NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
WHL commissioner Ron Robinson shakes the hand of Medicine Hat Tigers' trainer Mikki Lanuk before presenting him with a milestone plaque for working 1,500 games in the league ahead of the Tigers' 4-1 win Nov. 11 against the Wenatchee Wild at Co-op Place.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Ron Robinson has made a lot of memories in his 24 seasons as WHL commissioner and is relishing his opportunity to relive all of those moments.
Robinson has been touring the 22-team league this season after announcing that this year, his 24th as commissioner, will be his last at the helm of league. He is the WHL’s longest serving commissioner after working 20 years with Hockey Canada and is ready for someone else to take the reins.
Until then, he’s at the halfway point of the tour and is enjoying getting to see old faces and tell older stories.
“It’s good to see the people I’ve gotten to know over the years and there’s just so many people at the team level that make it work behind the scenes in particular,” Robinson said. “They contribute so much to not only their team but to the league overall. It’s a good opportunity for me to say thank you for everything that they’ve done.”
Through the tour, Robinson says he’s able to look around and remember moments from his career and players and coaches who have come through the junior ranks working their way to the pro level.
Robinson was at Co-op Place for the Tigers’ 4-1 win against the Wenatchee Wild on Nov. 11, where he also presented trainer Mikki Lanuk with a plaque commemorating his 1,500 games worked in the WHL reached earlier in the season.
He promised he wasn’t pandering to the building he was in but says the 2007 WHL finals is one of the highlights of his career.
“That series in the old Arena, it was questionable whether we’re going to be able to get the game in with a fog that night and everything else, to see that seven-game series, where the Tigers won championship at home and then to go to Vancouver for the Memorial Cup and the tables were turned a bit on the Tigers with the Giants, that season was the one that really stood out to me,” Robinson said.
“We’ve had some great memories over the years, but that probably was a highlight of the WHL championship.”
He also says he’s enjoyed working with the Tigers organization, Maser family and head coach Willie Desjardins.
“They run a first-class operation and any time you come down here, it’s always exciting to watch the Tigers play that kind of style of hockey everybody wants to watch,” Robinson said.
He’s proud of the work the league has done in its recovery of the COVID-19 league shutdowns and how community involvement has grown and the league’s continued ability to draw the top talent from Western Canada. A large part of that, he says, comes from the scholarship program, with $30 million invested by ownership and more than 7,500 players receiving it.
His work focus this season, on top of the retirement tour, is the continued efforts to returning attendance to pre-COVID numbers.
Robinson says the hiring process for his role is moving along and they anticipate having someone in place by early 2024.
When he looks back throughout his career and the achievements, Robinson says the work comes from dedication and commitment from the league’s owners. Personally, he takes pride in how much focus the WHL has put into ensuring its players have a positive experience while becoming the best players they can.
The next step for himself, once the final puck is dropped and the horn sounds on the season’s end, is to take a break. Robinson says he’s travelled a lot throughout his career and is ready to be around family and friends on a more steady basis.
“I would like to slow down a little bit to do some of the things that I’ve never had the opportunity to do,” Robinson said. “I’ll still stay connected I’m sure in one way or the other to the game and to this league that has meant a lot to me. I’ve been very, very fortunate to have this opportunity and to have the support I had over the years.”
After having access to WHL games for 24 seasons and a free pass to the league’s streaming services, Robinson says he isn’t sure how he’ll watch games next season but knows he’ll be tuning in.
“I’m gonna have to get down on my hands and knees and beg for some access to some games,” Robinson joked. “I’ll continue to follow the league and continue to help in whatever way I can to watch this league continue to grow.”
