Yellowjacket Tour Hits Calgary   The past two decades have been very good to the Yellowjacket hockey program.  In that span, they qualified for the NCHA playoffs for the first time, claimed conference titles in both the regular season and playoffs, qualified for the NCAA tournament and eventually became NCAA champions.  A big part of that success can be attributed to the players who donned the black and gold (or in some cases orange) that hailed from western Canada.  Twenty years of western Canadian recruiting means that the area is now home to a strong alumni concentration, as many returned home following their days in Superior. Earlier this year, the UW-Superior Alumni Association approved the launching of a western Canada chapter, and it all came to a fruition on June 24-25 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, in what became a mini-Yellowjacket reunion. "We have had a lot of success over the last two decades, and a big part of that has been the good players that we've been able to get from western Canada," athletics director Steve Nelson said.  "From Chuck (Komisar) who was our first from Calgary to the most recent guys like Justin Faryna, all of the guys that we have gotten from this region have helped shape and build our program." The festivities started with a dinner on Friday, June 24 at Hudson's Canadian Tap House in Calgary.  On Saturday, in what is considered the highlight of the trip, 26 former players and coaches as well as some fathers of the alumni hit the course at D'Arcy Ranch Golf Club in Okotoks, Alberta for an alumni golf outing.  The team that included 2009 graduates Rob Turville and Andrew MacKenzie and 2010 graduate Tyler Fletcher took home first place honors in what many hope will become a regular event.  Following golf it was on to a social, also held at Hudson's Canadian Tap House. "Absolutely fantastic," said Bruce Leonard, captain of the 2002 NCAA championship team and the chief organizer of the weekend.  "We had a great turnout for the first time we've done this and a good time was had by all.  I'm looking forward to the next one that we decide to do." The following is a complete list of attendees from the photo above: Top Row (L-R): Kevin Sobb, Peter Maher, Gary Wagner, Bill Leonard, Bruce Leonard, Jon Garver, Jay Stewart, Kris Wilson, Steve Wiggins, Ivan Prokic, Kris Boiselle, Brian Pieper, Andrew MacKenzie, Tyler Fletcher, Rob Turville, Chuck Komisar, Steve Nelson and John Murgatroyd.  Bottom Row (L-R): Jeff Maher, Rob Whidden, Chris Niemiec, Dan Stauber, Shane Lodhar, Scott Wagner, Dick Wiggins and Julius Erlenbach.  Colin Kendall, Lindsey Braun, Dave Harbinson and Kevin Paschal attended the dinner on Friday but were unable to golf on Saturday. "It was really a lot of fun to watch some of these guys get caught up after not seeing each other for 15 years," said Nelson, who as head coach of the Yellowjackets recruited more than his fair share of western Canadians.  "It took about 15 seconds and after that it was like they had never been apart.  "And to watch the way the guys from all the different eras just chatted and flowed from one conversation to the next was amazing.  It was like they all played on the same team for four years." The camaraderie seems to have renewed energy among the alumni base, as future events similar to Calgary are already in the works. "The response to this event was spectacular.  It was so positive that the guys have already made the decision to begin planning one for 2012 and then making sure that they happen again every two years," Nelson said.  "I hope all of them are as well received as the first one.  I look forward to all of them." Interim chancellor Erlenbach echoed that sentiment. "The Calgary trip was just fantastic and I'm very excited for the next one," he said. The trip in 2012 is tentatively scheduled for April 2012 in San Diego, Calif., followed by events in Las Vegas, Nev. (2014) and Vancouver, British Columbia (2016).