MONA GHIZ, MARLANT PA
COTF banner for two seasons presented to HMCS Halifax
By Ryan Melanson,
Trident Staff
The ship’s company of HMCS Halifax has been setting the bar for participation in base sporting events in recent years, with high participation and good results in soccer, hockey, basketball, curling, running, softball, volleyball and a number of other activities. For two straight seasons, the crew has accumulated more points from these base tournaments than any other ship in the Atlantic Fleet, earning them the title of Cock of the Fleet Champions for both 2016/2017 and 2017/2018.
Because of deployments and sailing schedules, however, the timing hadn’t worked out for PSP Halifax to officially present the COTF Banner and congratulate the members of Halifax for their sporting achievements and or fbeing the most active unit in the fleet. This finally got corrected on February 27, when the ship received the banner and prize money marking their two COTF Championships prior to their annual inter-ship hockey game at the Shearwater Arena.
“The ship is gearing up to deploy, and we don’t have many chances to organize events like this, so it was a great opportunity to do it,” said LCdr Nick Buxton, Halifax’s Executive Officer, referencing the upcoming deployment to Op REASSURANCE in the Mediterranean; Halifax will deploy this summer, replacing HMCS Toronto.
“It’s always nice to win, and we’re proud of our guys for all the work that went into this. We’re using hockey here to show off the banner, but whether it was basketball, curling, or any of the other sports, it’s great to be setting an example for the Fleet,” he added.
The inter-ship hockey game is normally a Christmas tradition for Halifax, but again, due to a high-tempo schedule and preparations ahead of deploying, finding a proper time was difficult. The two teams played to a shootout finish, with the squad coached by Commanding Officer Cdr Scott Nelson winning out over their opponents, led by ship Coxn CPO1 Trent Mahoney. A number of other members of the crew were invited to come along as spectators and enjoy coffee and snacks in the stands, making for a fun morning for Halifax’s sailors.
