Prince Albert says goodbye to Mark Odnokon

A common theme from the service was that Odnokon rode that perfect line of competitive and kind. Prince Albert City Councilor Dawn Kilmer spoke at the service, as she was the principal at Carlton when Odnokon was first hired, and she pointed out that at one point during his high school coaching career, his soccer team spoke 14 different languages.

“He loved the battle, he loved seeing people do something. That moment when all that preparation actually came forward, when he saw it in that person, recognized in that moment their preparation paid off. That’s the thing that made him the most proud.”

Odonokon was a stick boy for the Raiders in their early SJHL days before playing for his hometown team from four years from 1979-82, then had a four year college career with the University of Minnesota-Duluth for four years from 1983-86, one year in the IHL with the Salt Lake Golden Eagles in 1987, and then returned to Saskatchewan to begin coaching.

He started as the very first head coach of the Melfort Mustangs when their program began in 1988-89, and coached there for one more year before becoming an assistant coach with the Prince Albert Raiders in 1990-91. Since then, Odnokon has held a position with the Raiders as a skills coach, while also coaching athletes in high school.

Raider General Manager Curtis Hunt was at the service, and he explained just how much Odnokon meant to the organization.

“So much of today was about how he’s touched the club from as a young stick boy through their championships in the SJHL and then returning as a coach and on three different occasions. They talk about the integrity and the sense of humor and the even keeled and patience and striving to find the best in people, all of that he brought to our office and our club.”

Aside from being a well respected coach, competitor, and teammate, Odnokon was known more than anything as a great friend to many. Since becoming coworkers in the 2014-15 season, Hunt shared that Odnokon would always go out of his way to make sure everyone felt welcomed and important.

“For the last 11 years, he’s come in, I get sometimes two minutes a day, maybe 15, when we get to share a smile or a story or talk a little bit about the club and where we are and that certainly creates quite a hole for us, for all of us here at the arena.”

The Beyond the Game fund has been set up in Odnokon’s honour to help support the Carlton Soccer Club to assist with equipment, registration fees, travel, and more to make sure everyone gets an opportunity to try.

So, whether you knew him as Oz, Mr. O, Coach, or Ozzy, his legacy will continue on here in Prince Albert.

Rest in peace Ozzy.

by Nick Nielsen

Prince Albert says goodbye to Mark Odnokon

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