Blades’ Crnkovic in pursuit of sweet award in WHL scoring title

Kyle Crnkovic sits third in the WHL’s scoring race.

Kyle Crnkovic is trying to go where no member of the Saskatoon Blades has gone in 26 years.

The 19-year-old left-winger from Chestermere, Alta., is in pursuit of the Bob Clarke Trophy, which is given to the WHL’s regular season scoring champion. At the moment, Crnkovic sits third in the WHL scoring race with 23 goals and 34 assists for 57 points appearing in all the Blades 38 games to date, and his goal total is a career high.

Crnkovic sits behind two members of the Red Deer Rebels in the scoring race in Arshdeep Bains and Ben King.

Bains, who is a left-winger in his overage season, leads the WHL in scoring with 20 goals and 39 assists for 59 points appearing in all of the Rebels 43 games. King, who is a 19-year-old centre, sits second in the WHL scoring race with 33 goals and 25 assists for 58 points.

Crnkovic’s Blades have five games in hand on the Rebels, so the Blades personable star has ample opportunity to overtake the two Rebels stars.

One of those games in hand will be played on Wednesday, when the Blades (21-15-1-1) travel to Regina to face the Pats (16-19-0-1) at 7 p.m. at the Brandt Centre.

Crnkovic is trying to become the first member of the Blades to win the WHL scoring title since centre Mark Deyell captured the Bob Clarke Trophy way back in the 1995-96 campaign. 

Kyle Crnkovic has piled up points since his rookie season.

That season, Deyell piled up 61 goals and 98 assists for 159 points in 69 games to win the WHL scoring race.

Deyell played three seasons for the Blades from 1993 to 1996 before embarking on a short stint in the minor professional ranks. 

He suffered an eye injury in an AHL playoff game playing for the St. John’s Maple Leafs on April 27, 1999, when an opposing player’s stick hit him on the follow through from a shot attempt.

Deyell would be forced to retire a handful of years after that injury.

Besides Deyell, only two other Blades players would win the WHL scoring race. Centre Bernie Federko topped the WHL in scoring piling up 72 goals and 115 assists for 187 points appearing in all of the Blades 72 games in the 1975-76 season.

Federko moved on to play 14 seasons in the NHL from 1976 to 1990 with the St. Louis Blues and Detroit Red Wings and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002.

Left-winger Gerry Pinder won the scoring race in the WHL’s inaugural season in 1966-67 piling up 78 goals and 62 assists for 140 points appearing in all of the Blades 56 games. 

Kyle Crnkovic has 57 points in the Blades 38 games this season.

From 1969 to 1978, Pinder, who was nicknamed “Mouse” due to standing 5-foot-8 and weighing 165 pounds, split nine seasons playing in the NHL and the defunct WHA for the Chicago Blackhawks, California Golden Seals, Cleveland Crusaders, San Diego Mariners and Edmonton Oilers.

Crnkovic, who stands 5-foot-7 and weighs 166 pounds, is the Blades modern day version of Pinder. Since joining the Blades full time as a 16-year-old rookie in the 2018-19 season, Crnkovic has been consistently one of the Blades top six forwards.

From the start of his sophomore campaign in 2019-20, he has formed a dynamic duo with centre Tristen Robins, who was selected in the second round and 56^th overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft by the San Jose Sharks and has a signed NHL entry-level contract with the Sharks.

Robin, who is in his 20-year-old season, currently sits in a five-way tie for the seventh to 11^th spots in the WHL scoring race piling up 52 points on 20 goals and 32 assists in 36 appearances with the Blades.

Unlike Robins, Crnkovic hasn’t been drafted by an NHL team. Crnkovic’s small size has been the thing that holds him back.

His skill on the ice is undeniable, and he plays well in the defensive end too.

Kyle Crnkovic goal celebrations are a regular sight in the WHL.

On top of his exploits on the ice, Crnkovic has been one of the Blades top ambassadors off the ice as a fan favourite. He was often front and centre when it came to meeting the team’s supporters before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic gripped the world in March of 2020 cutting down what the Blades could do for public appearances.

Crnkovic is extremely popular with the Blades office staffers. It is safe to say that anyone who has met and spent time with him is cheering for him to do well.

If Crnkovic won the WHL’s scoring title, it would be an ultimate feel-good story, because he truly is that good of a guy.

He would also add further proof that the small guy with skill will always have a place in the game of hockey.

Brady retires from NFL as the all-time greatest

A pair of Tom Brady jerseys.

Tom Brady said the party is over.

On Tuesday, the iconic quarterback made it official announcing his retirement from the NFL after 22 seasons. He played 20 campaigns for the New England Patriots from 2000 to 2019 and finished up his career throwing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the past two seasons.

Brady is the all-time greatest player to ever come through the NFL. He hold NFL career records for most Super Bowl wins (seven), most Super Bowl appearances (10), most Super Bowl MVPs (five), most quarterback regular season wins (243), most career regular season pass attempts (11,317), most career regular season pass completions (7,263), most career regular season touchdown passes (624) and most career regular season passing yards (84,520).

For the longest time, I wasn’t actually ready to admit Brady was the greatest of all-time. I began watching the NFL on a regular basis in the late 1980s, when the San Francisco 49ERS were in their dynasty years.

When it came to quarterback, I thought the greatest player was Joe Montana, who had a perfect 4-0 record in the Super Bowl and called signals for the revolutionary system called the West Coast Offence. Montana played at an immaculate level in his four Super Bowl wins with the 49ERS.

I thought 49ERS iconic receiver Jerry Rice was the greatest player due to all the crazy records he set playing into his 40s and his endless quest for perfection. Rice, who was a member of three Super Bowl winners with the 49ERS, could get physical and throw blocks to take out the toughest guys on the opposition too.

I caved and changed my opinion that Brady was the greatest all-time, when the Patriots rallied from being down 28-3 in the third quarter to beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime in Super Bowl LI on February 5, 2017 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.

Brady completed 43-of-62 passes for 466 yards and two touchdowns, while throwing one interception in that win, which is the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history.

That was Brady’s fifth Super Bowl win. I didn’t decide to vault Brady to GOAT status just due to passing Montana and Pittsburgh Steelers legend Terry Bradshaw for most Super Bowl victories by a quarterback.

I realized the only reason I hadn’t conceded greatest of all-time status for Brady was the fact the Patriots didn’t complete their run at a perfect season in 2007. After going 16-0 in the regular season in 2007, the Patriots pushed their overall record to 18-0 heading into Super Bowl XLII against the New York Giants.

In that clash played on February 3, 2008 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, the Giants prevailed 17-14, when quarterback Eli Manning hit receiver Plaxico Burress for winning touchdown pass with 35 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

That Giants’ winning drive was held together by a miraculous helmet catch by receiver David Tyree in a third-and-five situation after Manning escaped being sacked by three different Patriots players.

 After winning six Super Bowls with the Patriots, Brady won a seventh Super Bowl in a sensational first season with the Buccaneers in 2020.

Brady again had an outstanding campaign this past season leading the Buccaneers to a 13-4 regular season record completing 485-of-719 passes for 5,316 yards and 43 touchdowns, while throwing 12 interceptions at age 44.

No quarterback had even played as well into their 40s like Brady has. For most quarterbacks that make it to their 40s as a player, they are usually a second or third stringer holding a clipboard and acting as another coach for a young starter that is in his 20s.

Brady left you believing he could have an all-star season if he came back at age 45.

He deserves all the congratulations, well wishes and honours that come his way.

I should note there were initial reports on Saturday including a story on the NFL’s website and Twitter feed that Brady had retired that day. Those stories were pulled back, when Brady informed Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht a decision hadn’t been made yet on that front.

I suspect a decision was made, and it was leaked after Brady likely told too many people in his inner circle. I have a suspicion he didn’t want the timing of the announcement to overshadow the AFC and NFC Championship games that were played on Sunday.

The other cool thing about Brady was he knew when to have fun and had a sense of humour. That was best shown from this classic “Mean Tweets” on Jimmy Kimmel Live in early February of 2021.

WHL to host Talk Today games, other notes

The Raiders are scheduled to host a Talk Today game on Friday.

The WHL will be hosting RE/MAX Presents: WHL Talk Today Game Nights with the circuit’s 17 Canadian teams.

The WHL, RE/MAX and local Canadian Mental Health Association branches are teaming up to promote positive mental health.

During these Talk Today game nights, fans in attendance will have the opportunity to learn more about CMHA resources available in their communities in an effort to breakdown the stigma surrounding mental health.

The first Talk Today game is scheduled to be hosted by the Prince Albert Raiders on Friday when they host the Red Deer Rebels (7 p.m., Art Hauser Centre).

The Saskatoon Blades host their Talk Today game on Saturday when they play host to the Rebels (7 p.m., SaskTel Centre).

Fans have the opportunity to donate to their local CMHA branches by visiting TalkToday.ca/WHLDonate.

Leading up to those Talk Today games, WHL clubs participated in an additional awareness campaign aimed at creating positive discussion around physical activity in support of good mental health called “Moves for Mental Health.”

WHL fans were encouraged to post a video on social media showing ways they engage in physical activity for the sake of enhancing their mental health. Fans who participated in the social media campaign were entered to win an autographed jersey from the WHL club they support.

Jersey winners will be recognized at the Talk Today games.

The WHL and its teams have partnered with CMHA branches across Western Canada to provide mental health education and support to all players, coaches, parents, billets and team staff across the league since 2016.

Kelly Hrudey, a former NHL star goaltender and alumnus of the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, is the celebrity spokesperson for this season’s Talk Today games.

• On Wednesday, Les Lazaruk will call his 2,000^th game as the play-by-play voice of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades. The Blades travel to Regina to face the Pats for Lazaruk’s milestone call. Pat McKay of CTV Saskatoon broke the story, which can be found by clicking right here.
• Saskatoon area product Brayden Yager currently sits third in Moose Jaw Warriors team scoring in his 16-year-old sophomore campaign in the WHL. The skilled centre has 22 goals, 20 assists and a plus-seven rating in 39 games this season with the Warriors.
• Saskatoon area product Riley Heidt currently sits second in Prince George Cougars team scoring in his 16-year-old sophomore season in the WHL. The skilled centre has 11 goals, 22 assists and an even-rating in 38 games with the Cougars.
• On Monday, the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos announced Chad Leslie had officially been named the club’s full-time general manager. Leslie had been serving as the team’s interim general manager since October 14, 2021, when Dean Brockman resigned from the team.
• On Monday, Bill Chow announced he will be stepping down as commissioner of the junior A Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League on May 31, 2022. Chow has been serving as the circuit’s commissioner for a little over 10 years.
• The University of Regina community is morning the passing of Dr. Ernie Nicholls at age 84. He had a lengthy involvement with the school’s athletic department. He passed away in his sleep after a battle with Alzheimer’s dementia. An obituary on Nicholls can be found by clicking right here.
• On Tuesday, Gregg Drinnan reported in his Taking Note blog that Brad Hornung, who is an alumnus of the WHL’s Regina Pats, has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Hornung was left a quadriplegic following a check in a WHL game on March 1, 1987. Drinnan’s story can be found by clicking right here.

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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McNabb’s highlight reel goals delivers victory to Blades

Cyle McNabb, left, celebrates scoring a goal with linemate Zach Huber.

    REGINA, Sask. – For one night, Cyle McNabb looked like the second coming of Bernie Federko.

    The recently acquired 18-year-old left winger scored two highlight reel goals on Saturday to help deliver the visiting Saskatoon Blades to a 4-2 victory over the Pats in Regina before 5,444 spectators at the Brandt Centre. The outburst marked the first two-goal game McNabb has experienced in his WHL career.

    For a short moment, he mirror what Federko once did for this Blades suiting up at forward for the major junior squad from 1973 to 1976 in his legendary hockey career.

    McNabb, who is a sophomore from Winnipeg, Man., has appeared in 102 career regular season games with the Vancouver Giants, Kootenay Ice and Blades to date recording four goals and three assists.

Cyle McNabb had his first two-goal night in the WHL on Saturday.

    He now has three goals in his first four appearances with the Blades. The Blades acquired McNabb in a trade with the Ice on Jan. 7 in exchange for 18-year-old forward Brandon Machado and a fifth round selection in the 2021 WHL Bantam Draft.

    “Obviously, it was a good night,” said McNabb about the outburst. “Our line was going the whole night, and it paid off in the end.

    “In the end, we are happy to get two points, and we’re just going to try and keep it rolling.”

    The Pats, who are going through a major rebuild, gave the Blades everything they could handle with an extreme hardworking effort.

    Despite being outshot 16-13 in the first period, the Blades exited the frame holding a 1-0 lead, when veteran centre Eric Florchuk tucked home at power-play goal between the legs of Pats netminder Dean McNabb.

    Early in the second, McNabb, who was playing on a line centred by Tristen Robins and Zach Huber playing right wing, went to work. 

The Blades recently acquired Cyle McNabb from the Kootenay Ice.

    McNabb collected the puck at a bad angle at the right side of the Regina net and proceeded to snipe home a shot to the far side of the Pats goal.

    “Robby (Robins) got stepped up on, and he got a big hit,” said McNabb, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 191 pounds. “The puck was lying there.

    “Me and Hubs (Huber) had a two-on-one to the net, and I just saw the far side and I took it. It went in.”

    The Blades extended their lead to 3-0 with 70 seconds to play in the second, when Florchuk tucked home a backhand shot on a breakaway.

    The Pats proceeded to fight back early in the third. With the Blades working on the power play, Pats right-winger Duncan Pierce was hacked down while skating into the Saskatoon zone on a breakaway by a Blades player resulting in a penalty shot.

    Pierce scored on a shuffle move on the penalty shot to cut Saskatoon’s lead to 3-1 at the 2:30 mark of the third.

Eric Florchuk (#17) scored twice for the Blades on Saturday night.

    That set the stage for McNabb to step up again a little over three-and-a-half minutes later. With the Blades applying pressure in the Regina zone, McNabb got a hold of the puck, danced around Pats goalie in Davidson, Sask., product Dean McNabb and dumped the puck into an empty cage.

    Cyle McNabb gave credit again to his line for helping him out on his goal that gave the Blades a 4-1 edge.

    “That was nice too,” said McNabb. “Again, Robby (Tristen Robins) made a great play and banked it off the back wall.

    “I just put it in the net.”

    Pats 18-year-old rookie right-winger Riley Krane scored his 10^th goal of the season on a determined short-handed effort with 8:33 remaining in the third period to cut the Blades lead to 4-2. 

Duncan Pierce (#22) celebrates scoring on a penalty shot for the Pats.

    Krane was stopped initially on a breakaway, picked up the puck behind the Saskatoon net and came out in front to score.

    That tally wasn’t enough to spark a comeback for the host side.

    Nolan Maier turned away 32 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Blades (28-13-6). Dean McNabb stopped 28 shots to take the setback in goal for the Pats (12-33-1-1).

    Maier was pleased with how his teammates played in front of him on Saturday. He noted that helped him have a good night.

    “A lot of the shots our forwards and the D (defence) kept them to the perimeter,” said Maier. “I think it kind of helped me out getting settled into the game nicely.

Nolan Maier makes one of his 32 saves for the Blades.

    “We came out with two points, and that is all we could ask for.”

    Maier was happy to see Cyle McNabb have a great game for “The Bridge City Bunch.”

    “I think it is really good to see him producing here, and we are lucky to have him,” said Maier.

    Now having played four games with the Blades, McNabb believes he has settled in.

    “Ever since I got here, everyone has been very welcoming of me,” said McNabb. “All the guys are great. The coaches are great.

    “Everyone in Saskatoon is great. They made the transition really easy. I’m happy to be here.”

    He is looking forward to playing the rest of the campaign with the blue and gold.

    “It is exciting,” said McNabb. “They have a great group of guys here, a really good hockey team.

The Blades celebrate their victory over the Pats on Saturday night.

    “I’m just excited to be here, and I am going to do whatever I can to help the team get wins until the end of the year.”

    The Blades return to action when they travel to Swift Current this coming Friday to face the Broncos at 7 p.m. at the Innovation Credit Union i-Plex.

    The Pats return to action this coming Friday when they host the Brandon Wheat Kings at 7 p.m. at the Brandt Centre.

    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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Where are they now NHL style

    They may no longer play NHL hockey, but former players seem to try and find a way to stay with the game when they hang up the skates.

    I caught up with six former NHL players during this past hockey season, and all but one still had a life that involved the NHL.

Kelly Buchberger

(Right-winger for Edmonton Oilers, Atlanta Thrashers, Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Coyotes and Pittsburgh Penguins from 1987 to 2004)

    “Once an Oiler, always an Oiler” definitely describes the Langenburg product.

    Buchberger spent the majority of his NHL career in Edmonton earning two Stanley Cup rings. These days, the graduate of the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors is the manager of player personnel with the Oilers.

    He worked closely with Scott Howson, who is Oilers senior vice-president of player personnel, and the two will spend a large chunk of time evaluating the college ranks in the United States.

    Buchberger is upbeat about what lies ahead in the future for the Edmonton franchise.

    “It has been a huge change here this year,” said Buchberger. “There are a lot of different people coming in and out. We have good days coming in Edmonton.”

    Buchberger appeared in 795 regular season games as a member of the Oilers and became the club’s career leader in penalty minutes with 1,747. He also potted 82 career goals and 158 career assists with the Oilers.

Guy Carbonneau

(Centre for Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars from 1980 to 2000)

    Carbonneau was one of the most popular players in Montreal, when he played for the Canadiens, so it is only fitting he settled back into the largest city in “La Belle Province.”

    “I am back living in Montreal, and I work on TV with RDS, which is like the French version of TSN,” said Carbonneau. “I do some of the games for the Montreal Canadiens, and I do a sports talk show a couple of times a week.”

    During his career, Carbonneau won the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the NHL’s top defensive forward three times. In February of 2011, he became the head coach of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, but resigned that position in July of 2011.

    Carbonneau is happy to be back in broadcasting, which was a field he worked in before becoming Chicoutimi’s coach.

    “It is a lot of fun,” said Carbonneau, who was the Canadiens head coach from 2006 to 2009. “It keeps me involved in hockey. It keeps me interested in watching the game.

    “As a hockey player, I think we’ve always been passionate about the game. I enjoy watching it. I enjoy going to the game. It just keeps me close.” 

Kelly Chase

(Right-winger who played for the St. Louis Blues, Hartford Whalers, and Toronto Maple Leafs from 1989 to 2000)

    Chase started his NHL career with the Blues, spent the majority of his time in “The Show” with the Blues and is still hooked in with the franchise in his post-playing days.

    The graduate of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades was known as an enforcer piling up 2,017 career penalty minutes in 458 NHL regular season games. In the WHL, he had 800 penalty minutes in 195 regular season games with the Blades.

    The Porcupine Plain product found a home behind a microphone after he finished playing.

    “I left the game, and I got into broadcasting,” said Chase. “I work for ESPN and NHL Network now as well as working for the St. Louis Blues doing radio and TV.

    “If you can stay in game and still be fortunate enough to enjoy the successes of the others because you appreciate it and it is part of our culture, than you have been pretty fortunate. I feel really lucky that I have been able to do that.”

Bernie Federko

(Centre with St. Louis Blues and Detroit Red Wings 1976 to 1990)

    Federko became a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame playing 1,000 career regular season games in the NHL piling up 369 goals and 761 assists.

    He played all but his final NHL season with the Blues, and he is still connected with the club that retired his #24.

    “I actually still work for the St. Louis Blues in Fox Sports Midwest,” said Federko. “I am one of the TV analysts on the Blues hockey games, and I do some promotional work for the Blues as well.”

    Federko said he had been doing television work for over 20 years.

    “It is a way to stay in the game and be involved with the game,” said Federko. “I get to travel with the team and do all kinds of stuff. I don’t think there is anything anymore fun.

    “I played the game for a living for all those years. I played junior, and all of a sudden, I can continue to be a part of it and to do the analysis on TV is really a lot of fun.”

    Way back in the 1975-76 campaign, Federko set the Saskatoon Blades’ club record for points in a season at 187 coming off 72 goals and 115 assists in 72 games. That record still stands to this day.

Shane Hnidy

(Defenceman who played for Ottawa Senators, Nashville Predators, Atlanta Thrashers, Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins and Minnesota Wild from 2000 to 2011)

    The Neepawa, Man., product finally got his hands on a Stanley Cup ring closing his career during a second stint with the Boston Bruins in the 2010-11 campaign.

    These days Hnidy can often be found in the broadcast booth in the capital city of his home province.

    “I retired with Boston, when we won the (Stanley) Cup in 2011,” said Hnidy, who played in the WHL with the Swift Current Broncos and Prince Albert Raiders. “Since then, I’ve got on with the broadcasting crew covering the Winnipeg Jets.

    “I do television there with former assistant GM here with the Blades way back Dennis Beyak. He is my play-by-play man, and I do colour on TV. We cover the Jets all year long.”

    Hnidy felt lucky to have been in the right place in his life at the right time.

    “To me, it is the second best job you can have,” said Hnidy. “First is playing, and second is staying in the game in whatever capacity.

    “This is something that just came about. It worked out. I am a Manitoba kid. Jets came back right at the same time, and it kind of all worked together.”

Clarke Wilm

(Centre for Calgary Flames, Nashville Predators and Toronto Maple Leafs from 1998 to 2006)

    The Central Butte product played five seasons of professional hockey in Europe after leaving the NHL.

    A graduate of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades, Wilm settled down in “The Bridge City” after hanging up his skates.

    “I started an eavestroughing, exterior company,” said Wilm. “I have been doing that here working in the housing market, and it has been good.”

    Wilm admitted life in his post-hockey profession is a lot different from life during his playing days.

    “It is night and day,” said Wilm. “Hockey is an amazing lifestyle, and I had a great time playing hockey.

    “Now it is time for phase two in life in the real working world, but it is fun. I get to be around the kids all the time and be a part of their hockey, so it has been a good transition.”

    In his final season with the Blades in the 1995-96 campaign, Wilm collected 49 goals and 61 assists in 72 games.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.