Chatham-Kent Sports Year in Review: December 2011

Chris Clements at Meltdown in the Valley

The year is coming to a close, and these memories might not seem distant, but December always gives us a time to look back and reflect on the amazing moments of the past year.

Here is a look at sports in Chatham-Kent during December 2011:

• December 3 – Not known as a prototypical goal scorer, Chatham’s Ryan Jones had the biggest game of his career scoring a third period hat trick in a 6-3 comeback win for his Edmonton Oilers over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Read more about Ryan Jones first career hat trick…
• December 4 – Chatham’s Derek Whitson added to his trophy case winning a gold medal with Team Canada at the World Sledge Hockey Challenge. Read about Derek Whitson’s gold medal…
• December 4 – Dresden’s Chris Clements scored the biggest win of his career at Meltdown in the Valley, Sarnia’s first ever professional MMA fights. Clements beat UFC veteran Chris Clementi prompting many to predict he is next in line to receive the call from the UFC. See photos and coverage from Chris Clements win…
• December 4 – Wallaceburg’s Jesse Gross suffered a controversial loss at Meltdown in the Valley to Daron Cruikshank. Gross was handed a TKO loss only minutes into the first round. View video interviews and footage from Jesse Gross’ fight…
• December 5 – In further coverage of Chris Clements win, CKSN broadcasted video coverage including interviews with Clements and Meltdown promoter Woodrow James from the Meltdown in the Valley fights. View the video of Chris Clements here…
• December 13 – Chatham goalie Jason Missiaen was named the ECHL goaltender of the week. Missaien is in his first professional season, and collected back to back wins and shutouts in the East Coast Hockey League with the Greenville Road Warriors. Read about Jason Missiaen’s ECHL honour…
• December 16 – Dresden’s Wes Cunningham was promoted to the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers. This is Cunningham’s second career stint in the AHL, a sign that his professional hockey career is moving in the right direction. Cunningham was since returned to the AHL. Read more about Wes Cunningham in the AHL here…
• December 19 – Four local basketball players were identified as top prospects to move on to collegiate basketball as they made the Windsor Valiants roster, who play in JUEL, Ontario’s top developmental league. Erin Sarapnickas, Shauney Fishcer, Lindsay Elliott and Aryn Finley are the four local basketball players who made the Valiants lineup. Read more about Chatham-Kent athletes on the Windsor Valiants roster…
• December 20 – Wallaceburg’s Jamie Vanderveeken made the move from Italy to play professionally with the Cardiff Devils of Britain’s Elite Ice Hockey League. Vanderveeken is in his first year of professional hockey in Europe. Read more about Jamie Vanderveeken here…