WHL reaching Christmas break a big accomplishment

More pandemic hurdles unavoidable coming out of holidays

The Ice celebrate scoring a goal in a win on December 15.

During these crazy times in the world, simple milestones in the sports world are big accomplishments.

For the WHL, it was a big accomplishment for the league to play thru to its Christmas break with the world still in the grips of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Due to the pandemic last season, the WHL played an abbreviated campaign that saw nine of its 22 clubs play a full shortened 24-game schedule. Only two teams played less than 20 games, but looking back, it was quite an accomplishment for the circuit to get an abbreviated season in.

In 2019-20, the regular season was going like clockwork like any other campaign until the COVID-19 pandemic got its claps on North America in March of 2020. That season was the last time the WHL got to hold a Christmas break until the current campaign.

On March 12, 2020, the 2019-20 season was stopped and the remainder of the regular season and the entire post-season was ultimately cancelled.

The 2018-19 campaign is the last time the WHL and Canada’s other two major junior circuits that play under the CHL umbrella in the OHL and QMJHL played a complete season that concluded with a club winning the Memorial Cup as CHL champions.

It should be noted too that schedule disruptions have been held to a minimum in the WHL. The Spokane Chiefs had to adjust three games on their schedule after they had two players test positive for COVID-19.

Some teams in the Western Conference had to make some minor scheduled adjustments due to bad weather, which included heavy rains in B.C. in November that caused slides, flooding and washouts.

Across the WHL, it is standard to have a few games each season reschedule due to bad weather as teams are traveling across four provinces and two states in the United States.

Connor McClennon (#94) in action for the Ice this season.

In order to help get this season played to a completion, the WHL decided that for the current campaign that there would not be any cross conference play. As a result, teams in the Eastern Conference are just playing teams in the Eastern Conference, while teams in the Western Conference are just playing Western Conference foes.

Overall, it has been great that followers of the league have been able to focus mainly on the action on the ice.

So far, the Winnipeg Ice have been the team that has turned the most heads leading the WHL’s overall standings with a 25-5-1 mark. They are rated first in the CHL’s Top 10 rankings.

The Ice have the top three scorers in the WHL. Centre Matthew Savoie is the WHL scoring leader with 50 points coming on 17 goals and 33 assist to go with a plus-23 rating in the plus-minus department.

Right-winger Connor McClennon is second league scoring with 45 points coming on 23 goals and 22 assists to go with a plus-26 rating. Winger Mikey Milne is third in the WHL scoring with 42 points coming on 20 goals and 22 assists to go with a plus-29 rating.

The Edmonton Oil Kings are right on the heels of the Ice posting the WHL’s second best record at 22-6-2-1 and are rated second in the CHL Top 10 rankings. Edmonton was likely robbed the most of post-season glory due to the fact there were no playoffs in 2020 and 2021.

The Oil Kings were the top team in the Eastern Conference in each of the past two seasons, and they topped the WHL overall standings in last season’s abbreviated campaign.

They made a blockbuster trade on December 1 with the Prince Albert Raiders to acquire star defenceman Kaiden Guhle, who might be the best junior aged rearguard in the world. Guhle is currently the captain of Canada’s world junior team.

At the moment, it seems like the race to be the top squad in the Eastern Conference is a two-horse one between the Ice and Oil Kings.

Kaiden Guhle was traded from the Raiders to the Oil Kings on Dec. 1.

The surprising Red Deer Rebels have been a feel good story sitting third in the Eastern Conference with a 20-9-1-1 record after finishing last in the conference last season.

Of course, the top squads in the Western Conference can’t be discounted. The Everett Silvertips lead the Western Conference with a 21-6-2-1 record and are rated fifth in the CHL Top 10 rankings.

The Kamloops Blazers top the B.C. Division with an 19-8 record. They finished first in the B.C. Division each of the past two seasons and were robbed of potential lengthy post-season runs due to the fact playoffs were nixed.

The Seattle Thunderbirds earned honourable mention status in the CHL Top 10 rankings as they’ve surged to a solid 18-7-3 mark.

Due to the fact there is no cross-conference play in the WHL, you aren’t totally sure how the teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences stack up to each other head to head.

While the WHL campaign on the ice is creating a lot to be excited about, the COVID-19 pandemic is the elephant in the room. The emergence of the Omicron variant has seen new restrictions and public health orders get implemented across Canada the past couple of weeks.

Ontario, Quebec and B.C. have been hit especially hard with rising levels of new COVID-19 cases.

Saskatchewan is the only province that hasn’t installed new public health orders. Teams in the B.C. Division dealt with capacity restrictions at times leading up to the Christmas break.

At the moment, teams in B.C., Alberta and Manitoba have to deal with 50 per cent capacity restrictions coming out of the break. In those three provinces, only the Prince George Cougars were dealing with capacity restrictions going into the break.

 It is likely this might be the start of new hurdles the WHL will face going forward along with all other sports bodies in Canada.

The Oil Kings celebrate a goal from Dylan Guenther (#11).

In the United States, it seems like most of the country there acts like the COVID-19 pandemic is over. The focus there seems to be to push through a live like there is no COVID-19 pandemic.

Most of the rest of the world is navigating various restrictions and public health orders.

At the moment, the WHL regular season is set to restart on Monday with five games. It is possible there could be positive COVID-19 tests coming out of the break, which could throw a wrench into things.

You can expect the WHL will do its best to try and adjust. If the regular season can be completely completed, that would be another huge accomplishment in these crazy times.

World juniors could make Bedard catch fire

Connor Bedard (#98) in action for the Pats this season.

The upcoming world juniors might be just the thing that allows Regina Pats phenom centre Connor Bedard to catch fire.

The North Vancouver, B.C., product is one of the few 16-year-olds to ever make Canada’s roster for a world juniors. This season’s world juniors will be held jointly in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta., and start Sunday and run thru to Wednesday, January 5, 2022.

Canada opens play in the preliminary round on Sunday at Rogers Place in Edmonton against Czechia (6 p.m. Saskatchewan time, TSN). Czechia is the name the Czech Republic now goes by.

Bedard played full time in the WHL’s abbreviated campaign last season as a 15-year-old underage player. In 15 games with the Pats, he piled up 12 goals, 16 assists and a plus-nine rating in the plus-minus department.

At the under-18 worlds that ran from April 26 to May 6 in Frisco and Plano, Texas, Bedard helped Canada win gold and piled up seven goals, seven assists and a plus-12 rating in seven games.

This season as a 16-year-old sophomore in the WHL, Bedard has faced a lot tougher checking. The Pats lack depth in their lineup, which allows opponents to focus on Bedard.

Even with the extra attention, Bedard has 14 goals and 10 assists in 24 appearances with the Pats before departing to the main selection camp for Canada’s world junior team. It is still an impressive accomplishment when any 16-year-old in the WHL can average a point per game.

Bedard’s crazy point totals last season might have set expectations a little too high for this season.

With that noted, Bedard deserves to be on Canada’s world junior team. At the moment, he is not expected to take on a lead role, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him cash in on the chances he gets.

If Bedard averages a point per game in this high caliber competition, it would give him a boost when he returns to the Pats. That might be enough of a spark that could see Bedard create the outrageously high point totals he produced last season.

Raiders new mascot PIMS a star on the rise, other notes

PIMS the Parrot is the Raiders new mascot.

The Prince Albert Raiders might have a hit on their hand with their new mascot in PIMS the Parrot.

The Raiders unveiled PIMS during their final home game before the WHL Christmas break, when they fell 3-2 to the visiting Saskatoon Blades on December 17 at the Art Hauser Centre.

The name PIMS gives a nod to the fact the Raiders have traditionally handled themselves well in the rough aspects of the game of hockey. Since first taking the ice in 1971, the Raiders toughness has shown through in players like Les Jack, Lorne Schmidt, Tim Mostowich, Ken Thompson, Dave Manson, Ken Baumgartner, Darin Kimble, Reid Simpson, Troy Hjertaas, Steve Kelly, Scott Hartnell, Grant McNeill, Harrison Ruopp, Jeremy Masella and Justin Nachbaur.

The new mascot takes over for the old Riley the Raider pirate type mascot.

PIMS has an adorable cartoon kind of look, which kids should love. A parrot is also seen as a pirate’s best friend, so it is crazy to think no one thought to make a parrot the Raiders mascot until now.

Way back in the day, the Raiders once had a bear mascot named Bert the Bear.

PIMS was meant to debut last season, when the Raiders skated thru their 50^th campaign. Of course, the Raiders played their abbreviated 24-game schedule last season in a bubble environment in Regina without fans in attendance.

The Raiders brought PIMS out this season now that they are playing back at the Hauser in front of fans.

PIMS should serve the Raiders well in the years to come.

• On Monday, Edmonton Oil Kings star defenceman Kaiden Guhle was named the captain for Canada’s world junior team. Guhle helped the Raiders in a WHL title in 2019 and was traded to the Oil Kings on December 1. Oil Kings left-winger Jake Neighbours was named an assistant captain along with forward Cole Perfetti, who is playing for the AHL’s Manitoba Moose.
• On Wednesday, 19-year-old Kamloops Blazers goaltender Dylan Garand signed a three-year NHL entry-level contract with the New York Rangers. In 19 games this season with the Blazers, Garand has posted a 15-4 record, 1.85 goals against average, a .932 save percentage and two shutouts. He is currently playing for Canada’s entry at world juniors.
• Netminder Connor Ungar is having a breakout campaign with the Red Deer Rebels. The 19-year-old Calgary, Alta., product has appeared in 15 games posting an 11-2-1 record, a 2.06 goals against average, a .925 save percentage and one shutout. Ungar stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 197 pounds. He was also the WHL’s goaltender of the week going into the Christmas break. Ungar has not been drafted by an NHL team, so you have to think he has turned at least a couple of heads somewhere.
• A pair of Saskatoon area products are having strong 16-year-old sophomore seasons in the WHL. Centre Brayden Yager has appeared in 27 games for the Moose Jaw Warriors posting 14 goals, 13 assists and a plus-one rating in the plus-minus department. Centre Riley Heidt has appeared in 25 games for the Prince George Cougars and posted seven goals, 12 assists and a minus-one rating. The grads of the Saskatoon Contacts under-18 AAA team are definitely players to watch over the next few years in the WHL.
• Just for the Christmas season, feel free to check out my post on “The Raccoons On Ice,” which I wrote on December 24 of last year. It used to air on a regular basis on CBC in the 1980s during the Christmas season, but these days, it is a lost Canadian Christmas time classic. The post on “The Raccoons On Ice” can be found by clicking right here.
• I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and hope the holiday season treats you all well.

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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