Swift Current star one of the WHL’s great
hidden gems
 |
| Tyler Steenbergen speeds down the ice on a rush for the Broncos. |
If you miss seeing the Swift Current Broncos in action on
the WHL circuit this season, you might be sorry.
Located in the smallest market of the Canadian Hockey
League, the Broncos have been experiencing a resurgence in Swift Current. The
resurgence is being led by one of the WHL’s most dynamic star players in Tyler
Steenbergen.
Last season, the skilled forward from Sylvan Lake, Alta., had
a breakout campaign appearing in all of the Broncos 72 regular season games
piling up 51 goals, 39 assists and a plus-29 rating in the plus-minus
department. His 90 points were good for a three-way tie for ninth in the WHL
scoring race with Victoria Royals centre Matthew Phillips and Tri-City
Americans centre Morgan Geekie.
Steenbergen’s 51 goals ranked him in a tie with Tyler Wong
of the Lethbridge Hurricanes for tops in the league. Out of the 51 goals
Steenbergen scored, he netted the game winner on 12 occasions to lead the WHL.
Thanks to these efforts, Steenbergen was named a second team
all-star in the WHL’s Eastern Conference, and he was awarded the Brad Hornung
Trophy as the WHL’s most sportsmanlike player.
 |
| Tyler Steenbergen (#17) of the Broncos cuts past Sam Steel (#23) of the Pats. |
In last June’s NHL Entry Draft, the Arizona Coyotes selected
Steenbergen, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 188 pounds, in the fifth round and
128th overall. At some point in the future, the Coyotes might look
back and admire Steenbergen’s selection as a draft steal.
Entering his 19-year-old season, Steenbergen is likely not
the most recognized star name in the WHL circuit. The circuit’s most recognized
returning standout is likely Regina Pats captain Sam Steel, who took the WHL’s and
CHL’s scoring titles last season while also winning the Four Broncos Memorial
Trophy as the WHL’s most valuable player.
Last season, Steenbergen’s exploits were often lost behind a
number of other established star players who played or likely played their
final major junior seasons before embarking on professional careers like Adam
Brooks and Connor Hobbs of the Pats, Brett Howden of the Moose Jaw Warriors and
Mathew Barzal and Ethan Bear of the league champion Seattle Thunderbirds.
 |
| Tyler Steenbergen controls the puck in the offensive zone. |
Besides being lost behind other star players, Steenbergen
likely doesn’t get a tonne of notoriety due to the fact he does play in Swift
Current, which is often ignored on the national media front. Inside the WHL
itself, the awards he won last season show those inside the circuit have
definitely taken notice.
While Swift Current is overlooked on the national media
front, it might be the perfect setting to help prepare Steenbergen for a professional
career. The Broncos players are stars in the small Saskatchewan city, and
people notice everything you do. When you play for the Broncos, you realize
quickly how valuable it is to carry yourself in a well-mannered way to make
yourself look good and ensure the Broncos look good.
Anyone that has dealt with Steenbergen even for a short time
on a one-on-one basis will come away impressed with how well he carries
himself.
When the people in Swift Current view that the Broncos
players are genuinely good guys, they will back them in a strong way. The loud
sellout crowds of 2,890 that crammed the Credit Union i-Plex during the Broncos
six home playoff games last season are testament to that.
Steenbergen was at the centre of excitement of what went on
in Swift Current last season. When he hits the ice, he made things happen. The
home crowd in Swift Current rises to their feet, when Steenbergen hits the
offensive zone with speed on a rush.
 |
| Tyler Steenbergen (#17) celebrates a goal for the Broncos. |
It seemed like he was always in the middle of things when
the Broncos needed a play in clutch time.
Thanks to Steenbergen’s efforts, the Broncos posted a solid
39-23-4-6 in the regular season in 2016-17. In the playoffs, Steenbergen
recorded eight goals, six assists and a plus-one rating as the Broncos won a
first round series that went the maximum seven games against the Moose Jaw
Warriors and fell in a second round series that went the maximum seven games to
the Pats.
When Steenbergen dresses for the Broncos, he always gives
the best effort, and you anticipate offensive fireworks happening that night.
He is one of those players that is worth the price of
admission any time he plays in a WHL game.
Schenn’s bumps in Blades days long forgotten
 |
| Brayden Schenn skates at the Chase Fantasy Hockey Camp. |
When Brayden Schenn returns to Saskatoon, he is a hometown
hero, and the bumps he had to navigate during his short time with the Saskatoon
Blades are long forgotten.
It should be noted the bumps Schenn faced with the Blades
were never his fault or the team’s fault. The bumps were a learning experience
about what could happen when an extremely high profile player laces up the
skates for his hometown major junior hockey team.
For three seasons from 2007 to 2010, Schenn was the star
centre with the Brandon Wheat Kings and a highly rated NHL prospect along with teammate
Scott Glennie. In the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Schenn was selected in the first
round and fifth overall by the Los Angeles Kings, while Glennie went in the
first round and eighth overall that same year to the Dallas Stars.
At the start of the 2010-11 campaign, Schenn, who was in his
19-year-old season, made the Kings and appeared in eight NHL contests. He also
suited up for seven games with the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey
League for conditioning purposes before being sent back to the Wheat Kings.
The Blades were in a race for first overall in the WHL that
season, and they made a monster trade with the Wheat Kings to get Schenn. In
the deal that was made Jan. 10, 2011, the Blades received Schenn and a third
round selection in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft from the Wheat Kings in exchange
for the Blades first and second round selections of the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft,
a first round selection in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft, a first round selection
in the 2012 CHL Import Draft and then prospects in defenceman Ayrton Nikkel and
centre Tim McGauley.
Schenn played 27 regular season games with the Blades piling
up 21 goals and 32 assists. Saskatoon topped the WHL standings with a 56-13-1-2
record for 115 points in the standings. The 56 wins and 115 standings points
are still Blades club records.
While Schenn always carried himself well, it seemed there
were some in the public that wanted to bring him down.
 |
| Brayden Schenn looks to make a pass at the Chase Fantasy Hockey Camp. |
During the Blades first round playoff series with the Prince
Albert Raiders, someone went online and made racist comments towards First
Nations peoples in Schenn’s name via a fake Facebook account. That development
caused the Blades to hold a news conference to state Schenn didn’t have
anything to do with that fake Facebook account and request a police
investigation. At that time, the Blades found nine fake Facebook accounts in
Schenn’s name.
Schenn wasn’t made available to the media at that press
conference, but the Blades issued a statement from the skilled forward. One can
only imagine how much time was spent putting this fire out that Schenn and the
Blades had no part of starting.
The Blades proceeded to eliminate the Raiders 4-2 in a
best-of-seven series. Saskatoon was swept away in a best-of-seven second round
series 4-0 to the Kootenay Ice, who went on to win the WHL championship.
In 10 playoff games, Schenn put up six goals and five
assists for the Blades. Expectations were high that year that the Blades would
win the WHL title and sizable crowds were showing up at the rink that is now known
as the SaskTel Centre.
During the immediate aftermath of their playoff ouster,
there were a number of people in the vocal minority of the Blades fanbase that blamed the post-season
elimination on Schenn.
I was working in Medicine Hat during that time covering the
WHL’s Tigers for the Medicine Hat News, and relatives in Saskatoon told me that
Schenn couldn’t show his face in public in town in the days that followed the
Blades playoff exit. I do recall seeing a Facebook group that existed to dump
hate on Schenn for costing the Blades the Memorial Cup. I can no longer find
that Facebook page.
Thankfully, the notion of being upset at Schenn quickly
faded away. Disappointment over the fact the Blades didn’t have a long playoff
run that season likely still lingers a little bit.
Since leaving the Blades, Schenn has been a career NHLer
appearing in 433 regular season games mostly with the Philadelphia Flyers
collecting 109 goals and 139 assists. Thanks to an off-season trade at the NHL
Entry Draft in June, the 26-year-old will suit up for the St. Louis Blues in
the upcoming NHL campaign.
Anyone that has dealt with Schenn and his family comes away
with a fresh realization that they are all a good bunch. Anytime I take a photo
of Schenn at a charity event and share it on Twitter, it usually gets a few
likes from locals, and that is always great to see.
Cool seeing “BT” enter Canadian Football Hall of Fame
— CFL (@CFL) September 15, 2017
It was definitely a cool sight to see the pictures and video
legendary University of Saskatchewan Huskies football head coach Brian Towriss
officially enter the Canadian Football Hall of Fame on Thursday night in
Hamilton, Ont.
Towriss resigned his post as Huskies head coach on Dec. 19,
2016 having complied a U Sports record 196 career wins, 11 Canada West titles,
nine Vanier Cup appearances and three Vanier Cup titles. On March 22, an
announcement was made that Towriss would be part of this year’s Canadian
Football Hall of Fame class along with CFL player greats in Anthony Calvillo,
Geroy Simon, Mike O’Shea and Kelvin Anderson along with former Calgary
Stampeders president Stan Schwartz.
Towriss and Schwartz entered the Hall as
builders.
When Towriss saw his lifelike bust and put on his Hall of
Fame jacket and ring, he looked really happy, and it was a happy look that was
usually reserved for times when one of his player did something great. It was
fun to see him enjoy his moment.
Towriss was joined in Hamilton by his wife (Vicki) and their
children (Kellie and Jake), and they got to experience something special that
will be with them forever.
It is always a great when good things happen to good people.
Congratulations to “BT” on his Canadian Football Hall of Fame induction.
If you have any
comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them
to stankssports@gmail.com.
