This weekend was a big one in Dauphin with Rogers Hometown Hockey in town.

Ron MacLean was impressed by the community.

“It felt like New York City, so there was that, and to be set up by this unbelievable train station, 1896 you can almost picture them beginning to break ground here and now it’s a tight-knit community obviously. That was special.”

Tara Slone got to take part in the whole treatment this weekend, joining the round dance with Treaty 2 First Nations and dropping the puck at Rangers Ukrainian Night.

During the weekend, Bridgette Lacquette, Colton Orr, and Butch Goring made appearances. On the broadcast, Mya Kubrakovich and Rylan Gibbs joined MacLean and Slone and named the three stars of the featured hockey game, Calgary Flames vs Vegas Golden Knights.

This isn’t MacLean’s first time in the Parkland.

“I have been to Winnipegosis a couple of times, I know Alex Lytwyn, a young man who has cerebral palsy, so he’s in a wheelchair, but he’s just an amazing leader in the community there. He’s helped to raise money for the hockey program there.”

MacLean was very emphatic about his favourite thing here in Dauphin.

“The pierogies. There’s no doubt, Leanne brought over some pierogies for us and they were state of the art tender. I wanted, and still might get, some kubasa, pumpernickel and beer. I got the treat of, Tara had said ‘make sure Ron, you save room for the pierogies’ and they were the highlight for me.”

MacLean also remembers a saying Darren Mallard, who played goalie for the Dauphin Kings a couple of times, liked to use.

“He used the term ‘Awesome Dauphin’ and it kinda rhymes, so I would say you’ve got your slogans but, the Sunshine City for me, was Awesome Dauphin.”