Anyone whoSA国际影视传媒檚 played softball, broomball, hockey or other sports in Yellowknife long enough will remember Robb Olexin as being among the best competitors.
HeSA国际影视传媒檚 been called one of the best athletes ever seen in the territory, among the likes of people such as Meika McDonald, Joe Dragon, Steve Vallillee, Robert Redshaw and so many others. Even though Olexin left the NWT several years ago for work, he still considered Yellowknife home.
He died on April 30 at his residence in Lonsdale, Minnesota, after a short battle with cancer. His son, Taltson Olexin, was by his side along with his sister Patty Olexin-Lang, as well as Redshaw and RedshawSA国际影视传媒檚 wife, Heather, who were two of OlexinSA国际影视传媒檚 closest friends.
Redshaw moved to Yellowknife in 1972 and met Olexin for the first time in Grade 3.
SA国际影视传媒淗e was already playing every sport he could, and I wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 playing anything at the time,SA国际影视传媒� he recalled. SA国际影视传媒淢eeting Robb and another friend, Myles Severn, that changed my whole life. At recess, Robbie would go out in the yard and play soccer and he would always tell me I had to sign up for hockey and I had never played hockey. So my parents signed me up for hockey because of Robbie.SA国际影视传媒�
In the summer, it was time to play fastball and Redshaw signed up for that also because of Olexin.
SA国际影视传媒淎round the age of nine, we were playing on every team together all the way through. Some people are just natural athletes and I always said he was probably the best athlete out of all of us because he practised the least and was the best at everything,SA国际影视传媒� he laughed. SA国际影视传媒淣atural talent, I guess. He was the kind of guy who would play anything, shoot any puck, hit every ball, kick every ball SA国际影视传媒� you name it.SA国际影视传媒�
Playing so many sports gave Olexin the chance to travel to many tournaments. Redshaw was part of plenty of those trips himself, beginning around 1974, when they were 10 years old.
SA国际影视传媒淲e were on all the all-star, or rep teams, as they were called, for hockey and so weSA国际影视传媒檇 go to Pine Point, Hay River, Fort Smith, Inuvik, Fort Simpson,SA国际影视传媒� said Redshaw. SA国际影视传媒淥ne of the big highlights for us was winning gold at the Arctic Winter Games in 1978 in Pine Point with the bantam boys and then 1980 in Whitehorse with the midget team.SA国际影视传媒�
Olexin and Redshaw garnered interest from scouts in the south in 1981. Both athletes were invited to the Western Hockey LeagueSA国际影视传媒檚 Regina Pats training camp that year.
SA国际影视传媒淔rom there, we got invited to a junior A camp in B.C.,SA国际影视传媒� said Redshaw. SA国际影视传媒淚 made the team (in Fort St. John) and stayed while Robbie didnSA国际影视传媒檛 and went to play junior B in (Bonnyville), Alberta. That was the first time we werenSA国际影视传媒檛 together playing and, to be honest, I remember crying when we left town. Both of us were just so passionate about Yellowknife and the North and now, weSA国际影视传媒檙e separated.SA国际影视传媒�
Fastball was a chance for both of them to hit the road on a national scale, beginning at the bantam level at age 14 with the Western Canadian Championships in 1979. They would end up travelling together for fastball until Olexin left town in 1990.
SA国际影视传媒淲e never had the very top pitchers like Paul Gard and Andy Tereposky, who were six years older than we were SA国际影视传媒� but we always had guys who could hit and play defence,SA国际影视传媒� said Redshaw. SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檇 start playing nationals in midget ball and went to Swift Current (Sask.) in 1981, Napanee, Ont., in 1982.SA国际影视传媒�
That 1982 tournament saw Olexin named to the All-Canadian Team at shortstop and also pitch a no-hitter in one of the teamSA国际影视传媒檚 consolation games.
SA国际影视传媒淔unny thing is he wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 even our pitcher,SA国际影视传媒� said Redshaw. SA国际影视传媒淲e had three other pitchers, but we lost our first four games. Last game was consolation against P.E.I. and we knew Robbie could throw this knuckleball. He threw it every pitch and that was really cool for a kid out of Yellowknife to throw a no-hitter.SA国际影视传媒�
Olexin followed that up three years later at the 1985 Canadian Junior Fastball Championship by winning top batter and he, along with Redshaw, were named to the All-Canadian Team. They would lose in the semifinal that year.
Coveted talent
One time, Olexin was asked to join an Indigenous softball team based out of Fort Smith that was participating in a tournament in New Mexico. Olexin wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 Indigenous but the team managed to fake a status card so there would be no questions.
SA国际影视传媒淐ommunity sports was very competitive back then,SA国际影视传媒� said Redshaw. SA国际影视传媒淲e didnSA国际影视传媒檛 exactly get along with the teams from Hay River or Fort Smith. But Robbie was so personable, enjoyable, so easy-going. He was the only guy Fort Smith would even consider taking. All of the guys were Aboriginal: Floyd Daniels, Kevin Daniels, Pinto Dragon, Smoky Bourque, all those guys.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淗ereSA国际影视传媒檚 this blonde, Ukrainian kid and they got him a fake Metis card so he could play at this tournament,SA国际影视传媒� added Olexin-Lang. SA国际影视传媒淭hey went that far so he could play on their team.SA国际影视传媒�
Building rinks around the world
Their love of hockey was such that they would find ways to stick around at the old Gerry Murphy Arena for as long as they could, even after being given a curfew.
SA国际影视传媒淲e would play hockey all winter, September to April, and our parents would drop us off at 9 a.m. on the weekends and told us we had to be home by 5 p.m.,SA国际影视传媒� Redshaw remembered. SA国际影视传媒淲e found ways to hang around that arena SA国际影视传媒� weSA国际影视传媒檇 play in our own game, weSA国际影视传媒檇 referee the younger kids, asking if we could help out, we helped coach teams SA国际影视传媒� public skating every day at 3 p.m., so weSA国际影视传媒檇 help out there. The guys who ran the rink would let us stay and skate around if we helped sweep the bleachers.SA国际影视传媒�
Olexin would end up working at the rink at the age of 14 and thatSA国际影视传媒檚 where he would find his calling in life.
SA国际影视传媒淭hatSA国际影视传媒檚 how he ended up getting into the rink business,SA国际影视传媒� said Olexin-Lang. SA国际影视传媒淗e started at the Gerry Murphy, learned the ins-and-outs on how everything worked, and it became his passion. He did get his carpentry journeyman ticket (in 1990) and worked in construction for several years and then he left and moved to Grande Prairie (Alta).SA国际影视传媒�
He would settle in Wembley, just outside of Grande Prairie, and worked at the local arena/curling rink in the town when he was approached with an offer to head even further south and help build a rink in Texas.
SA国际影视传媒淩obb got a call from a multi-millionaire who owned a mall and wanted a rink added on,SA国际影视传媒� said Olexin-Lang. SA国际影视传媒淭hey were having a hard time, no one knew what they were doing, and he wanted RobbSA国际影视传媒檚 help.SA国际影视传媒�
The mall owner asked Olexin to go to Texas and work for him but Olexin initially balked at the idea. He then agreed to go for a week. When he got home, Olexin and his family packed up and moved to Odessa, Texas, in 1996. Olexin would run the rink there and also set up minor hockey programs before moving on to Abilene, Texas, where he would be in charge of operations at the Taylor County Expo Centre, home of the Abilene Aviators of the old Western Professional Hockey League.
SA国际影视传媒淭he team knew he played hockey and they needed a back-up goaltender,SA国际影视传媒� said Olexin-Lang. SA国际影视传媒淗e signed a professional contract and was on the team for one game.SA国际影视传媒�
After that, Olexin met up with Jim Becker, owner of Becker Arena Products based out of Minnesota, and that would be his next port of call.
OlexinSA国际影视传媒檚 work with that company would see him travel all over, including one stop in Turkmenistan to work on an arena in Ashgabat, the countrySA国际影视传媒檚 capital. He also worked on rinks for figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi and even curling ice for Jon Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen.
SA国际影视传媒淗e just had such a passion for the business,SA国际影视传媒� said Olexin-Lang. SA国际影视传媒淗ereSA国际影视传媒檚 a guy who started out driving a Zamboni at the Gerry Murphy Arena at age 14 and now heSA国际影视传媒檚 going around the world and building arenas for famous people. He never really pursued it, but he just had a passion for it.SA国际影视传媒�
Taltson, OlexinSA国际影视传媒檚 only son, who Olexin-Lang said was his pride and joy, had a special bond with his dad, unlike any other father-son relationship Olexin-Lang has seen. And Taltson has ended up getting into the ice rink industry himself SA国际影视传媒� starting out by pushing a broom in the warehouse for his dadSA国际影视传媒檚 employer.
Olexin found out in 2005 that he also had a daughter.
SA国际影视传媒淲e welcomed Wynter into our family,SA国际影视传媒� said Olexin-Lang. SA国际影视传媒淲ynterSA国际影视传媒檚 mother had given her up for adoption and Simon and Millie Kuliktana, who went to Akaitcho Hall and grew up knowing Robb, were her adoptive parents. We had some inklings but never any confirmation until 2005 and thatSA国际影视传媒檚 when we welcomed her. WeSA国际影视传媒檝e had her with our family for 17 years and sheSA国际影视传媒檚 been just amazing. She has a family of her own with two children, RobbSA国际影视传媒檚 grandchildren, Leighton and Aili. They never saw each other often but they always had coffee over the phone and built a wonderful relationship over the years.SA国际影视传媒�
The cancer diagnosis came in early January after Olexin began to suffer from pain. Olexin-Lang said her brother thought that it was a torn muscle from all the golf he had been playing.
SA国际影视传媒淲e spent 10 days together with Robb in September and that never happens because it was always go-go-go with him,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
SA国际影视传媒淥ur mom was ill last year and my aunt strongly suggested that we get out there and be with her. (Robb) was complaining about his chest being sore. December came and he got pneumonia, and everything spiralled from there.SA国际影视传媒�
In remembering his friend, Redshaw said people would ask him how he was doing after returning home from visiting Olexin in the U.S. and his answer was always the same.
SA国际影视传媒淧eople thought we must be partying every time I went down but we never drank or went to the bar SA国际影视传媒� maybe one drink with a nice meal SA国际影视传媒� but all he wanted to do was golf and hang out,SA国际影视传媒� he said.
SA国际影视传媒淚 would tell people heSA国际影视传媒檚 the closest person I know at age 55 that is the same as he was when he was 15. He was just such a joy to be around. Always a joy to visit him. It was like we were kids again. He was a beautiful person and friend SA国际影视传媒� a special gift to everyone he ever met. ISA国际影视传媒檓 gonna miss him every day for the rest of my life.SA国际影视传媒�
A celebration of OlexinSA国际影视传媒檚 life is scheduled for June 24 downstairs at the Yellowknife Elks Lodge beginning at 2:30 p.m. The same thing will happen in Lonsdale, Minnesota on Sept. 18.
