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| The Broncos veteran celebrate with the Ed Chynoweth Cup. |
When the Broncos claimed the WHL title on Sunday night
before a sellout crowd of 2,890 spectators at the Innovation Credit Union
i-Plex in Swift Current, the sight on the ice had to have felt surreal among
the euphoric joy. The Broncos skated to a 3-0 victory in Game 6 of the league
title series with the Everett Silvertips to take the best-of-seven set 4-2.
It was one of those nights you wish would never end, if you
were associated with the Broncos.
Back in 2004-05, the Broncos missed the WHL playoffs posting
a 22-41-6-3 record to end a streak where the franchise had made the post-season
in 31 consecutive campaigns. During many points on that run of making the
playoffs in consecutive years, the Broncos were often seen as one of the
powerhouse clubs in major junior hockey, while playing in the smallest market
of the Canadian Hockey League.
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| The fans at the i-Plex cheer on the Broncos. |
From the 2004-05 season to the 2015-16 campaign, the Broncos
won only one playoff series taking out the Regina Pats in a best-of-seven
series 4-2 in 2008. Besides missing the post-season in 2004-05, the Broncos
failed to make the playoffs in the 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2015-16 campaigns.
During the time period from 2004 to 2016, it seemed like
Broncos fans saw some of their best players go on to do brighter things with
other clubs. In 2010-11, star forward Cody Eakin was dealt to the Kootenay Ice
in a blockbuster trade.
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| Glenn Gawdin has been a great captain for the Broncos. |
In 2015-16, the Broncos dealt star forward Jake DeBrusk to
the Red Deer Rebels, who were hosting that season’s Memorial Cup. DeBrusk
helped the Rebels advance to the WHL’s Eastern Conference Championship series
for the first time in 12 years and make an appearance in the semifinal of the
Memorial Cup tourney.
It felt like Swift Current had been given the unwelcome
title of “outpost” status. From 2004 to 2016, you would often hear rumours that
players didn’t want to go there because it was too much of a fishbowl.
When players did get there, they realized the fishbowl
effect did not mean the fans were hyper critical of the team and players. Like any
major junior centre, criticisms do come up. What you did find was a group of
fans that longed to love their team.
If the people in Swift Current saw a Broncos player as a genuine
good person, they would have your back in a serious way.
Still, the fact that results weren’t coming on the ice was
discouraging, and it was common to see crowds of around 1,800 at the i-Plex
during many regular season games from 2004 to 2016.
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| Broncos head coach Manny Viveiros lifts the Ed Chynoweth Cup. |
During his years in Swift Current, Lamb made it an emphasis and
did a huge amount of leg work building up the respect of the Broncos to
encourage players to come to the team and encourage fans to come out to games.
When the Broncos were on the road, Lamb and Swift Current
team members developed a reputation for being one the best groups to deal with
among media in other centres. That was all part of the gritty leg work that was
put in towards building a good reputation for the Broncos.
Under Lamb, the Broncos brought in current stars in captain
Glenn Gawdin and right-winger Tyler Steenbergen through the WHL Bantam Draft,
Russian defenceman Artyom Minulin from the CHL Import Draft and offensive
defenceman Colby Sissons as a list player. Lamb also acquired gritty
left-winger Kaden Elder and sound defensive defenceman Sahvan Khaira via separate
trades with the Seattle Thunderbirds.
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| Tyler Steenbergen (#17) has been a shining star for the Broncos. |
He had a lengthy career playing professionally in Europe and
transitioned into being an elite level coach once his playing days concluded.
The Broncos made a great out of the box move in hiring Viveiros for his first
head coaching position in North America. Often in the hockey world, coaches
working overseas get overlooked when positions open in North America.
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| Aleksi Heponiemi has come through in big moments for the Broncos. |
Together, that trio has become one of the best lines in the
history of the Broncos and one of the most memorable forward units in the
history of the WHL.
The Broncos posted a 39-23-4-6 record in 2016-17, took out
the Moose Jaw Warriors in a tough seven game first round playoff series before
falling to the Regina Pats in a tough second round seven game series, which
Swift Current had led 3-1.
In Game 6 of the series with the Pats, the Broncos held a
3-1 lead in the second period and Gawdin had a breakaway on Pats netminder
Tyler Brown. Brown made a robbery of a save to allow the Pats to rally back and
take that contest 5-3.
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| Mascot Charlie Horse meets the Broncos’ fans. |
During the process of the 2016-17 campaign, the loud and
raucous sellout crowds of 2,890 returned to the i-Plex on a regular basis. With
a solid core of veterans set to return for the team’s training camp in August
of 2017, there was optimism around the Broncos that the team could hit greater
heights.
It still seemed those types of thoughts still belonged in a
dream. Getting to Game 7 of the second round was treated like a major
accomplishment to be celebrated.
Going into 2017-18, the Broncos weren’t listed in the CHL’s
Top 10 rankings in the pre-season poll. They would be a staple in those ratings
for the rest of the campaign.
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| Netminder Stuart Skinner (#74) tracks the puck during a net scramble. |
On Nov. 25, 2017, a blockbuster trade with Calgary Hitmen
brought the Broncos skilled overage centre Matteo Gennaro and gritty
left-winger Beck Malenstyn. On Jan. 9 a day before the WHL’s trade deadline,
the Broncos acquired skilled overage centre Giorgio Estephan, star netminder
Stuart Skinner and gritty right-winger Tanner Nagel from the Lethbridge
Hurricanes in another blockbuster trade.
In Swift Current, locals would have a hard time remembering
the last time the Broncos made these “all in” types of moves on the trade
front.
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| Centre Matteo Gennaro was a big addition from Calgary for the Broncos. |
The Broncos proceeded to advance through the first two
rounds of the WHL playoffs downing the Pats in a tough seven-game series in the
first round and the Moose Jaw Warriors, who finished first overall in the WHL
in the regular season, in a seven-game battle in the second round.
Having made the Eastern Conference Championship series for
the first time since 2001, fans in Swift Current could have likely said it was
a great run, if it ended there.
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| Colby Sissons has been a rock on the Broncos blue-line. |
At one point, it looked like the dream would end there. Everett
took Game 1 in Swift Current 2-1 and held a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes in Game 2
at the i-Plex. Little anyone know, the “Miracle at the i-Plex” was about to take
place.
The Broncos scored once in the second to pull to within 3-1.
They entered the ice for the start of the third period behind a rousing ovation
from their home crowd.
With Steenbergen scoring with 1:37 to play in the third, the
hosts pulled even at 3-3. Estephan competed the comeback scoring at the 9:27
mark of overtime to give the Broncos a 4-3 win.
In Game 3 in Everett, the Broncos trailed 2-1 in the third
period, and Gawdin came to the rescue. He had the equalizer with 3:17 to play
in the third and scored the winner at 2:40 of overtime to complete a hat trick
performance in a 3-2 Broncos victory.
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| Artyom Minulin has helped anchor the back end for the Broncos. |
They persevered taking the title playing a record 26 games
in one WHL post-season surpassing the 25 games played by the Portland Winter
Hawks in 1979 and the Medicine Hat Tigers in 1986.
The Broncos WHL title wins this year, in 1993 and 1989 mark the last three times a Saskatchewan team has captured the league crown.
The Broncos WHL title wins this year, in 1993 and 1989 mark the last three times a Saskatchewan team has captured the league crown.
For the Broncos fans, they had to be beside themselves
watching their team skate around the i-Plex ice surface and celebrate with the
Ed Chynoweth Cup. Even the most optimistic Broncos fan might have thought that
sight was impossible.
Swift Current reclaimed its place as the “title town” of the
WHL. In the city “where life makes sense,” the Broncos had proven that anything
is possible.
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| The fans of the Broncos got to see their team win a WHL title at home. |
On that day, the residents of Swift Current descended on
Saskatoon to watch their Broncos pull out a 4-3 overtime victory over the host
Blades at Saskatchewan Place in the tournament’s championship game on Tim Tisdale’s
winner.
The Broncos qualified for this year’s Memorial Cup winning
the WHL crown 29 years to the day of winning major junior hockey’s biggest
prize.
This year’s Memorial Cup is about a two-and-a-half hour
drive east on the Trans-Canada Highway in Regina beginning on Friday when the
host Pats face the Ontario Hockey League champion Hamilton Bulldogs (8 p.m.,
Brandt Centre).
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| Athletic trainer Jamie LeBlanc, left, and his daughter enjoy the WHL title win. |
Broncos fans might to get see one more surreal sight, if
their team lifts the Memorial Cup as CHL champions after the tournament’s title
game on May 27.
If you have any
comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them
to stankssports@gmail.com.
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