The Battle of the Badges between CFB Shilo and the Brandon Firefighters threw down some intense action, with the players from the Base reclaiming the winner’s title in the annual hockey competition during a 4 to 3 conquest on March 26.
The fast-action ice spar was well underway, with the military members as the home team in Gunner Arena, scoring the first goal just 29 seconds after the initial puck drop.
The third annual skate clash saw more than 100 attendees and participants cheering from the stands and players benches as the passion to capture the game win escalated into fisticuffs, player ejection, speed and planned operational vivacity.
CFB Shilo Base Commander Lieutenant-Colonel Jack Nguyen said the games are a fantastic way to build community spirit and show how well Shilo is connected to the Brandon community.
“It’s a great tradition we have going here, and we love doing these types of things with the firefighters.”
“[We] made a [friendly] wager … that the loser would have to serve in the winner’s kitchen. So Chief Parlow is going to come and serve at the Flatlands Dining Hall. We’re going to bring the team out, and he’s going to serve a meal for the troops.”
Brandon Firefighter Chief Terry Parlow accepted defeat benevolently by accepting part of the wager as donating $100 to the Base’s charity of choice, Soldier On. He said it’s all about the great opportunity of spending time with the Canadian Military.
“It was a spirited affair with a lot of energy and passion,” he told Shilo Stag News about the game. “What else would you expect from two groups of individuals who work every day at nothing but a high level. To see that on the ice, shake hands, share the camaraderie is an opportunity that is second to none for us.”
Speaking graciously about the competition loss and penance of having to work in the Shilo kitchen …
“You know what? I’ll make the bet every day of the week and twice on Sunday, even now, because of [not just] how proud I am of my team, but also being able to spend some time with everybody on the Base. It’s fantastic, and I think that adds something else to it,” Parlow said.
Previous wins since the inception of the skating duel in 2024 have seen the firefighters wash a mudded-up LAV, and the previous Base Commander wear a Brandon firefighter’s jersey for a day and participate in firefighting drills as a sign of loss attrition.
Event organizer Andy Depner, recreation and sports coordinator at CFB Shilo, said the game this year was intense, as both teams practised during the lead-up several times a week. He noted the Shilo team as being a strong contender in military competitions in Edmonton and then the regionals over this past hockey season.
“We won’t mention that during [Battle of the Badges] tryouts they cut the Base Commander,” he said humorously.
When asked about being cut, LCol Nguyen responded self-deprecatingly, “I feel we needed the best team possible, so I didn’t want to take a spot away from someone who could skate.”
