HOT CORNER: Is Moyse’s Olympic career over?

West Prince Senior Hockey League going about things the right way

Have we seen the last of Heather Moyse as an Olympian?  
At age 39 and having spent most of her life in competitive sports, no one could blame her if she walks away from competing and focuses on other interests. Finishing sixth in the two-woman bobsleigh competition this past week at the Winter Olympics with Alysia Rissling was a huge success, and that may be enough to have Moyse thinking ahead to the 2022 Games in China.
As Moyse put it in a CBC interview, “The whole journey has been incredible to me, and finishing six with Alysia is more rewarding than potentially medalling with someone else.”
Considering Rissling and Moyse only teamed up last September and qualified for PyeongChang is a feat in itself. Consider that they finished just over a second – 1.18 – behind the gold-medal-winning German team, and one can’t help but think what if they did come back?
Rissling and Moyse have great chemistry together, and looked like they had a lot of fun competing as a team. Moyse is a tremendous athlete, and not many at her age could even think of competing four years from now at age 43. She has the ability, talent and knowledge of what it takes to get to China.
As long as the motivation is there, then why not?
One can be sure that Moyse has her plans well thought out, but one thing she needs to consider is that she does not want to have any regrets if she does walk away from competing?
It can be done at her age, and, in fact, the oldest female to ever compete in the Winter Olympics was then almost 49-year-old Anne Abernathy, who competed in luge in the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City. She also qualified for the 2006 Games in Torino, Italy, but had to withdraw with an injury.
Whatever the future holds for Moyse, one thing is for sure -- Prince Edward Islanders are awfully proud of her for what she has accomplished in sports, and for being a great Olympian and doing so with so much class.

Senior hockey
The West Prince Senior Hockey League has been a huge success since it began last year, and looks to have a bright future. Although the league has a light regular season in terms of games played, organizers are doing it right. After all, one has to be able to walk before they run.
A light schedule allows for players to play their one game a week, and look after work and family commitments. The admission proceeds go to the rinks, and helps with the increasing costs to run the facilities. Everyone wants to help their local rink, and, for the $7 admission fee, fans are doing just that and at the same time seeing some pretty good hockey involving players from their own communities.
The fan support has been tremendous, and will get even better with the playoffs underway. Wellington is up a game in the best-of-five series with O’Leary. Game 2 is in O’Leary on Saturday.
The Alberton/Tignish series resumes Sunday night in Tignish. Tyne Valley did not make the playoffs.

Caps in Tignish
The Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals are playing a home game in Tignish on Saturday against the Truro Bearcats, and a huge crowd is expected. The game, according to rink manager Harvey Myers, is the talk of the community, and that is great for the fans of western P.E.I., who have supported the Caps very well over the years.
Having the MHL’s (Maritime Junior Hockey League) leading scorer and Anglo/Tignish native TJ Shea playing with the Caps is a bonus for the fans, who may see him go over the 100-point plateau. Shea currently sits at 97 points.
The game will be a huge success in Tignish, and will probably have Caps’ management thinking of future games there.
Bringing the show on the road one or two times a year to expose the product can’t help but attract more fans to Caps’ games, and at the same time allow a player like Shea display his talents before his community where he learned to play the game. It is a win-win situation for all.
Have a great week!

Joe MacIntyre is a Summerside resident. His column appears every Saturday. Comments and suggestions can be sent to [email protected].