Now it can be told: Brett Lauther has allegiances to the Roughriders and the Elks.<\/p>\n
The Brookfield Elks, in the latter case.<\/p>\n
Lauther, the Saskatchewan Roughriders\u2019 placekicker since 2018, played for Brookfield\u2019s entry in the Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League from 2009 to 2012.<\/p>\n
Most notably, he had 10 points in 12 games during the 2010 playoffs \u2014\u00a0credentials that make him an eminently qualified headliner for the fourth annual Roughrider Foundation Winter Classic, to be played on Jan. 31 in Saskatoon.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had a pretty good team,\u201d Lauther recalled of his time with the Elks. \u201cWe had a really good run. We made it to the finals in our division, with an opportunity to go to the final, and I think we took it to overtime in Game 6. We almost won at home to force Game 7.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose were the best days. There are good memories with those guys on that team.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of those recollections seems out of character for the conventionally congenial kicker.<\/p>\n
He got in a fight.<\/p>\n
That explains his uneven penalty-minute total (23) during the 2010 post-season.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m never a person who would start a fight, but I definitely wouldn\u2019t shy away, especially because of the guys I played with,\u201d Lauther said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were losing 4-1 at the time. I got in my first-ever junior fight. The guys were pretty pumped up. By the time I was showered and changed, the game was tied 4-4 and the boys won it in overtime.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn that junior league, if you got in a fight, you got kicked out of the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
This from someone who is accustomed to doing the kicking.<\/p>\n
In fact, he kick-started the Winter Classic, proposing the idea of a charity hockey game in a most fruitful conversation with Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation Executive Director Cindy Fuchs.<\/p>\n
Two great people. One great cause.<\/p>\n
The teams, captained by Lauther and Chris Getzlaf, will collectively deploy four former NHL players \u2014\u00a0Ryan Bayda, Mike Commodore, Sheldon Kennedy and Mike Sillinger.<\/p>\n
Kennedy was part of a Swift Current Broncos team that won the 1989 Memorial Cup \u2026 in Saskatoon.<\/p>\n
Sillinger suited up for Team Canada when it won the 1990 world junior hockey championship \u2026 in Saskatoon.<\/p>\n
Commodore was a member of the Stanley Cup-winning Carolina Hurricanes in 2006. Their No. 1 goaltender was Cam Ward \u2026 from Saskatoon.<\/p>\n
Bayda \u2014 from Saskatoon! \u2014\u00a0was a member of the Hurricanes when he scored his first NHL goal, against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 18, 2003.<\/p>\n
The Leafs\u2019 goaltender on that occasion was Ed Belfour. Like Bayda, Belfour is a graduate of the University of North Dakota men\u2019s hockey team.<\/p>\n
Bayda\u2019s time at UND (1999 to 2002) coincided with that of former Roughriders defensive lineman Scott Schultz, who was a member of the school\u2019s football program from 1997 to 2000.<\/p>\n
For more information on the upcoming Winter Classic, CLICK HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n (B)RING IT HOME<\/p>\n Roughriders receiver Samuel Emilus had a hilarious exchange with Teagan Witko and Dave Thomas on CKRM\u2019s SportsCage earlier this week.<\/p>\n Witko: \u201cBefore we dive into your re-signing, have you had your day with the Grey Cup yet?\u201d<\/p>\n Emilus: \u201cI haven\u2019t, but it\u2019s in the works. I\u2019ve talked to the people I need to talk to. Hopefully I can get it in Montreal a couple of weeks from now.\u201d<\/p>\n Thomas: \u201cIsn\u2019t that kind of rubbing salt in the wounds, though?\u201d<\/p>\n Emilus: \u201cMaybe that\u2019s the whole reason why I wanted to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n Witko: \u201cHe\u2019s earned it, Dave.\u201d<\/p>\n Emilus: \u201cI earned the right to have the Grey Cup in Montreal. The week after the Grey Cup, they were asking me if I was going to bring the Grey Cup back home (to Montreal). I was like, \u2018The Alouettes couldn\u2019t do it, but I\u2019ll do it.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n TRIVIA QUESTION<\/p>\n Who led the 2025 Roughriders in average yards per carry?<\/p>\n (Give up? Scroll down for the answer.)<\/p>\n JOHN BRODIE\u2019S VISIT<\/p>\n Former NFL quarterback John Brodie, who passed away at age 90 on Friday, figured prominently in the first United States live network telecast of a game from Taylor Field.<\/p>\n The date was Oct. 3, 1982. During an NFL players\u2019 strike, NBC programmers were looking to fill the football void on Sundays.<\/p>\n Roughriders to the rescue!<\/p>\n Don Criqui handled the play-by-play and Brodie provided colour commentary of Saskatchewan\u2019s 53-8 victory over Calgary.<\/p>\n Saskatchewan scored on its first play from scrimmage, when Dwight Edwards caught a short pass from Joe (747) Adams and sped 84 yards for a touchdown.<\/p>\n Adams threw two more touchdown passes, both to Joey Walters, to help Saskatchewan assume a 34-0 lead by halftime.<\/p>\n Criqui and Brodie had called a game in Toronto one week earlier.<\/p>\n \u201cI really like the game and I\u2019ve followed it a lot on television,\u201d Brodie told John Chaput of the Regina Leader-Post\u00a0on Oct. 1, 1982. \u201cI even saw that (1962 Grey Cup) game that had to be stopped because of the fog and resumed the next day.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve always thought Canadians knew the way to go about it. I feel the game should be played as if it\u2019s second-and-10 and you throw the ball on every down. Well, here it is second-and-10 (by U.S. standards).<\/p>\n \u201cAnd with the big field, I don\u2019t think the defence has a chance. I think it\u2019s a wonderful game.\u201d<\/p>\n Well,\u00a0 maybe not for the Stampeders on the first Sunday of October, 1982.<\/p>\n Calgary\u2019s quarterback for the obligatory second half was Phil Kessel \u2014 whose son, Phil Jr., played in 1,286 NHL regular-season games.<\/p>\n WHAT\u2019S IN A NAME?<\/p>\n The other day, I saw an online discussion about who has the shortest name in NFL history. It seems to be a tie at five characters: Bo Nix = Ty Law.<\/p>\n As for the Roughriders, the shortest names are six characters.<\/p>\n \u2022 Ab Bole (inside wing and middle wing, 1919-1921).<\/p>\n \u2022 Joe Fry (offensive lineman, training camp 1952).<\/p>\n \u2022 Bob Fee (fullback, training camp 1958).<\/p>\n \u2022 Ray Ash (offensive lineman and linebacker, 1959), who signed with the Roughriders 67 years ago today.<\/p>\n \u2022 Ken Don (linebacker and fullback, 1960-1963).<\/p>\n \u2022 Bob Lee (fullback, training camp 1963).<\/p>\n \u2022 Nat Dye (offensive lineman, 1964-1965).<\/p>\n \u2022 Cal Fox (linebacker, training camp 1974).<\/p>\n \u2022 Ron Moe (linebacker, training camp 1975).<\/p>\n \u2022 Tim Guy (defensive lineman, 1977).<\/p>\n \u2022 Ed King (offensive lineman, 1998).<\/p>\n \u2022 Qua Cox (defensive back, signed\/released 2015).<\/p>\n \u2022 Vad Lee (quarterback, 2016).<\/p>\n OPEN FOR FIERCE DEBATE: Do we go with Al Ford (six characters) or Alan Ford (eight)?<\/p>\n I opted for the former, because Mr. Versatility has always used \u201cAlan Ford\u201d to sign autographs.<\/p>\n The longest name in Roughriders history?<\/p>\n La\u2019Akea Kaho\u2019ohanohano-Davis (27 characters).<\/p>\n We dove into the latter topic after the Hawaiian-born linebacker signed with the Green and White in 2023. For more, CLICK HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n (HAND)SHAKE-AND-BAKE<\/p>\n In nearly 40 years of scribbling for a living, only once have I seen an interviewee shake hands with every reporter before a media conference.<\/p>\n Kian Schaffer-Baker did just that on Tuesday, shortly after the Roughriders announced that the popular pass-catcher had signed a two-year contract extension.<\/p>\n