Dear Santa,
It is that time of year again. Boy, has time flown by this year.
Last year at this time, we got a lot of new toys for the Edmonton Elks with a new owner in Larry Thompson, a new president in Chris Morris, a new “old” general manager in Ed Hervey and a new head coach in Mark Kilam.
I remember asking you for a couple of things last year.
One was patience for the Elks organization and the fans of the Elks Football team. With a lot of new toys, sometimes you play with the toy that is the shiniest, the biggest, the toughest or the most advertised, but these toys all needed to be played with in harmony for any type of fun and success. The team’s record was 7-11 in 2024 and in 2025, but it felt different. There were 2 more home wins in 2025. The Elks made Commonwealth a hard place to play for opponents again. It appears the new toys are figuring out that harmony and patience will be rewarded.
The second thing I asked you for was a repeat of the 2024 Labour Day and the rematch game and sweep of those Stampeders in the 2025 series. I knew it was a greedy ask, but one could try.
This year I have a bigger wish list but you must understand — I have been really really, really good this year.
My Wish List
1) The first wish is for Mark Kilam. I wish him an injury-free year. He and his brand-new coaching staff did a masterful job of adapting and getting a lot of new players ready to play due to injured personnel.
2) The second wish is for Ed Hervey. A football team is a living, breathing thing that requires it to adapt and change to all kinds of factors. My wish for Ed is for a map or crystal ball that will help him navigate those factors for all the success in the world.
3) The third wish is for Chris Morris. My wish for him is great weather. This past year, a few games were subject to bad weather or the threat of bad weather. This impacted the attendance at Commonwealth. This year, the Elks host five games in seven weeks during the summer between July 9th and August 21st. Elks fans should plan now to get to the pre-game tailgate party and be ready to celebrate post-game as the Elks should improve on that 5-4 home record from this year.
4) The fourth wish is for the Thompson Family. They lost Larry Thompson this year. The loss of a husband, father, grandfather, a relative, a friend is always hard. A person typically will feel sadness, shock, confusion, anger, guilt and loneliness when they lose a loved one. My wish for the Thompson family is peace and love to fill their hearts. I want them to love and bask in the company of each other, from the youngest grandchild to the oldest and dearest family friend. There is a piece of Larry in everyone’s smiles and stories. I want them to appreciate the blessing of having Larry being a fabric woven into their lives for all time.
5) The fifth wish is no longer required. I was going to ask for ‘opportunity’. What more of an opportunity is there to share stories, stats and history with Elks football fans through ElksNation.ca. Thank you ElksNation.
Now…..I was really, really, really good this year. If a Mr. Quarterback Football Passer or a Coleco Electronic Quarterback happens to fall out of the sleigh over top of my house, it would be appreciated.
Merry Christmas!
