NHL Hall of Famer Chris Chelios cracks a smile while speaking at the P.A. Kinsmen Club's Sportsman Dinner at the Ches Leach Lounge inside the Art Hauser Centre on Jan. 20, 2024. (Logan Lehmann/paNOW Staff)

By Logan Lehmann

Recognizing the best

P.A. honours year in sports with annual Sportsman Dinner

Jan 21, 2024 | 1:25 PM

Stories and laughs were shared inside the Ches Leach Lounge at the Art Hauser Centre on Saturday night during the annual Kinsmen Sportsman Dinner.

In front of a packed house, the community honoured both the Male and Female Athletes of the Year as well as the Sportsman of the Year. Additionally, NHL legend Chris Chelios was in attendance to take part in the evening.

Tazmin Smith-Windsor was named Male Athlete of the Year in 2023. A Carlton graduate this past year, the Elk Ridge-born football star is currently with the University of Saskatchewan as a defensive back and has already made an impact with the team, earning the team vote as Rookie of the Year. While with the Crusaders, Smith-Windsor was named MVP at the Saskatchewan Senior Bowl and represented Carlton at the TSN Top Prospects game in 2022. He was also a key part in helping Saskatchewan win gold at the U18 Canada Cup in B.C., winning MVP of the championship game.

“This award is meaningful to me in so many ways,” Smith-Windsor said during his acceptance speech. “Many great athletes have come out of Prince Albert in recent years and I am honoured to be selected as Male Athlete of the Year. I am honoured to be selected by an organization that has had such a profound impact on the community.”

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He went on to thank his family, friends, and mentors he met throughout his already storied football career and added he’s excited for what the future holds.

Tazmin Smith-Windsor holds his award alongside his youth coach and P.A. Minor Football president Taras Kachkowski. (Logan Lehmann/paNOW Staff)

Fellow Carlton graduate Gage Grassick was presented with the Female Athlete of the Year. Following her time in the Red and Gold, Grassick went on to play basketball at the University of Saskatchewan where she has been raking in awards. She was named a U Sports Academic All-Canadian in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 and was also a Canada West champion in the 2021-2022 season as well.

Due to her commitment to the Huskies, Grassick was unable to attend the event but did say a few words via a recorded message thanking those who helped her along the way.

“I would like to thank the Kinsmen Club and the nominating committee for choosing me as the recipient for this year’s Female Athlete of the Year,” she said. “I’ve been so fortunate to live in Prince Albert where sports are so prevalent due to the generosity of many community members, local businesses, and the City of Prince Albert. I am truly grateful and honoured for this opportunity.”

The Grassick family accepted Gage’s Female Athlete of the Year award on her behalf. (Logan Lehmann/paNOW Staff)

Finally, the night honoured Bruce Vance as the Sportsperson of the Year.

A prominent figure in the Prince Albert sports scene for many years, Vance continued to show his committment this past year. He is a key member in the committee that continues to bring world-class softball events to the city. This past year saw Prince Albert get the 2024 Senior Men’s Qualifier and the 2025 Senior Men’s World Cup following the successful 2018 Junior Men’s World Championship he helped to fruition. He was also an organizer for the 2023 Esso Cup at the Art Hauser Centre and was named to the Prince Albert Raiders Wall of Honour this past fall.

“It’s an incredible honour to be named the P.A. Kinsmen Club’s Sportsman of the Year,” he said during a pre-recorded speech. “Prince Albert has such a rich sports history and to be named Sportsman of the Year beside people like Jim Scarrow, Zenon Markowsky, and many others, it’s a truly humbling moment.”

Bruce Vance accepts the Sportsman of the Year award alongside his wife, Liane. (Logan Lehmann/paNOW Staff)

The night continued with a live auction of donated items from the Kinsmen Club, where all of the funds raised will go towards rebuilding three new diamonds for the Kinsmen baseball diamonds project.

Chris Chelios also donated items to be auctioned off, including a Chicago Blackhawks jersey with his name, number and the ‘C’ on it from when he played, a signed Connor Bedard Blackhawks jersey, and a pair of tickets for an exclusive trip to see any Blackhawks game in Chicago next season.

Trevor Redden interviewed Chelios to wrap up the night where he reflected on being back in Hockeytown North for the first time in decades.

“It’s been forty-some years like it’s hard to believe,” he said. “This is where it all started for me in Saskatchewan. Someone ran into me on the beach in San Diego, gave me a number, and changed my life – [I] ended up in Saskatchewan. No question, colder than Chicago.”

He continued by sharing stories from his time in Moose Jaw, Montreal, Chicago, and Detroit while also sharing many laughs with the audience.

Trevor Redden and Chris Chelios. (Logan Lehmann/paNOW Staff)

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loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com