was responsible for announcing the other three starters.
“On the left side, Number 8, Kai Holowachuk,” Picton began, “and on the right D, we’ve got the guy with the best number in the league … Number 81, Ben Fofonoff.”
Humboldt-born goalie Brady Holtvogt rounded out the starting sextet.
Holtvogt proceeded to make 34 saves — see again: 34! — to backstop the Broncos to a down-to-the-wire, 3-2 victory before the team’s second-largest home crowd of the season (1,305).
“I think it’s really cool,” Broncos President Amanda Schlachter said. “It’s an opportunity for different people to come to the rink and enjoy the game and celebrate the Grey Cup that the Riders won. It’s a great atmosphere for them.
“It brings everyone together and we’re having fun. That’s what’s important.”