From A&W to the WHL, Habscheid and Scott share common bond

Shortly after Scott and Habscheid connected in Prince Albert, they realized the man who took his grandson Ian for breakfast on summer mornings was the same man who had formed a longstanding connection with Marc.

The coach explained his relationship with Ian’s grandfather, the late Harvey Wiebe, began when he was looking for corporate support for a fundraiser during his professional hockey career.

“When I was 22, I started a Breath for Life Foundation Golf Tournament in Swift Current. I was looking for sponsors, and I met this guy who owned Taco Time and A&W,” Habscheid said. “I went to his office, just a little place and he had this pipe that he smoked. He was a real knowledgeable, quiet, unassuming guy, but you could tell he was very business savvy and very intelligent.”

Wiebe agreed to sponsor Habscheid’s tournament, the aptly named A&W Breath for Life Charity Golf Tournament, for a number of years. Once the tournament ran its course, the relationship endured and Habscheid continued to visit Wiebe during the summers for years to come.

“I’d go see Harvey and just sit and have a coffee and learn because he was so smart. A few times a summer we’d talk business and life,” Habscheid explained. “I just learned a lot from him on the business side as we became good friends.”

Through their interactions, Habscheid knew Wiebe had two daughters. The younger of the two, Catherine, now goes by Catherine Scott and is the proud mother of Ian.

Just like Marc and Ian, her memories of the A&W in Swift Current are plentiful as she spent much of her time in high school working at the restaurant. Her family relocated from British Columbia when Harvey bought the franchise.

“We came [to Swift Current] from Cranbrook and he was like the original Root Bear,” Scott explained with a laugh. “When he passed away he was 56 years with A&W, so he was the longest-serving [owner]. He was born in Herbert, Saskatchewan so it was like coming home for him. He was very comfortable, he loved it there.”

Catherine and her husband Erin were aware of the connection between her father and Habscheid when the latter became the new head coach in Prince Albert. They let Ian know but it didn’t come up with the coach until well into his first full season on the team.

“When Scotty was around as a 16-year-old we got talking a bit more and that’s when I put two and two together,” Habscheid said. “Then on a parents’ weekend his mom Catherine came up and as soon as I saw her she had a big grin, and sure enough that was Harvey’s daughter.”

In hockey, the relationship between a coach and goaltender is critical in any situation. Between Habscheid and Scott, there’s a history that goes back decades.

“I think it’s pretty special. He has a lot of trust in me and I trust him with a lot of stuff. I came here when I was 16, and he’s just helped me through it the last four years both on and off the ice,” Scott said.

“It’s been a great opportunity to have him through it all.”

Looking back today, you see a goaltender who has seemingly checked all the boxes from day one. Scott was a ninth overall pick by Prince Albert in the 2014 bantam draft, and a fourth-round selection by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2017 before signing with the team in December. He represented Team Canada at the U17 and U18 levels and earned a spot at the U19 level in Vancouver this year.

While he’s continued to progress, it hasn’t always been easy for Ian or his family.

“The first couple years were long, just not having him around anymore,” Erin explained. “But the last couple years have just flown by.”

This account reflects what Ian has experienced on the ice as well.

“2016 was definitely hard, there were a lot of red L’s on the calendar that year,” Catherine said. “I can’t imagine what that was like for the players, but they kept on.”

2016-17 was Ian’s first year as a full-time starter, but it was a season of transition as the Raiders fell out of the playoff picture early in the year, finishing second-last across the league.

Through it all, Catherine and Erin knew Ian was in good hands in Prince Albert, and knew Habscheid would keep them informed with how their son was doing.

On top of that, he’s been with the same billet family since arriving, with which he’s developed an extremely close bond.

This year, Scott has turned in a performance that will remain in the record books after his time in Prince Albert comes to an end. The goaltender set a new franchise mark in single-season shutouts [eight], consecutive scoreless minutes [185:44], goals against average [1.83], save percentage [0.932], and even chipped in with the only goal by a netminder in Raiders history back on Nov. 16 against Tri-City.

Collectively, Scott and the Raiders allowed the fewest goals against [156], fewest goals against at home [77], and fewest power play goals against [38] in franchise history.

On Monday night, Scott was named MVP at the Raiders’ awards banquet, and feels his team is ready to go for their first-round matchup against Red Deer.

“We’re pretty excited to get things going. We like where our game’s at, and now it’s just a matter of getting things going Friday,” Scott said.

If things should get difficult, he can always turn to the wisdom left behind by his grandfather.

“If something’s not going right, look in the mirror. That’s the big thing that he used to say,” Catherine recalled. “To thine own self be true. I’m sure Habby heard that and might even use it with the boys.”

And if all else fails, breakfast at A&W can’t hurt.

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trevor.redden@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Trevor_Redden

by Trevor Redden

From A&W to the WHL, Habscheid and Scott share common bond

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