PLAMONDON, Alta. – When 11-year-old Ilia Basargin suits up to play for the Plamondon Oilers, he feels like a star.
On the ice the Atom hockey player is number 39, just like his favorite player from the Edmonton Oilers, Doug Weight. Basargin had scored 22 goals by the end of January and plays centre, as Weight does.
Thanks to an innovative parent in Plamondon, Alta., Basargin gets to suit up in gear that looks almost exactly like Weight’s.
“It feels a lot different than other uniforms. I feel like a real Edmonton Oiler,” said Basargin, who admits he sometimes pretends he’s Weight as he skates.
Read Also
Alberta eases water access for riparian restoration
Alberta government removes requirement for temporary diversion licence to water plants up to 100 cubic metres per day for smaller riparian restoration projects
The hockey uniforms are popular with the kids, said Corey Madill, who has four youngsters who pass the puck in Plamondon.
He was instrumental in getting approval from the National Hockey League to model the town’s hockey uniforms after the real Oilers’ outfit. Instead of buying ready-made jerseys with expensive logos from a sports store as most teams do, Madill decided to make the uniform search more interesting.
He got permission from an NHL lawyer to use the Oilers logo for free. This gave the team authentic looking uniforms and jackets for a lower cost, said Madill.
“It’s definitely unique,” he said, estimating the uniforms cost about $70 compared to well over $100 in typical cases.
For minor hockey parents who dish out about $500 per Atom kid a season, that’s substantial enough, but Madill said the main reason for the uniforms was a hockey connection to a team nearby.
He brought his idea to the league’s attention in January 1997 at an executive meeting to raise money for new uniforms. His favorite team is Edmonton, but he admits it wasn’t easy to sell all members on the Oilers’ jersey.
“The reaction was there were a lot of Oilers haters in the crowd.”
But his determination prevailed by the end of the two-hour meeting.
“I won them over,” he said, smiling.
From there Madill began a myriad of phone calls that ended with an NHL lawyer in New York. He told her why they wanted the logo and gave Plamondon’s minor league hockey history. And he assured her the logo wouldn’t be used for sale and that the team conducts itself with good team spirit during games.
In February Madill got permission to use the logo but was warned he’s liable if the league breaches any rules.
“She said the association has too many members, so they would rather sue me.”
The agreement expires at the end of June so Madill will have to go through the process again. He plans to send pictures and a big thank-you note to warm up the officials.
Since the NHL couldn’t be goaded into donating the uniforms along with the logo, there was a lot of fund-raising in the town that Madill says has a population of 286.
“That’s everybody. Dogs and cats too, probably.”
Mary Chaschin, vice-president of the town’s minor hockey club, has six kids in the sport. She remembers how excited they were to wear their uniforms for the first time and said their jackets caught spectator eyes when they wore them to an Edmonton Oilers game.
“It was happy days. The kids were tickled pink,” said Chaschin, adding they’re proud to be the only team with NHL-approved logos.
She hopes the original uniforms might give the league enough of an “in” so the kids can play at intermission during an Oilers game.
Madill admits it was a lot of work to get the uniforms, but feels it was worthwhile.
Somebody has to jump in and say ‘let’s do something with the kids.'”
He likes to keep the club interesting and feels the children benefit from hockey.
“If they’re happy and in a good environment, then they’ll achieve. They’re not getting into trouble.”
Chaschin added her kids like the game so much they willingly abide by the rule of getting their homework done – often at the rink – before playing hockey.
Ashton Ulliac, 12, thinks the new uniforms are another bonus.
“It’s cool to be part of an Oilers team. The uniforms are good. They’re exactly like the Oilers.”
Madill agrees, of course, but cringes at the memory of the Boston Bruins colors they once wore.
“We didn’t look that bad before. But we look better now.”
