By Lisa Parent

Alumni Reunion: Former Medicine Hat Cubs return to honour 50-year anniversary

Oct 6, 2023 | 1:00 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – On Saturday, the Medicine Hat Cubs will be celebrating their 50th anniversary as a team. There will be beer gardens, a silent auction and the Cubs will play their home-opener. About 150 alumni players will also make their way to The Hat to celebrate and play an alumni game.

Brent Sauer was on the inaugral ’73 Cubs, and played with them for two years. He remembers being one of the youngest teams in the league, playing much older guys.

“It was a huge learning curve. We all experienced a lot of different crazy things together,” says Sauer, about his first year on the Cubs.

A few years later, Damian Steiert joined the team at only 15 years old and had a very similar experience.

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“I remember being very tentative, almost scared to play at the beginning, to try out. Cause playing against 20 year olds, you’re a kid, right,” explains Steiert. “We had good guys around us that made sure that we were looked after, not only on the ice, but off the ice.”

While there were some nerves joining this newly formed team, both Steiert and Sauer had nothing but good things to say about their time with the Cubs organization.

“50 years is a long time. The Cubs, that’s a very good, strong tradition. I’m excited to see some of the young guys and hear about their experiences because I’m sure they’re similar or hopefully quite different,” Steiert says.

Sauer adds, “the longevity of it, for a team to be in existence for that length of time, speaks volumes to the people that followed us and the people that were involved coaching, managing, and directing it.”

Steiert and Sauer will be at the Saturday’s celebration. They’re looking forward to reuniting with the Cubs, but they’ll also remember a peer they lost this year, Terry Bartman, who was on the same team as Steiert.

“He was very instrumental, being a leader at that time, he was our captain. He made sure the young guys we looked after,” says Steiert.

Alumni will also have the chance to speak with current Cubs players and maybe pass some advice down to them.

“Be a good teammate and have a lot of fun because it’s all it’s really what it’s all about and you’ll be successful,” Steiert says.

Sauer adds, “I’ve always said that the friends you make in hockey will be friends for life.”

The alumni game starts at 4pm on Saturday and the home opener is at 7:30pm. Tickets are still available.