Sports and traditions go hand in hand, whether it’s playing them or watching them, and they continue, no matter what age.
For the last 18 years, 91-year-old Bert Evans and his daughter Sandi (70) have been going to Kelowna Rockets games together.
The Evans family moved to Kelowna in 1969 but never took interest in Rockets game until the opportunity came up at Sandi’s work.
“I think we started going mostly because there was a lot of people in my office that went regularly and it just kind of grew from there,” Sandi told Capital News.
Sandi took her Dad a game during the 2004-05 season and they both loved it, deciding to get season tickets. Because of the success of the Rockets at the time, it was hard to get season tickets but they waited and have now that them for 15 years.
Now 91, Bert is still able to go to games as they sit in their easily accessible tickets in section 116.
“It’s really important for him, especially during the winter it gets him out and he just totally enjoys it,” said Sandi. “He can’t get out golfing when there’s snow on the ground.”
Bert goes to Rockets games during the winter and golfs at the Kelowna Golf and Country Club during the summer. He’s been a member there for more than 50 years.
Over the years, the two of them have seen a lot of hockey, through the highs and the lows but no matter how the team is doing, their connection with the team means a lot of them.
“I think its the combination of watching the young fellows grow and being able to watch their careers expand into the NHL,” said Sandi. “It’s a treat.”
Sandi also said it’s hard to pick a favourite player over the course of the last 18 years as roster turnover can be drastic every season.
In all they hockey they’ve watched, they seen many big name players come through town, and they did on Tuesday night (Nov. 29) when hockey’s top prospect Connor Bedard come to town, but Sandi gave her praises to Rockets forward Andrew Cristall.
“It was interesting [seeing Bedard], but I really enjoyed watching Andrew Cristall doing as well as he did,” said Sandi. “He’s kind of in the shadows because you heard ‘Bedard’ all the time.”
READ MORE: Cristall wins the battle, Bedard wins the war as Kelowna Rockets fall in front of sold-out crowd
READ MORE: Top hockey prospects, best friends Bedard and Cristall set to battle it out in Kelowna
@cunninghamjordy
jordy.cunningham@kelownacapnews.com
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