PWHL buzz heartwarming

A PWHL post on Platform-X.

The Professional Women’s Hockey League is hot.

The new professional women’s hockey circuit had an outstanding first six days, which has created a lot of buzz. On New Year’s Day this past Monday, the first PWHL regular season contest was played at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto. The host Toronto side dropped a 4-0 decision to New York before a sellout crowd of 2,537 spectators.

On Saturday at the Xcel Energy Centre in Saint Paul, Minn., the host Minnesota side drew a professional women’s hockey record crowd of 13,316 spectators to a 3-0 home opening win over Montreal. That broke the mark of 8,318 spectators that turned out Tuesday at TD Place in Ottawa to see the host side fall 3-2 in overtime to Montreal in the PWHL’s second ever contest.

It would be safe to say that women’s hockey has had a strong following since the sport made its debut in the Winter Olympics in 1998 in Nagano, Japan. The United States 3-1 victory over Canada in the gold medal game of that women’s hockey tournament cemented the rivalry between those squads as real.

Since that tournament, the rivalry in women’s hockey between Canada and the United States is one of the greatest in all sports.

Women’s hockey has flourished since that time. Numerous elite level women’s hockey programs exist in the university and college ranks in Canada and the United States.

With those elements present, there shouldn’t have been any doubt an appetite would exist for professional women’s hockey specifically in North America. A year ago at this time, the women’s game at the professional level in North America was broken into two groups in the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association and the Premier Hockey Federation – formerly the National Women’s Hockey League.

Kaitlin Willoughby in action for the Huskies in 2017-18.

That all changed on June 30, 2023. In the 14 months leading up to that date, the PWHPA had been working with the Mark Walter Group and Billie Jean King Enterprises in a bid to launch its own league. Walter’s firm purchased the assets of the PHF on June 30, 2023.

That started the unified group down the road to hitting the ice with the six-team PWHL.

After the circuit hosted its first five games over six days starting on January 1, it feels like the honeymoon period is on. At this point, the PWHL keeps hitting homer after homer and everything is great.

On the media front, I’ve covered the women’s game since 1997 spanning the gamut going up and down of casual follower to heavily involved follower. 

Since moving to Saskatoon in the summer of 2014, I covered the women’s game especially in Saskatchewan fairly heavily until the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic gripped the world causing shutdowns and stoppages in the world in North America starting on March 11, 2020.

When all sports in North America started to proceed more regularly in August of 2021, life took me away from covering women’s hockey like I did before the pandemic shutdowns happened. I’ve covered the sport only casually since that time.

Still, I am happy for everyone involved with the PWHL. I wanted to highlight a handful of those involved with the circuit, and the names might not be ones you would be expecting. For those that have followed my work, some of these names will come as no surprise.

Emily Clark meets a group of youngster in November 2018.

First, I was happy for New York head coach Howie Draper. When New York blanked Toronto 4-0 on New Year’s Day, Draper became the first person to collect a head coaching win in the history of the PWHL.

The 56-year-old put a tonne of time into the women’s game being hired as the inaugural head coach of the University of Alberta Pandas Women’s Hockey Team on September 1, 1997, and he was the only head coach the team had known until joining New York’s PWHL club on September 15, 2023.

Draper guided the Pandas to eight U Sports championships and 14 Canada West Championships. No program has won more U Sports or Canada West titles in women’s hockey than the Pandas.

He piled up 667 career wins as Pandas head coach and got to serve in various roles with Hockey Canada’s women’s program.

U Sports women’s hockey is often overshadowed by women’s hockey in the NCAA Division I ranks. In my opinion across each of those circuits as a whole, the coaches on the U Sports teams are as good or a step better than the coaches on the NCAA Division I squads.

Draper getting the first PWHL head coaching win feels like it validates that opinion.

Sophie Shirley in action for the Stars in 2014-15.

I’m happy for Toronto forward Kaitlin Willoughby. Willoughby is one of the all-time greats for the Prince Albert Northern Bears under-18 AAA team and the U of Saskatchewan Huskies Women’s Hockey Team. She played for Canada twice at the FISU Winter Universiade.

As rookie pro who turned 24-years-old in the 2018-19 campaign, Willoughby helped the Calgary Inferno win the Clarkson Cup as champions of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League.  

While Willoughby received rookie minutes, it was said that she did really well that season and needed to be elevated up the roster to play more minutes.

The CWHL folded after the 2018-19 campaign, and the PWHPA was formed in the aftermath. Willoughby hung in with the PWHPA for the next four seasons, and it would have been easy at any point during that time for her to focus on her nursing career and play the game at the recreational level.

She kept at it and is playing in the PWHL’s inaugural season at age 28.

I’m happy for Toronto forward Emily Clark. Clark grew up in Saskatoon as a hockey star, and she is an alumna of the Saskatoon Stars under-18 AAA team.

Jaime Bourbonnais in action in November 2018.

She is a well-known veteran on Canada’s Senior National Women’s Team. She is idolized by many young female players in Saskatoon and Saskatchewan and dare I say across Canada. Clark holds her hockey roots in her heart and enjoys when she can give back to the game in her hometown.

I’m happy for Boston forward Sophie Shirley. She was one of the greatest hockey discoveries I ever made when I saw her piling up points as the 15-year-old sophomore star with her hometown Stars.

Shirley has put up points everywhere she has gone in hockey and owns three NCAA Division I championship rings playing for the U of Wisconsin Badgers Women’s Hockey Team. 

She is still 24-years-old, and I can still see her reaching new heights in the game with this avenue.

I’m happy for New York offensive-defender Jaime Bourbonnais. I first met her at the 4 Nations Cup when it was held in Saskatoon in November of 2018. 

She was 20-years-old at that time and then one of the youngest players on Canada’s Senior National Women’s team.

Bourbonnais’s positivity was infectious, and the mood of any room she stepped into got a whole lot better. When it comes to hockey, I have a soft spot for offensive-defenders, and Bourbonnais plays that role so well it is easy to drift into just being a fan.

I’m happy for New York offensive-defender Brooke Hobson. As captain of her hometown Bears squad that won the Saskatchewan Female Under-18 AAA Hockey League title and advanced to the Esso Cup national championship tournament in 2016-17, Hobson was both confident and kick ass.

Brooke Hobson for the Bears in action in 2017.

When the Bears swept the Hartney, Man., based Westman Wildcats 2-0 in a best-of-three female under-18 AAA Western regional playdown series at the Art Hauser Centre, the spotlight fit Hobson just fine. 

With the Bears trailing Game 2 of that series 6-3 in the third period, Hobson potted a pair of goals that started a 7-6 comeback win.

She has a rocket shot from the point that seemed gifted to her by a Higher Power. Hobson worked hard to get all the good things that have come her way in hockey.

I’m happy for TSN broadcaster Claire Hanna. Hanna has always been a strong advocate for women’s sports.

She also has street cred having been a star libero with the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds Women’s Volleyball Team winning three U Sports titles. 

Hanna was once a player in Canada’s national team program for volleyball.

Covering a circuit like the PWHL has been one of Hanna’s dreams. If she had Taylor Swift’s bank account, Hanna would be one of the owners of the circuit.

I’m happy for play-by-play broadcaster Daniella Ponticelli. The former play-by-play voice of the Huskies Women’s Hockey Team, Ponticelli was on the call for the PWHL’s first two games.

Ponticelli is best known for calling both hockey and football at a high level as a play-by-play voice, and it feels she was born for the moment to call PWHL games.

Howie Draper works the Pandas bench as head coach in Jan. 2023.

Again, everything about PWHL’s first six days was sensational. Here is a cheers to the continued success of the newest women’s professional hockey league.

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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Badgers sudden victory NCAA title will always be special for Shirley sisters

Sophie, centre, and Grace Shirley, right, after a 2015 league title win.

Sisters Sophie and Grace Shirley will always be fond of the day they experienced sudden victory in championship style.

On March 20, 2021, the Shirley sisters were playing for the University of Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team in the NCAA title game against the Northeastern University Huskies in the NCAA Division I title game at the Erie Insurance Arena in Erie, Pennsylvania.

The two sides went to overtime locked in a 1-1 draw and the deciding goal was seemingly scored out of nowhere.

At the 3:16 mark of the extra session, Badgers superstar left-winger Daryl Watts took the puck down behind the Northeastern goal. From behind the net, Watts, who is a Toronto, Ont., product, proceeded to bank the puck off a Huskies defender and netminder Aerin Frankel into the Northeastern goal.

The Huskies roster included defender and captain Brooke Hobson, who is an alumna of the Prince Albert Northern Bears female under-18 AAA hockey team.

The Shirley sisters, who are both forwards with the Badgers, felt instant euphoria. They later pieced together what happened on the winning goal.

“When the puck went in, I had just come off of my shift,” said Sophie, who was in her third season with the Badgers. “Daryl’s line was on next.

Sophie Shirley in action with the Stars in 2014-15.

“I remember that I basically sat down. I was just trying to catch my breath, because I had just been out on a shift. Basically, I sat down.

“I couldn’t really see, because when you sit down on the bench, all my teammates in front of me were standing up watching the play. Just like that, everyone just started celebrating, and we won the game. We had won the national championship.”

“Right when it happened I remember not even really looking,” said Grace, who was in her second season with the Badgers. “I think she (Watts) was trying to get it to the slot, so I didn’t even see it go in.

“Everybody on the bench just jumped. There was definitely a lot of screaming. I think me and one of my teammates Dara (Greig), as soon as it happened we just like looked at each other and just froze for like a second.

“Everybody just started jumping over, and we got over. That is all I can really remember. It was pretty exciting.”

The two Saskatoon products and alums of the Saskatoon Stars female under-18 AAA hockey team got to share in a national championship in a season like no other.

The Badgers won the NCAA crown in Sophie’s rookie year with the team in 2018-19. They were looking to repeat as NCAA champions the next season and were set to host an NCAA championship tournament quarter-final contest before the remainder of the tournament was called off on March 12, 2020 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that had gripped the world.

Grace Shirley in action for the Stars in 2015-16.

The Shirley sisters returned home to Saskatoon to finish their academic courses online. They returned to Madison, Wisconsin, in August of 2020 to rejoin the Badgers for a campaign there wasn’t any certainty it would be played to a conclusion.

The Badgers regular season opened on Nov. 27, 2020 with a 3-2 overtime loss in Columbus, Ohio, to the Ohio State University Buckeyes. After blanking the Buckeyes 5-0 the next night, the Badgers had their season put on hold as a COVID-19 outbreak saw six players from the team test positive for the virus.

All of the Badgers six games in December of 2020 were postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Badgers resumed their season in early January and hit high gear and never looked back finishing the campaign with a 17-3-1 overall record. They played 20 games fewer than when they won their last non-COVID NCAA title in 2018-19.

Sophie posted 12 goals, 13 assists and a plus-18 rating in the plus-minus department in the Badgers 21 overall games. In 98 overall career games with the Badgers, Sophie has 61 goals and 63 assists for a total of 124 points to go with a plus-90 rating.

As a third-year player, Sophie, who is 21-years-old, focused a little more on trying to set a good example for the younger members of the team.

“For me, it was making sure that I am doing everything right on the ice just being able to help the team in any way,” said Sophie, who stands 5-foot-9. “It was also just kind of maturing a little bit and kind of fitting into that leadership role a little bit off the ice as well as on the ice too.

Sophie Shirley (#8) cuts up ice on a rush for the Stars in 2014-15.

“I think it was a different year for me, and I think it was one that I really enjoyed. I really enjoyed being that older player and being able to kind of lead the way by example, but also within the locker room. I enjoyed the year.

“Personally, I thought it was a pretty good year for me. I think that I learned a lot as well too, so yeah, it was a good year.”

Grace had two goals, one assist and a plus-two rating skating in all of the Badgers 21 contests. In 57 overall career games with the Badgers, the 19-year-old has three goals and five assists for eight points to go with plus-12 rating.

She was happy with her season personally and how she was able to develop playing on a Badgers team that has a huge amount of depth. A number of the Badgers players are in line to have future opportunities to play in either Canada’s or the United State’s national team system.

“You have to really earn your ice,” said Grace, who stands 5-foot-7. “I’m trying to work my way up.

“I definitely feel like maybe like I’m not getting as much ice time as I’m used to. I’m still definitely developing as a player and even just getting to practice with and battle with some of these future Olympians, it helps just kind of knowing that I am getting better and developing. I’m amongst the best.

“It is nice knowing that they are kind of pushing me to get better too.”

Both players have fond memories of their time with the Stars.

Grace Shirley jets into the offensive zone for the Stars in 2017-18.

Sophie suited up in three seasons for the Stars from 2012 to 2015 appearing in 58 regular season games collecting 41 goals and 27 assists for 68 points. She helped the Stars win their first SFU18AAAHL title and win a bronze medal at the Esso Cup female under-18 AAA national championship tournament in the 2014-15 campaign.

“When I think back to my high school days here back at home being at home, those were some of the best times of my life,” said Sophie. “Some of my friends that I still have today are from playing on the Stars and being able to play for that program.

“Ultimately, I think that I grew a lot. I got better while playing with the Stars. I think it kind of developed me into the player and the person that I am today.

“I’m always thankful for what that program has done for me. There were a lot of fun times that I had playing for the Saskatoon Stars. I miss it.”

Grace suited up in five seasons for the Stars from 2014 to 2019 appearing in 107 regular season games collecting 97 goals and 69 assists for 166 points. She was an associate player call up on the 2014-15 SFMU18AAAHL championship winning team.

Grace helped the Stars win three more SFMU18AAAHL title in 2016, 2018 and 2019 and appear at the Esso Cup tournament in each of those years. The Stars made it to the Esso Cup title game in 2018 falling to the Alberta based St. Albert Slash 2-1.

Sophie Shirley has fond memories playing for the Stars.

“It was big part of my life,” said Grace. “That is where I developed to be at this level, so I definitely reflect on it a lot.

“It was definitely a huge part of my life before coming here. There are lots of differences I’d say, but just in terms of some of the lessons that I’ve learned along the way, it is definitely still applicable today.”

The Shirley sisters are back in Saskatoon visiting family and friends. They are hoping to rejoin the Badgers for skating and training sessions in the middle of June.

Due to the fact the NCAA ruled that players who took part in the 2020-21 campaign would not lose any eligibility due to the uncertainties regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, Sophie can play two more seasons with the Badgers and Grace can play three more campaigns.

While they have a good chance of piling up a number of more highlights in their respective playing careers, the Shirley sisters will never forget the sudden victory NCAA title win with the Badgers.

“It was a pretty crazy feeling,” said Sophie. “It was a pretty crazy bounce, a positive bounce behind the net there with Daryl kind of bouncing into the net.

“It happens just like that, and all of a sudden, we were national champions, so it was pretty cool.”

Grace Shirley was the Stars captain in 2018-19.

“There was so much adversity, and I know every team experiences it,” said Grace. “To kind of come out on the higher end of that and to say that we won in such a crazy year, I think it is pretty special.”

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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Sudden NCAA title victory for Shirley sisters, Badgers

Hobson and Huskies fall in heartbreaker

BACK TO BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!

Daryl Watts scores in overtime to help the #Badgers claim their sixth national title

Wisconsin 2, Northeastern 1#OnWisconsin #UWHealth pic.twitter.com/KMUsUQBJHp

— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerWHockey) March 21, 2021

Sisters Sophie and Grace Shirley experienced the definition of “sudden victory” with the University of Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team.

For Prince Albert product Brooke Hobson, she had to digest a heartbreaking loss as captain of the Northeastern University Huskies.

On Saturday, the Badgers and Huskies collided in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I women’s hockey championship game at the Erie Insurance Arena in Erie, Pennsylvania. The two sides went to overtime locked in a 1-1 draw and the deciding goal was seemingly scored out of nowhere.

At the 3:16 mark of the extra session, Badgers superstar left-winger Daryl Watts took the puck down behind the Northeastern goal. From behind the net, Watts, who is a Toronto, Ont., product, proceeded to bank the puck off a Huskies defender and netminder Aerin Frankel into the Northeastern goal.

NATIONAL. CHAMPIONS. pic.twitter.com/sOht3fVAHS

— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerWHockey) March 21, 2021

It was a slick play only Watts and a handful of others could make. In 134 career NCAA games with both the Boston College Eagles and the Badgers, Watts has piled up 108 goals and 132 assists for 240 points. She won the Patty Kazmaier Award as the top player in NCAA women’s hockey for the 2017-18 campaign.

Sophie and Grace Shirley after a Stars title win in 2015.

Watts’s tally gave the Badgers a 2-1 victory and their sixth NCAA title in program history. The Badgers six NCAA titles equals the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers for the most all-time NCAA championships in women’s hockey.

The first NCAA women’s hockey title was awarded in 2001.

Badgers head coach Mark Johnson has guided Wisconsin to all six NCAA titles becoming the all-time wins leader for NCAA women’s hockey in the process.

The Badgers have won the NCAA crown the last two times it was awarded including Saturday’s OT win and in 2019. The2020 NCAA women’s hockey championship tournament was cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world.

The Huskies were trying to win their first NCAA crown in their first appearance in the NCAA championship game.

The Shirley sisters, who are alums of their hometown Saskatoon Stars female under-18 AAA team, got to soak in sudden win.

Sophie, who is a right-winger in her junior season, experienced a second NCAA title win with the Badgers. Grace got to experience her first NCAA championship victory as a sophomore forward.

Hobson, who is an alumna of her hometown Prince Albert Northern Bears female AAA under-18 team, had to digest a defeat as a senior defender that ultimately no one on her side could be faulted on. Saturday marked just the fourth time the NCAA women’s hockey final was decided in overtime.

Sophie Shirley in action for the Stars in 2015.

In Saturday’s NCAA title game, the goaltenders dominated the majority of the contest. Senior netminder Kennedy Blair made 23 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Badgers (17-3-1).

Frankel, who is in her senior season, stopped 35 shots to take the setback in goal for the Huskies (22-2-1).

The Huskies failed to score on four power-play chances, and the Badgers were unable to cash in on their one power-play opportunity.

The Huskies had won 18 straight games heading into Saturday’s title tilt and were the top ranked team in NCAA women’s hockey.

The Badgers entered Saturday’s championship game as the second ranked team in NCAA women’s hockey.

Over the first two periods of Saturday’s battle, Blair and Frankel slammed door in front of their respective goals to keep their sides locked in a 0-0 tie.

The Badgers finally broke through at the 11-minute mark of the third period. Badgers freshman right-winger Makenna Webster fired home the rebound of a shot taken by linemate Casey O’Brien to put Wisconsin up 1-0.

Grace Shirley in action for the Stars in 2018-19.

Just 39 seconds later, the Huskies evened things up at 1-1. Hobson got the puck to the lower left corner of the Wisconsin zone to Northeastern centre Alina Mueller.

Mueller slipped the puck over to junior left-winger Chloe Aurard inside the left faceoff circle. Aurard blew home the equalizer to top right corner of the Wisconsin goal.

That set the stage for the overtime dramatics, where Watts netted the winner.

For the Shirley sisters, this marked the second time they got to enjoy a championship playing together. When the Stars won their first Saskatchewan Female Under-18 AAA Hockey League title in 2014-15, Sophie was a star 15-year-old centre on that team, while Grace was a 13-year-old associate player call up.

Grace was healthy scratch the night the Stars captured their first SFU18AAAHL title.

Following that season, Sophie moved on to play with two different academy programs and one CWHL season with the Calgary Inferno before joining the Badgers. Grace remained with the Stars helping them win SFU18AAAHL championship in 2016, 2018 and 2019.

Brooke Hobson in action with the Bears in 2017.

Hobson captained the Bears to a SFU18AAAHL title in 2017.

Saturday’s game concluded an NCAA women’s hockey season that many weren’t sure would get completed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Badgers had to cancel their last six games scheduled for this past December after a COVID-19 outbreak on the team. Media reports stated at least six Badgers players test positive for the virus.

The Wisconsin side returned after New Year’s Day and hit top stride on their way to winning the NCAA title.

Sophie appeared in all of the Badgers 21 games collecting 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points to go with a plus-18 rating in the plus-minus department. In 98 career NCAA games, she has 61 goals and 63 assists for 124 points.

Grace skated in all of the Badgers 21 games posting two goals and one assist and a plus-two rating.

Hobson has made her mark as one of the Huskies all-time greats thanks to her skill as an offensive defender. In 128 career games with the Huskies, Hobson has 41 goals and 45 assists for 86 points.

She appeared in all of the Huskies 25 games this season posting two goals, 15 assists and a plus-33 rating.

Hobson could potentially return to the Huskies for a fifth season. The NCAA has ruled the 2020-21 campaign won’t count as eligibility used for players that take part in that season due to the uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Overall, the Shirley sisters and Hobson continue to make Saskatchewan proud. For Saskatchewan’s hockey community, Saturday’s NCAA women’s hockey final was a great day.

That winning feeling pic.twitter.com/rkyRlzuSeP

— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerWHockey) March 21, 2021

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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Epic comeback caps Bears most memorable night at Hauser

The Bears celebrate clinching a berth to the Esso Cup in 2017.

It was a game where it appeared the Prince Albert Northern Bears were going to have to rely on a second chance to nail down an Esso Cup berth.

After capturing their second Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League title in team history in March of 2017, the Bears hosted the Hartney, Man., based Westman Wildcats in a best-of-three female midget AAA Western regional playdown.

The Bears took Game 1 of the series 6-4 on March 31, 2017 at the Art Hauser Centre.

Brooklyn Anderson (#7) had the late third period winner.

In Game 2 of the series on April 1, 2017, the Bears found themselves down 6-3 with 13:24 remaining in the third period. At that point in time, it appeared the two sides would play in a series deciding Game 3 the next night.

All of a sudden, the Bears made a frantic comeback. With exactly two minutes to play in the third, rookie forward Brooklyn Anderson tipped home a point shot from tough as nails defender Jordan Ashe to give the Bears a 7-6 lead.

Prince Albert held on from there to ensure that score would be the final result in order to capture the Lanchbery Family Trophy. The Bears swept the series 2-0 to qualify for the Esso Cup – the female under-18 AAA championship tournament – for the first time in team history.

The Bears celebrate Brooklyn Anderson’s late third period winner.

“It feels amazing,” said Anderson after the game. “I know the team was really excited to get there.

“We weren’t losing this. We wanted to get there, and we got there, so that is awesome.

“I saw Jordan (Ashe) had it on the point, and I knew that I just needed to get in front of the net. It is exactly what I did, and it just went off my stick and in.”

The Bears in 2016-17 were the carbon copies of the romantic image of their WHL cousins the Prince Albert Raiders, when the Raiders are at their best.

If you wanted to play run and gun, the Bears could run and gun. If you wanted to get down in the trenches, the Bear would get down in the trenches.

Captain Brooke Hobson was the Bears best player.

While fighting is technically banned in the female game of hockey, the Bears had the toughness to take care of things in a flat out brawl, if their opponents chose to play that way. The Bears had a team that was built for any type of game.

Overall, head coach Jeff Willoughby liked the high tempo offensive games the best being a fan of the 1980s NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. It seemed fitting the Bears most memorable home game turned out to be a 7-6 shootout that saw a championship trophy and banner handed out at the end of the contest.

The Bears finished second overall in the SFU18AAAHL with what was at the time the best record in team history at 22-6.

When they got to the best-of-five SFU18AAAHL championship series, the Bears swept away their archrivals the Saskatoon Stars 3-0. The Stars had topped the league standings with a 25-2-1 mark.

Camryn Amundson (#9) jets up ice for the Bears.

The Bears had a well-rounded roster, but their best player was captain and ultra-talented offensive-defender Brooke Hobson. Hobson was a member of Canada’s under-18 national women’s team and turned heads with a shot that seemed to be gifted to her from a Higher Power.

Veteran forward Camryn Amundson skated through an inspired season in 2016-17. She played in 27 regular season games setting career highs in goals (13), assists (14) and points (27).

Her older sister Shaye had passed away tragically in a single-vehicle accident in June of 2016. On the ice, it seemed like Shaye was still there helping her younger sister play.

Abby Soyko had the equalizer for the Bears.

The Bears roster had some classic Prince Albert hockey elements.

 They had the great power forward in Abby Soyko. At age 15 that season, Soyko topped the Bears in scoring with 18 goals and 13 assists for 31 points in 27 regular season games.

The Bears had players that could put up points with a finesse offensive game like Kate Ball, who had 15 goals and 15 assists appearing in all of the Bears 28 regular season games.

They had gritty checkers like centre Ireland South, who also showed some offensive touch netting 11 goals and 10 assists in 26 regular season games.

Finesse defender Hannah Koroll was solid and made the game look easy to play at both ends of the ice.

Of course, the Bears had Ashe on the back end, and she was the Bears version of Raiders legend Dave Manson on defence.

Kate Ball had a big offensive season for the Bears in 2016-17.

In goal, the Bears had the reliable duo of Ryan Fontaine and Brooklyn Elek, and the team couldn’t go wrong playing either in big games.

Overall, the Bears had their own unique collective personality, where it seemed it was always a good day to go to the rink. Ultimately, everyone on the roster stepped up with big performances and moments at different points in the campaign to make it a special one.

When the Bears showed up for Game 2 of their series with the Wildcats, they had an estimated 1,200 supporters waiting for them at the Art Hauser Centre.

A sweep in the short set wasn’t guaranteed as the Wildcats had some star players like forward Ashton Bell, who was the captain of Canada’s under-18 national women’s team.

Hannah Koroll made playing the game look easy.

The Wildcats scored on their first two shots of the game to go ahead 2-0, but the Bears stormed back to take a 3-2 lead early in the second period.

The visitors proceeded to score four straight goals to go ahead 6-3 with 13:24 remaining in the third.

Josee Casavant and Bell had each scored twice for the Wildcats, while Camryn Clyne and Haley Wickham had singles.

Ball, Amundson and Story Navrot replied with singles for the Bears up to that point in time.

With 12:22 remaining in the third, the Bears got traction when forward Miranda Heidt slipped a pass across the front of the Westman goal to Hobson. The Bears captain potted a tally to cut the Wildcats edge to 6-4.

Hobson struck again with 7:54 remaining in the third, when she blew home a point shot to further trim the Wildcats lead to 6-5.

Jordan Ashe brought grit and toughness to the Bears.

Soyko proceeded to even things up at 6-6 with a power-play goal with 3:13 remaining in the frame. That set the stage for dramatics on Anderson’s winner.

Elek made 24 stops to pick up the win in goal. Kaitlyn Slator turned away 19 shots to take the setback in goal for the Wildcats.

“Both teams kind of just let it loose,” said Willoughby after the game. “It was kind of run and gun and fun to play in and fun to coach.

“I’m sure all the fans got more than their money’s worth here. It was incredible to coach in I will say that first of all. There was lots of intensity on the bench.

“The girls didn’t get down too low, didn’t get up too high. It was very good.”

The Bears raise the Lanchbery Family Trophy.

The win marked the first time the Bears accepted a championship trophy and banner on home ice. 

The two times they clinched the SFU18AAAHL title were both on the road.

The Bears on ice celebration with their parents and fans seemed to last a good two hours after their series clinching win ended.

Later that same month, the Bears finished fifth overall in the round robin standings at the Esso Cup tournament, which was held in Morden, Man. They just missed out making the playoff round with a 2-3 record.

The Bears are all smiles after their epic comeback win.

Looking back now, the excitement Prince Albert that season had for the Bears in 2016-17 seemed to be a prelude in “Hockey Town North” for the huge excitement that followed for the Raiders in their special 2018-19 campaign.

Of course in 2018-19, the Raiders topped the WHL standings with a 54-10-2-2 record and went on to win the WHL title thanks to Dante Hannoun’s overtime winner of Game 7 of the league championship series at the Art Hauser Centre.

In 2016-17, it was Anderson’s late third period goal and the Bears that took centre stage at the Art Hauser Centre. Prince Albert rallied around the Bears as they collected championship trophies and banners.

Camryn Amundson enjoys her moment with the trophy.

The Bears crafted a story in 2016-17 which will be passed down through generations in P.A.

That season, the Bears truly embodied the romantic image of “Hockey Town North.”

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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Sask. products stay on radar for Hockey Canada female teams

Willow Slobodzian takes part in a skating session in July of 2019.

    Being a virtual invite to a summer camp for one of Hockey Canada’s women’s teams is a huge thing in these coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic times.

    On Monday, Hockey Canada announced seven Saskatchewan products were among 109 players to earn invites to a pair of virtual camps with Canada’s National Women’s Program.

    Forwards Sophie Shirley and Grace Shirley along with defenders Brooke Hobson, Ashley Messier and Willow Slobodzian are among 50 players who will meet weekly on a virtual basis as part of Canada’s national women’s development team summer camp. These meeting will continue until these athletes return to university in the fall.

    Forwards Neena Brick and Baylee Kirwan are among the 59 players who will meet weekly on a virtual basis as part of Canada’s national women’s under-18 summer camp. These sessions will run until the 2021 under-18 women’s worlds.

    The upcoming under-18 women’s worlds are slated to run Jan. 5 to 12, 2021 in Linkoping and Mjolby, Sweden.

    Normally, these players would physically get to skate in a camp that is usually held in August in Calgary.

    This year, these players wouldn’t have the chance to impress Hockey Canada brass with an in-person performance. Due to the shutdowns that occurred in North American due to the COVID-19 pandemic starting in earnest on March 11 and 12, most of these players missed playing time in the post-season resulting in another lost chance to turn heads of Hockey Canada decision makers.

Grace Shirley in action for the Stars in the 2018-19 campaign.

    No national championships were won in NCAA women’s hockey, U Sports women’s hockey and in Canada’s female under-18 AAA ranks, because they were all cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    If you are a player who is taking part in these virtual female camps run by Hockey Canada, you have accomplished a big thing. You have done enough to remain on Hockey Canada’s radar despite some lost opportunities to turn heads.

    Sophie Shirley, who has been in Hockey Canada’s female national team system since 2015, had an impressive sophomore season with the defending NCAA champion University of Wisconsin Badgers.
    In 36 overall games, the star forward and Saskatoon product piled up 29 goals, 32 assists and a plus-36 rating in the plus-minus department.

    Sophie was named a second team Western Collegiate Hockey Association all-star and was named a top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as the NCAA’s top female collegiate hockey player.

    Grace Shirley, who is Sophie’s younger sister, finished up her rookie campaign with the Badgers. With the Badgers, dynamic forward went through a learning year netting one goal and four assists in 36 overall games.

    Grace helped Canada win gold at the under-18 women’s worlds in 2019.

Brooke Hobson in action for the Bears in April of 2017.

    Prince Albert product Brooke Hobson had a solid junior season controlling the blue-line for the NCAA’s Northeastern University Huskies. Hobson posted six goals, nine assists and a plus-22 rating in 30 overall games, and she has been named the Huskies captain for her upcoming senior season.

    Messier, who is Wilcox, played for the Selects Hockey Academy in Rochester, New York, for her Grade 12 year. In November of 2019, Messier helped Team Saskatchewan win silver at the National Women’s under-18 Championship, which features provincial all-star teams.

    This past January, the slick offensive-defender helped Canada take home silver at the under-18 women’s worlds.

    Slobodzian, who is from Clavet, finished her junior season with the NCAA’s Cornell University Big Red. She appeared in 31 overall games posting two goals, 15 assists and a plus-28 rating.

Slobodzian’s 15 assists, 17 points and plus-28 rating were career highs.

    The Shirley sisters, Messier and Slobodzian are alums of the Saskatoon Stars female under-18 team. Hobson is an alumna of her hometown Prince Albert Northern Bears female under-18 team.

    As for the under-18 camp invites, Brick had an impressive 16-year-old campaign helping her hometown Regina Rebels finish first in the Saskatchewan Female Under-18 AAA Hockey League with a 27-2-1 record. She was the SFU18AAAHL’s top scorer piling up 30 goals and 28 assists for 58 points.

    Brick was named a first team SFU18AAAHL all-star and claimed the circuit’s Hayley Wickenheiser Most Valuable Player award and the Kelly Bechard Top Scorer award.

Neena Brick was the SFU18AAAHL’s most valuable player last season.

    Kirwan, who is a Gull Lake product, had a spectacular 16-year-old campaign helping the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats finish second in the SFU18AAAHL with a 22-7-1 record. She finished third in SFU18AAAHL scoring with 29 goals and 12 assists for 41 points.

    Kirwan was a second team SFU18AAAHL all-star and claimed the circuit’s Fiona Smith Most Sportsmanlike Player award.

    All seven of these players with Saskatchewan roots have already made waves in the game. They have the potential to be playing hockey at an elite level for a lengthy number of years to come.

    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.

Love that Roughriders bubble when they are on a roll

Roughriders S Mike Edem closes in on a hit.

    The feelings of positivity in Saskatchewan are so good, when the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders are on a roll.

    On Friday, the Roughriders downed the Alouettes in Montreal on Friday 17-10 to record a fourth straight win. The game was called with 2:41 remaining in the third quarter at Molson Stadium due to an hour long delay caused by lightning.

    The officials invoked a new weather protocol that was put into the new collective bargaining agreement between the CFL and CFL Players’ Association in the off-season. A game is considered official after the midway point of the third quarter and can be called for a weather delay of at least an hour.

    While this was a backdoor way to get a win, all that does matter was the win was the fourth straight for the Roughriders.

    The pundits will downplay the Roughriders 5-3 record noting only one of those victories came against a team with a winning record. That was a 24-19 victory over the Hamilton Tigers-Cats on Aug. 1. The Tiger-Cats lead the East Division with a 6-2 record.
    One of the Roughriders victories came against the 1-6 Toronto Argonauts, two against the 1-7 British Columbia Lions and the Alouettes fell to 3-4 with their setback on Friday.

Shaq Evans, left, has made a number of big plays.

    Still, most Roughriders fans won’t care who the win came against. They just care they happened.

    When you see four wins in a row, you have to start dreaming that this team might round into a form that could win the Grey Cup this season.

    You look at the CFL standings and see the Roughriders have the same record as the Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton Eskimos and sit in a tie for the second to fourth place spots in the West Division. All three of those teams are a win behind the 6-2 Winnipeg Blue Bombers for first place in the division.

    When the Roughriders have won four in a row, you really have an extra spring in your step, if you live in Saskatchewan. It seems like everyone around you is in a better mood, and you can’t wait to get to go to another game.

    The Roughriders are on a bye week now and won’t return to action until Saturday, Aug. 24, when they host the Ottawa RedBlacks at 5 p.m. local time at Mosaic Stadium.
    While you wish the Roughriders could get back on the field right away, as a fan you look forward to the fact you can feel good over the next two weeks.

    It will feel like every day is a good weather day. It will feel like everything you eat will taste that much better.

Charleston Hughes (#39) keeps crunching quarterbacks.

    The person you are attracted to or your better half will look that much hotter.

    When you get into casual conversations, it will revolve around how well the Roughriders are doing.

    Talk will revolve around how well new starting quarterback Cody Fajardo has picked up the game. Optimism will be high that he is the franchise signal caller the club was looking for since moving on from Darian Durant following the 2016 campaign.

    People will be upbeat about how well running back William Powell is running the ball and that he is on pace to surpass 1,000 yards rushing for a third straight season. He broke 1,000 yards rushing each of the past two campaigns running for the RedBlacks.

    Discussion will move to the big plays receiver Shaq Evans is making as he has 31 catches for 607 yards over the team’s first eight games. You will talk about how the Roughriders will utilize the speed of receiver Kyran Moore, who is known as “Swerve.”

    The offensive line looks solid behind veteran centre Dan Clark and first-year right guard Dakota Shepley.

    People will be upbeat Regina product and punter Jon Ryan has returned to his top and he is booming the ball for miles.

The roar of Rider Nation is always great to hear.

    Also on the provincial products front on special teams, Saskatoon product Jorgen Hus is still holding it down at long snapper.
    On defence, old man Charleston Hughes is still a beast at age 35. You just jump with excitement over that.

    He has already piled up 10 quarterback sacks and scored defensive touchdown off a fumble recovery in Friday’s win over the Alouettes.

    After Hughes, a host of defensive players are making plays including linebackers Derrick Moncrief, Solomon Elimimian and Cameron Judge and defensive backs Ed Gainey, Nick Marshall and Loucheiz Purifoy.

    In the here and now, the Roughriders are winning, and it is good. It is just so good.

All hail Andreescu as the new Canadian hero

Not the ending we all expected, but what a moment for these two. ❤️🎾🏆

🇨🇦's @Bandreescu_ wins the @RogersCup after @serenawilliams retires due to an injury. #RC19 pic.twitter.com/N5eAAe5Ntw

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) August 11, 2019

    Canada’s sports world this past weekend was all about Bianca Andreescue.

    The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., is a rising star in the tennis world, and she stepped into the national conscious in a huge way winning the Rogers Cup on Sunday in basically her backyard of Toronto.

    Andreescu became the first Canadian to win the Rogers Cup since Faye Urban of Windsor, Ont., took the title in 1969. When Urban won, the event was played on a clay surface and was called the Canadian Open.

    Andreescu jumped into the national spotlight over the past week winning four straight grueling three-set matches to make the Rogers Cup semifinal.

    In a semifinal match on Saturday, Andreescu outlasted Sofia Kenin of the United States with a straight-sets victory 6-4 and 7-6 that lasted two hours and 11 minutes. She celebrated by kissing the court at the Aviva Centre.

    In Sunday’s final, Andreescu faced the player she idolized growing up in Serena Williams of the United States. Williams is regarded as one of the greatest players ever as her 23 Grand Slam singles titles are the most in the Open Era.  

    She is viewed as still being on top of her game at age 37.

    The final didn’t go long in duration. After Andreescu went ahead 3-1 in the first set, Williams called a medical timeout.

    Williams sat in her chair and had to retire from the match due to back spasms and broke down.

    After hearing Williams was retiring from the final, Andreescu came over to console the tennis legend and the two hugged twice.

    That moment of empathy combined with her gritty play during the week help shoot Andreescu’s star into the stratosphere for the short term.

    It also might be the start of something big.

    The win at the Rogers Cup was her second Women’s Tennis Association Premier title of the season.

    With the home country spotlight shining on her, Andreescu showed that she had some pretty good power to her game and could tactically change up her attack using a variety of shots.

Andreescu showed off some great speed and agility to go along with her power.

    She is now the 14^th ranking singles player on the WTA, and with the power game she has, Andreescu might be visible on the scene for some time to come.

Shirley, Hobson, Messier to play for Canada

Brooke Hobson in action with the Bears in 2017.

    A trio of Saskatchewan athletes will represent Canada on the ice in taking on the United States.

    Sophie Shirley and Brooke Hobson, who have built a reputation play for Hockey Canada’s national women’s team system, will skate for Canada’s National Women’s Development Team. Ashley Messier will play for Canada’s under-18 women’s team in her first appearance wearing Canadian colours.

    Both teams will take on their respective foes from the United States in a three game series that starts Wednesday and runs through Saturday in Lake Placid, New York.

    The two Canadian squads were made after selection camps that were help and wrapped up in Calgary, Alta., on Sunday as part of the Team Canada Summer Showcase.

    Shirley, who is a graduate of the Saskatoon Stars female midget AAA team, had a huge freshmen campaign helping the University of Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team win the NCAA championship. The skilled forward appeared in 41 games posting 20 goals, 18 assists and a plus-36 rating and was named the Western Collegiate Hockey Association conference rookie of the year.

    Shirley has been a member of Canada’s under-18 team, been on the national development team for some time and has played in games with Canada’s senior national women’s team.

    Hobson, who is a former captain with the Prince Albert Northern Bears female midget AAA team, posted six goals, 22 assists and a plus-27 rating in 38 games with the Northeastern University Huskies women’s team. The talented offensive-defender helped the Huskies advance to a quarter-final match in the NCAA championship tournament.

    Hobson is a former member of Canada’s under-18 women’s team.

    Messier, who is from Wilcox, Sask., had another stellar campaign playing on the Stars blue-line last season appearing in all of her team’s 28 regular season games setting new career highs in goals (five), assists (27) and points (32). For her efforts, Messier captured the SFMAAAHL’s Colleen Sostorics Top Defenceman award and helped the Stars win the SFMAAAHL title and advance to the Esso Cup female midget AAA national championship tournament.

    In three campaigns with the Stars, Messier has appeared in 84 regular season games posting 11 goals and 58 assists.

    Last year, Messier went to camp with the United States under-18 women’s team and played against Canada in a three-game exhibition series.

    Messier is eligible to return for her 17-year-old season in the midget AAA ranks but will play for the Selects Girls Hockey Academy at Bishop Kearney High School in Rochester, N.Y., for her Grade 12 year. She has committed to play for the Cornell University Big Red women’s hockey team in the NCAA ranks starting in the 2020-21 campaign.

Askarov stones Canada in Hlinka Gretzky Cup final

After a strong tournament and a terrific final, 🇨🇦 takes home 🥈 from the 2019 #HlinkaGretzkyCup in Břeclav, Czech Republic.

The 2020 Hlinka Gretzky Cup will return to 🇨🇦 in Edmonton & Red Deer. pic.twitter.com/afvysjfjte

— Team Canada Men (@HC_Men) August 10, 2019

    Yaroslav Askarov slammed the door on Canada’s quest to win a third straight Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

    On Saturday, Askarov made 35 saves to back Russia to a 3-2 victory over Canada in the championship game of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Canada outshot Russia 37-13 in the title game played at the Ice Bors Arena in Breclav in the Czech Republic.

    Alexandr Pashin gave Russia a 1-0 lead early in the first period.

    Quinton Byfield scored the equalizer for Canada on a power-play chance early in the second to force a 1-1 tie.

    Russia exited the second frame holding a 2-1 lead after getting a goal from centre Vasili Ponomaryov. Pashin added his second of the contest at the 8:38 mark of the second to give Russia a 3-1 advantage.

    Jean-Luc Foudy replied for Canada with 4:59 to play in the third to cut Russia’s lead to 3-2.

    Dylan Garand made 10 stops to take the setback in goal for Canada. Canada had won the two previous Hlinka Gretzky Cups.

    Canada posted a 4-1 overall record at this year’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Russia posted a 5-0 overall mark.

    Defenceman Kaiden Guhle and right-winger Ozzy Wiesblatt of the WHL champion Prince Albert Raiders were members o f the Canadian squad.

    Guhle had an assist in five games, while Wiesblatt wasn’t able to pick up any points in five games.

    Last season, Guhle, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 186 pounds, appeared in 65 regular season games with the Raiders posting three goals, 14 assists and a plus-17 rating in the plus-minus department.

    Wiesblatt, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 187 pounds, skated in 64 regular season games with the Raiders posting 15 goals, 24 assists and a plus-30 rating.

    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.