Bryant McBride on Herb Carnegie's Legacy Mel Wakabayashi in 1964. Wakabayashi played for the University of Michigan from 1963 to 1967 and became a captain. [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk5NTIzNTYwNDM0MTgxMjIz/mel-wakabayashi-1920x10801.jpg] Mel Wakabayashi in 1964. Wakabayashi played for the University of Michigan from 1963 to 1967 and became a captain. Growing the Game is Ian Kennedy’s weekly feature examining the global game, how social issues impact the sport, and how hockey’s important cultural shift continues to evolve. UNHERALDED LEGEND MEL WAKABAYASHI PASSES AWAY Earlier this month, one of hockey’s unheralded legends, Hitoshi 'Mel' Wakabayashi, passed away at age 80 in Japan [https://www.iihf.com/en/news/49142/hitoshi_mel%E2%80%9D_wakabayashi_80]. Born in an internment camp in 1943 in Slocan City, B.C., Wakabayashi, alongside his younger brother Osamu 'Herb' Wakabayashi, fell in love with hockey after settling in Chatham, Ont. There, the Wakabayashi brothers became two of the most dominant players in the game. In his final season of junior hockey, Mel Wakabayashi scored 64 goals and 102 points in only 28 games. He was a skilled phenom who continued his dominance in the NCAA with the University of Michigan. He scored more than a point per game in each of his four seasons, including being named a first-team All-American in 1964-65 when he captained Michigan. Following a stint in the Detroit Red Wings system, Wakabayashi moved to Japan, where he played for more than a decade before turning to coaching. He coached Team Japan at multiple World Championships and notably coached the nation at the 1980 Olympics, a team captained by his brother Herb, who starred for Boston University. HOCKEY HELPS A PAIR OF CANADIAN WOMEN’S WORLD CUP STARS Before she became a cornerstone for Canada’s women’s national soccer team, Adriana Leon was an up-and-coming hockey star [https://thehockeynews.com/womens/other-news/golden-girls-adriana-leon-chose-soccer-while-ambrose-and-saulnier-followed-hockey]. In fact, she turned down a hockey scholarship at Cornell, choosing soccer at Notre Dame. In her final season of hockey playing junior for the Toronto Aeros, Leon played alongside Canadian Olympic gold medalists Erin Ambrose and Jill Saulnier. Her team also featured PHF stars Kelly Babstock, who spent last season with the Metropolitan Riveters, and Connecticut Whale captain Shannon Turner. “I remember playing with (Leon) and being, ‘Wow, she’s so fast. I can’t keep up,’ ” said Saulnier. “She was a spitfire out there. She was the fastest one on the ice and just tenacious all the time.” Another stalwart on Canada’s national soccer roster, Jessie Fleming, also played competitive hockey growing up and credits the game [https://thehockeynews.com/womens/other-news/jessie-fleming-from-ice-hockey-to-the-world-cup-of-soccer], particularly playing boys’ hockey, for helping her develop her on-field vision. “A big part of my game in soccer is my vision and awareness,” Fleming said. “In hockey, especially as a girl who’s not as strong as the guys, just the vision and awareness not to get hit against the boards definitely helped.” The 2023 Women’s World Cup of Soccer runs from July 20 to August 20 in Australia and New Zealand. HOCKEY CANADA LOSES ANOTHER MAJOR SPONSOR AS INVESTIGATION RESULTS LOOM The fallout from sexual assault and abuse scandals tied to Hockey Canada continues to mount as Nike announced this week it officially ended its partnership with Hockey Canada. "Nike is no longer a sponsor of Hockey Canada," the company said in a statement [https://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/nike-permanently-ends-sponsorship-of-hockey-canada-1.6482829]. "We will continue to provide on-ice product for Hockey Canada athletes as part of our partnership with the International Ice Hockey Federation, but our individual partnership with the federation has ended." The results of the investigation into an alleged 2018 gang sexual assault in London, Ont., could spark other sponsors and supporters to pull away from Hockey Canada permanently. London Police said in December in a court document it believes it has enough evidence to believe five members of that roster assaulted a woman, which included many current NHL players. The names of those involved are expected to be announced soon, but no timetable has been determined. PRIMEAU GIVES BACK WITH STICKS TOGETHER Robert Morris University women’s hockey player Madison Primeau recently spent 11 days in South Africa with Sticks Together [https://www.stickstogether.org/]. The organization aims "to provide the necessary resources to give children in underprivileged communities the opportunity to learn and play the sport of hockey." "The game of hockey has given me so much," said Primeau [https://thehockeynews.com/womens/college/primeau-gives-back-through-sticks-together]. "My goal is to share with others the same joy that it has brought onto me. Sticks Together gives me that opportunity." Primeau arrived at Robert Morris as a transfer from Syracuse University. She’ll be part of Robert Morris’ return to women’s hockey after a two-year hiatus for the program.
