Showing posts with label Brett Kemp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brett Kemp. Show all posts

Sunday, 28 February 2021

Tigers trounce Rebels 7-2 for Ridley’s 4,000th call

Bob Ridley calls a Tigers playoff game in March of 2019.
With their icon in broadcast booth celebrating a milestone that will likely never happen again, the Medicine Hat Tigers ensured the night went as perfectly as possible.

Just 36 seconds into their WHL regular season clash with the visiting Red Deer Rebels at the Co-op Place, overage defenceman Cole Clayton fired home a point shot to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. By the 13:07 mark of the opening frame, the Tigers advantage surged to 4-0.

Medicine Hat rolled to a 7-2 victory from that point.

The win put the icing on the cake on a milestone night for Bob Ridley, who has been the only play-by-play voice the Tigers have had since the modern version of the club began play in the 1970-71 season.

On Saturday, Ridley called his 4,000th game as the team’s play-by-play voice. The total includes 3,568 of the Tigers 3,569 regular season games, the club’s one standings tiebreaker game, all of their 411 games in the WHL playoffs and all 20 of their contests in the Memorial Cup tournament.

The Tigers won the Memorial Cup as CHL champions in 1987 and 1988.

No one has called more games as the play-by-play voice of one team in the sport of hockey as Ridley has. He drove the Tigers team bus over most of that stretch as well.

At the moment, it would take someone calling 80 games a season for 50 seasons to just equal Ridley’s total of calling 4,000 games.

Before Ridley called his 4,000th game on Saturday, the WHL announced they had created the Bob Ridley Award For Media Excellence to be presented annually to a member of the radio, television and print journalism industry in recognition of their outstanding contributions to sports journalism and the WHL.

Ridley was named the inaugural winner of the honour and was presented with the award by WHL commissioner Ron Robison during a special ceremony at Co-op Place on Saturday afternoon.

As for Saturday’s game itself, a special tribute video was played at the Tigers home rink before puck drop. Video messages were played from numerous Tigers alumni during breaks as Saturday’s contest moved along.

On social media lines, tribute messages poured in before, during and after the game.

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world, Saturday’s game was played without fans in attendance. It would have made the night even more perfect, if Ridley could have received a standing ovation from a sold out building.

That development allowed all of the Tigers fans and just overall hockey fans the chance to listen to Ridley call the game on CHAT 94.5 FM either on the radio waves in Medicine Hat and area or online around the world.

The 76-year-old product of Vulcan, Alta., was at the top of his game flanked by long time colour commentator Barry Prins, who sat in the neighbouring booth.

Listeners were able to quickly get drawn into the contest with Clayton’s goal 36 seconds into the game, which allowed Ridley to break into his classic call, “He scooorrrrrrrres!”

Just under three minutes later, Tigers overage captain Ryan Chyzowski struck on the power play to give the host side a 2-0 lead.

Right-winger Lukas Svejkovsky scored on a breakaway at the 12:11 mark of the first to increase the Tigers advantage to 3-0. Just 56 seconds later, Tigers 16-year-old rookie centre Oasiz Wiesblatt stole the puck from a Rebels player at the Red Deer blue-line, broke into the offensive zone and roofed a shot past Rebels netminder Byron Fancy.

The tally was Wiesblatt’s first career WHL goal.

Fancy was pulled after that tally having stopped 8-of-12 shots sent his way. Overager Ethan Anders played the rest of the contest in relief turning away 18-of-20 shots sent in his direction.

Red Deer did attempt to battle back. Overage centre Chris Douglas scored for the Rebels with 1:34 remaining in the second to trim the Tigers lead to 4-1.

Rebels 18-year-old defenceman Chase Leslie netted a single at the 4:22 mark of the third to further cut the Tigers lead to 4-2.

Rookie left-winger Brayden Boehm, who turned 17-years-old in January, restored order for the Tigers netting his first career WHL goal at the 12:08 mark of the third. Boehm converted a backdoor pass from linemate Caleb Willms to give the hosts a 5-2 advantage.

Red Deer pulled Anders for an extra attacker with about three minutes to play in the third, which allowed Tigers overage centre Brett Kemp to score into an empty net to increase the home side’s edge to 6-2.

Noah Danielson, an 18-year-old centre, added a single to round out the scoring in the 7-2 victory for Medicine Hat.

Garin Bjorklund stopped 18 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Tigers.

Clayton had three assists and a plus-three rating in the plus-minus department to go with his goal.

Saturday’s contest was the Tigers home opener in a campaign that started late and was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Tigers improved to 2-0 with the win, while the Rebels fell to 0-1-1. Medicine Hat beat the Rebels 5-4 in overtime at the Westerner Park Centrium in Red Deer on Friday.

The Tigers are slated to return to action this coming Friday, when they travel to Edmonton to face the Oil Kings (2-0).

While the Tigers had a great game on the ice Saturday, the night belonged to Ridley. He will always be “the Dean” of major junior hockey broadcasters, and one day there should be a place for him in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Originally, Ridley’s 4,000th game call was slated to take place on Saturday, March 14, 2020 at Co-op Centre in a regular season clash against the Swift Current Broncos. That moment was expected to be high point for the Tigers, who were skating through their 50th season in the 2019-20 campaign.

Of course, the 2019-20 WHL campaign was paused on March 12, 2020 before being ultimately cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic leaving Ridley’s games called total stuck at 3,998.

With the WHL’s Central Division returning to play with the circuit’s five Alberta-based teams, Ridley was able to make his 4,000th game broadcast a reality on Saturday with the Tigers skating through their 51st season.

The fact that Ridley’s 4,000th broadcast has now happened does give a moment where you have those warm and fuzzy feelings inside.

It was such a welcome development to once again hear Ridley call Tigers games, and for him to close Saturday’s broadcast with his classic, “We bid you all a very pleasant good night.”

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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Wednesday, 24 February 2021

Ridley resumes journey to 4,000 as Tigers play-by-play voice

Bob Ridley calls a Tigers playoff game in March of 2019.
In a season that will be like no other, Bob Ridley will hit a special milestone that no one will likely ever reach again.

When the upcoming WHL regular season gets going on Friday with action in the league’s Central Division, Ridley will resume his journey to call his 4,000th game as the play-by-play voice of the storied Medicine Hat Tigers.

At the moment, Ridley has called 3,998 games as the Tigers play-by-play voice. Ridley’s total includes 3,566 of the Tigers 3,567 regular season games, the club’s one standings tiebreaker game, all of their 411 games in the WHL playoffs and all 20 of their contests in the Memorial Cup tournament. The Tigers won the Memorial Cup as CHL champions in 1987 and 1988.

No one has called more games as the play-by-play voice of one hockey team at any level than Ridley has. He drove the Tigers team bus over most of that stretch as well, and he has been Tigers only play-by-play voice since the modern version of the team took the ice in 1970-71.

On Friday, the Tigers open their regular season traveling to Red Deer to take on the Rebels. The two sides go at it again on Saturday at the Tigers home rink in Medicine Hat now called Co-op Place to mark Ridley’s 4,000th game.

The 76-year-old from Vulcan, Alta., called his 3,998th game on March 10, 2020, when the Tigers downed the visiting Rebels 4-3 in overtime at Co-op Place.

Centre Ryan Chyzowski scored the winner and his second marker of the contest at the 1:46 mark of the extra frame.

To date, that was the last game the Tigers played as the WHL paused all action on March 12, 2020 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that had gripped the world.

Bob Ridley gets set to drive the Tigers bus in the 2012 WHL playoffs.
The remainder of the 2019-20 campaign ultimately got cancelled.

Originally, Ridley was set to call his 3,999th game on March 13, 2020, when the Tigers were scheduled to take on the Broncos in Swift Current. The Broncos and Tigers were slated to meet on Saturday, March 14, 2020 at Co-op Place in what was originally supposed to be Ridley’s 4,000th game.

Effort was made to ensure Ridley’s 4,000th game would be a Saturday home contest. The Tigers and the crew at CHAT Television in Medicine Hat were working on some special festivities for the night.

A number of Tiger alums had marked that date on the calendar expecting to return to Medicine Hat for a milestone night that no one else in hockey will likely ever duplicate.

The Tigers were skating through their 50th season in 2019-20, and Ridley’s 4,000th game was expected to be a big high point for the team in that campaign.

With the way things are in the current day, it is still a big thing that Ridley’s 4,000th game will happen. There is still a little fear that the COVID-19 pandemic might throw a wrench into things to cause a delay, but the milestone moment has as much certainty as possible in these times of happening.

Due to restrictions and lockdowns observed to varying degrees around the world to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have seen milestone moments not unfold as planned. Events like wedding, graduations, reunions, championship sporting events and various other special moments have been sidelined in the pandemic.

In some cases, events like weddings and graduations have gone ahead and been celebrated in a different way.

As no spectators are allowed in WHL facilities this season, Ridley’s 4,000th game will just have to be celebrated in a different way, and it should still be celebrated in the abbreviated campaign the WHL is holding.

Bob Ridley calls a game at The Arena in Medicine Hat.
When Ridley starts the play-by-play call of his 4,000th game, you can be sure the tributes will pour in over various social media. You can bet a large number of people who have connections to the Tigers all across the world will go online to check out the CHAT 94.5 broadcast of that game.

It will feel all warm and fuzzy inside to hear Ridley calling his 4,000th game.

One day, there should be a place for Ridley in the Hockey Hall of Fame. He will always be “the Dean” of major junior hockey broadcasters.

Way back in August of 2006, the Tigers held a tribute night for Ridley in Medicine Hat. Maybe when the COVID-19 pandemic comes to an end, another tribute night could be held.

The Tigers alums love going to reunions and another potential tribute night for Ridley might be the most welcomed reunion of all.

“Goals For Mental Health” WHL style, other notes

WHL goal cellys in Canada mean more money for mental health.
The WHL will take part in a new fundraiser for mental health in the shortened 2020-21 campaign.

On Wednesday, the WHL announced it was taking part in the “Goals For Mental Health presented by RE/MAX” fundraiser for the Canadian Mental Health Association in Western Canada.

As part of this fundraiser, RE/MAX will be donating $15 to the CMHA for every goal scored by the 17 WHL teams located in western Canadian markets.

The WHL plans to announce ways for fans to take part in the campaign as the upcoming season goes on.

The fundraiser will be delivered in support of the CMHA’s Talk Today program, which will have new digital integrations for the 2020-21 regular season.

The WHL has worked with the CMHA to deliver Talk Today programming in all 22 WHL markets since January 2017. Talk Today includes an educational component for WHL players providing mental health training specific to suicide awareness.

The training helps teach individuals the importance of talking about mental health, how to acknowledge signs of suicide, seek help when they’re in need of support and connect others in need of support to suicide first aid resources.

Each team is also linked to a CMHA mental health coach, who can provide support and mental health resources to individuals in need.

Talk Today is a mandatory program within the WHL’s Players First support services programs. The WHL’s Players First programs provide educational, mentorship and support services that touch on many issues including bullying, mental health, leadership and extensive health and safety initiatives.

  • On Monday, it was revealed that Alan Miller will be stepping down as the general manager of the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors to become Hockey Canada’s new director of player personnel within the Program of Excellence. Miller will start his position with Hockey Canada this coming Monday.
  • On Wednesday, the Medicine Hat Tigers announced their leadership group for the 2020-21 campaign. Overage centre Ryan Chyzowski was named the team’s new captain. Overage centre Brett Kemp and overage defenceman Cole Clayton will be full time alternate captains. Corson Hopwo and Lukas Svejkovsky, who are both 19-year-old right-wingers, will share responsibilities as the third alternate captain.
  • On Wednesday, the WHL announced the first game of the regular season in the U.S. Division will see the Portland Winterhawks take on the host Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Wash., on March 18. The Winterhawks are slated to play their first two home games at the Accesso ShoWare Center in Kent, Wash., on March 21 and 26. The Accesso ShoWare Centre is home to the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds. The location for the Winterhawks other 10 home games are listed as still to be determined.
  • On Wednesday, the WHL announced its games will be streamed on WHL Live on CHL TV. Back on Feb. 16, the CHL announced Verizon Media Platform would be its streaming partner for this season. For WHL games, a season pass will cost fans $59.99 or a 24-hour pass will cost $6.99. As fans aren’t allowed to attend WHL games this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many were looking for information regarding live streams for games. You can find more information on WHL Live on CHL TV by clicking right here.
  • Tickets are on sale for the February jackpot for the Saskatchewan Amateur Football Mega 50/50 lottery. The funds from this 50/50 lottery will go to support the CJFL’s Saskatoon Hilltops and Regina Thunder and the WWCFL’s Saskatoon Valkyries and Regina Riot. One prize will be drawn per month, and the remaining draw dates are Sunday, February 28, 2021, March 31, 2021, April 30, 2021 and May 31, 2021. Tickets can be purchased by clicking right here, and purchasers must be in Saskatchewan in order to buy tickets.
  • Last Friday, the junior A Alberta Junior Hockey League received approval from the Government of Alberta to resume its 2020-21 regular season under the protocols of a new return to play plan. All AJHL teams will use weekly private PCR testing through DynaLIFE Medical Labs to test for COVID-19. The testing runs through the end of the season. If a player or staff member of an AJHL team tests positive for COVID-19 at any point in the remaining season, the team will be required to isolate and suspend in person activities for 14 days. The AJHL last had games take place on November 14, 2020. A start date and updated schedule are still to be announced. On Sunday, the Canmore Eagles elected to opt out of returning to play the current AJHL season leaving 14 out of the circuit’s 15 teams to continue on.

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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If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.

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Saturday, 25 January 2020

Tigers remain kings of the tiebreaking shootout

Raiders fall in fast-paced heartbreaker

The Tigers mob Brett Kemp (#21) after his shootout winning goal.
    PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – It was a game where both sides deserved to win.
    On Saturday night, 2,577 spectators at the Art Hauser Centre saw the WHL at its best as the defending WHL champion and host Raiders went toe-to-toe with the Medicine Hat Tigers in a high paced back-and-fourth affair, where both teams transitioned quickly up and down the ice.
    The two sides exited regulation and a five minute three-versus-three overtime session locked in a 3-3 tie, which forced them to go to a tiebreaking shootout.
    In the shootout, captain James Hamblin and star right-winger Brett Kemp scored for the Tigers to give them a 2-1 victory in the tiebreaking session and a 4-3 overall victory in the game.
Brett Kemp scored the shootout winning goal for the Tigers.
    Raiders star centre Ozzy Wiesblatt, who had two assists in regulation, scored the Raiders goal in the shootout.
    The Tigers improved to a WHL best 5-1 in shootouts this season and upped their regular season record to 30-14-1-1. The Raiders fell to 1-4 in shootouts and saw their regular season record move to 24-14-5-4.
    Kemp was the final player to take shot in the shootout, and Tigers offensive defenceman Daniel Baker said his club was thankful Kemp’s shot found the back of the net.
    “It was just relief,” said Baker. “You don’t like it to come down to one shot.
    “Mads (Sogaard) has made some big saves for us and Jimmy (James Hamblin) and Kemper netted some big goals, so it was good.”
Ozzy Wiesblatt had a pair of assists for the Raiders on Saturday.
    With Prince Albert having downed the WHL Eastern Conference leading Edmonton Oil Kings 3-2 at the Art Hauser Centre on Friday night, Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid was fine with how things played out for his club.
    “It was a good weekend,” said Habscheid. “We accomplished a lot of things.
    “We got our identity back. We got our foundation in place. They beat us in the skills contest tonight, so it is all good.”
    The Tigers opened the scoring 52 seconds into Saturday’s tilt as right-winger Corson Hopwo zipped down the right side of the Raiders zone and slipped in a close in shot past Raiders netminder Max Paddock. Hopwo scored on the Tigers first shot of the game.
Daniel Baker had a goal and an assist for the Tigers on Saturday.
    Just over two minutes later, the Raiders returned the favour scoring on their first shot of the game with left-winger Matthew Culling netting his sixth of the season.
    Culling had an assist to go along with his goal in a real spirited effort on Saturday.
    “He does a lot of the hard work,” said Habscheid. “He goes to the net.
    “He forechecks. He can kill penalties and play power play. He just plays the right way.”
    Before the opening frame ended, the Raiders jumped ahead 2-1 when defenceman Landon Kosior fired home a point shot through a screen on the power play.
    Kosior scored on the second part of a power play that was created when Kemp was given a double minor penalty for high sticking. 
Matthew Culling had a goal and an assist for the Raiders on Saturday.
    Kemp’s penalty will automatically be reviewed by the WHL office for a possible suspension.
    The two clubs continued to blitz up and down the ice in the second, but the only goal came when Baker fired home a point shot through a screen to even the score at 2-2 with 2:37 remaining in the frame.
    Baker, who had an assist to go with his goal on Saturday, is having a breakout season as an 18-year-old sophomore. In 45 regular season games with the Tigers, the Edmonton, Alta., product has 11 goals, 22 assists and a plus-32 rating in the plus-minus department.
    As a rookie last season, Baker had two goals and 15 assists appearing in all of the Tigers 68 regular season games.
    “He (Baker) has been big,” said Tigers head coach and general manager Willie Desjardins. “He has certainly put up bigger numbers than last year.
Kyle McNabb had two assists for the Tigers on Saturday.
    “I think he is a guy that he always seems to find his spot to jump in the rush or do whatever. Our whole defence is good. I thought all the guys played hard.”
    Baker said he has found a higher comfort level on the ice playing through his second full season in the major junior ranks.
    “It has been really good so far,” said Baker. “The puck is going in the back of the net.
    “Our forwards do a good job of getting to the net, so it has been good.”
    Just 1:58 into the third, the Tigers jumped back out in front 3-2. Entering the Raiders zone with speed on a rush, Tigers right-winger Kyle McNabb fed a pass across the front of the Prince Albert goal to linemate Nick McCarry, who knocked home his eighth goal of the season to give the visitors the lead.
    The assist was McNabb’s second helper of the contest.
Kaiden Guhle scored the third period equalizer for the Raiders.
    The Raiders didn’t goal away. With 7:34 remaining in the third period, Raiders offensive defenceman Kaiden Guhle wired home his eighth goal of the season to force a 3-3 tie and overtime.
    Guhle potted the equalizer about four minutes after taking a knee-on-knee hit from Tigers right-winger Lukas Svejkovsky. Svejkovsky received a minor penalty for that hit.
    Habscheid thought Svejkovsky’s hit could have resulted in a stiffer penalty but noted the officials only get to see a play once in making a judgment call.
    “That was a dirty hit,” said Habscheid. “I hope the league looks at that.
    “That was just a bad hit. We don’t want that type of hit in this game. I think that if they looked at it on replay they might have called it differently.
    “They don’t get that opportunity.”
    Guhle’s equalizer ultimately set the stage for the Tigers to take the contest in the tiebreaking shootout.
Mads Sogaard makes a third period stop in goal for the Tigers.
    Mads Sogaard made 19 saves over 65 minutes in goal for the Tigers and turned away two of three shooters in the shootout. Paddock turned away 30 shots over 65 minutes in goal for the Raiders and one of three shooters in the shootout.
    Desjardins said Saturday’s contest was a tossup, where his side just happened to come out on the better end of the scoreboard.
    “I thought it was a good game,” said Desjardins. “I thought it was a playoff type game.
    “I thought both teams played hard. Obviously if you go into a shootout, the game could have gone either way.”
    While the Tigers are known for their fast-paced style of going up and down the ice, Desjardins said the Raiders are strong at playing that way too.
The Tigers celebrate their win on Saturday night.
    “They are a good team,” said Desjardins. “They can play that way as well.
    “They have some high end guys that like to skate and like to play a transition game. I think whenever you look at their game you think of them as a transition team, a speed team. I think it was probably equally suited for both teams.”
    The Tigers are back in action on Tuesday when they host the Swift Current Broncos (7 p.m. Alberta time, Canalta Centre).
    The Raiders return to play on Wednesday when they host the Victoria Royals (7 p.m., Art Hauser 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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    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.

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