Broncos are the West’s best

Swift Current wins third WHL title in city’s history

The Broncos celebrate with the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

    SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. – For the first time in 25 years, Swift Current is the “title town” of the WHL.

    On Sunday before a sellout crowd of 2,890 spectators at the Innovation Credit Union i-Plex, the host Swift Current Broncos blanked the Everett Silvertips 3-0 in Game 6 of the WHL Championship series. With the win, the Broncos claimed the best-of-seven series 4-2 to capture the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

    For the Broncos, it marked the third time they’ve won the league title in the team’s history in Swift Current.
    Their other victories came back in 1989 and 1993. Those three title win by the Broncos mark the last three times a Saskatchewan based team has captured the WHL crown.

    The Broncos also won the WHL title in 1983, when the franchise was located in Lethbridge.

    Veteran 19-year-old netminder Stuart Skinner made 31 saves to pick up his sixth shutout win of the post-season for the Broncos, and when the dust settled, the Edmonton product tried to find a way to express the joy of the moment.

Giorgio Estephan had the first goal on Sunday for the Broncos.

    “You can’t really put it into words,” said Skinner, who had a 2.20 goals against average and a .932 save percentage in the playoffs. “These group of guys are my family.

    “I will always remember this. No one will ever forget this. You can’t put into words how incredible it is and how good it feels to lift that cup over your head.”

    The Broncos had a big start jumping out to a 1-0 lead at the 6:41 mark of the first period. While working on the power play, star left-winger Aleksi Heponiemi found centre Giorgio Estephan with a backdoor pass, and Estephan buried his 13^th goal of the post-season into an empty cage.

    As the opening 20 minutes neared a close, it appeared the Silvertips were going to withstand the Broncos initial push outside of Estephan’s goal. That changed in the dying seconds of the frame.

    Broncos defenceman Sahvan Khaira fired a shot from the point, and the puck squeaked between the legs of Silvertips star netminder Carter Hart and slid loose behind him in the crease.

The Broncos celebrate Giorgio Estephan’s power-play goal.

    Heponiemi, who is from Tampere, Finland, tucked home a loose puck to give the Broncos a 2-0 lead with 0.6 seconds remaining on the clock.

    Broncos star right-winger Tyler Steenbergen said that second goal put his team in a really good spot for the night.

    “It turned out to be huge,” said Steenbergen, who had an assist on the Broncos first goal. “We had the momentum going into the second.

    “They pushed back a little bit. At the end of the day, we got it done.”

    The Silvertips outshot the Broncos 14-8 in the second period, and Skinner’s play was key to the hosts holding on to their two-goal edge. While working on the power play early in the second, the Broncos gave the puck away in front of their own net to Silvertips left-winger Sean Richards.

Stuart Skinner makes one of his 31 saves for the Broncos on Sunday.

    Richards broke in alone on Skinner and was stoned by the Swift Current puck stopper. Later on in the second, Skinner proceeded to turn away a Silvertips chance during a frantic net scramble, and he stopped a couple of dangerous screen shots.

    “He (Skinner) is outstanding,” said Broncos head coach and director of player personnel Manny Viveiros. “He is a big reason why we are here right now.

    “Without goaltending like that, we don’t have a chance. He has been the difference all the way through.”

    In the third, the Broncos sealed things up defensively not allowing the Silvertips really any real quality chances. Russian import defenceman Artyom Minulin and centre Matteo Gennaro came up with solid shot blocks on Silvertips captain Matt Fonteyne and left-winger Connor Dewar respectively.

Broncos LW Aleksi Heponiemi (#20) gets by Silvertips RW Patrick Bajkov.

    With 6.4 seconds remaining in the third period, Broncos left-winger Beck Malenstyn rounded out the scoring with an empty-net goal to put the hosts up 3-0, and that caused the spectators in attendance to explode in euphoria.

    “It is probably the most fun I have had in a playoff series especially here right now,” said Broncos captain Glenn Gawdin, who has been with the club for five full seasons. “It is nuts in here.

    “That’s what you want. To win like this makes it even more sweeter. Words can’t describe how I am feeling right now, so I am just going to enjoy it.”

    Having played with the Broncos for four seasons, Steenbergen just wanted to soak in the celebration as well.

    “It is unbelievable,” said Steenbergen. “It is one of the best feelings in the world winning, especially doing it with this group of guys.

The Broncos fans celebrate their team’s WHL title victory.

    “It is the best feeling anyone can ask for.”

    Hart turned away 22-of-24 shots to take the setback in goal for the Silvertips, who finished third overall in the WHL regular season standings with a 47-20-2-3 record.

    Gawdin, who is in his overage season and has a three-year NHL entry-level contract signed with the Calgary Flames, was named the MVP of the WHL playoffs recording 14 goals, 18 assists and a plus-10 rating in the plus-minus department in 24 post-season appearances. The Richmond, B.C., product had an assist on the Broncos second goal.

Glenn Gawdin takes a lap with the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

    “He (Gawdin) is everything,” said Viveiros. “He is a poster child for this league coming back as a 20-year-old and going to turn pro.

    “He wanted to get back with his teammates and finish this off right, a wonderful young man (and) an incredible ambassador for the league.”

    With the win, the Broncos, who finished second overall in the WHL regular season with a 48-17-5-2 mark, advance to the Memorial Cup CHL championship tournament, which begins Friday in Regina. The Broncos claimed their only Memorial Cup title back in 1989, when the event was held in Saskatoon.

    Steenbergen is looking forward with excitement with what is next for his team.

    “It is going to be pretty crazy,” said Steenbergen. “It will be my first time there, and I can’t wait.”

    Last year, Skinner backstopped the Lethbridge Hurricanes to the WHL Eastern Conference Championship series, where they fell 4-2 to the Regina Pats.
    He came to the Broncos in a blockbuster trade on Jan. 9 and is pumped to get the chance to play in major junior hockey’s most prestigious event.

Giorgio Estephan (#29) and Stuart Skinner enjoy the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

    “Every single year, it has gotten closer and closer,” said Skinner. “Now, we are going to the Memorial Cup.

    “You can’t really put this into words. Being able to say that we are going to the Memorial Cup, it is unbelievable. This city has been waiting for it for a few years now. Being able to be the goalie to do it with them, it is the best feeling ever.”

    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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Silvertips stay alive in WHL title series with Broncos

Game 6 set for Sunday in Swift Current

Riley Sutter had three points for the Silvertips.

    The Everett Silvertips wouldn’t allow the pesky Swift Current Broncos to seal the deal.

    On Friday night before 6,628 spectators at the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, the host Silvertips came out with their best effort of the WHL Championship series pulling out a 6-3 victory in Game 5 with the Swift Current Broncos. The host side held a 40-24 edge in shots on goal.

    The Broncos still lead the best-of-seven set 3-2, and they will try to make good on their second chance to capture the Ed Chynoweth Cup in Game 6 on Sunday at the Credit Union i-Plex in Swift Current.

    If the Silvertips win Game 6, they will force a series deciding Game 7 on Monday at the i-Plex. The start time for both of those games in 7 p.m. each night locally.

    In Friday’s encounter, the Silvertips stormed out of the gate in the first period with goals coming from the sticks of Wyatte Wylie on the power play and captain Matt Fonteyne at even strength to go ahead 2-0.

    With 2:10 remaining in the first period, Broncos captain Glenn Gawdin completed a tick-tack-toe passing play from linemates Aleksi Heponiemi and Giorgio Estephan for a power-play goal to cut Everett’s lead to 2-1.

Connor Dewar had three points for the Silvertips.

    At the 6:37 mark of the second, Gawdin scored to tie things up at 2-2. Broncos offensive defenceman Colby Sissons slipped the puck from the point to Gawdin alone in front of the Silvertips net, and he tucked a shot around Everett star netminder Carter Hart.

    The Silvertips surged out to a 4-2 lead at the 6:09 mark of the third period with slot dives coming from the sticks of Sean Richards and Riley Sutter.
    The Broncos didn’t go away. With 7:09 to play in the third period, the Broncos were buzzing deep in the Everett zone. Swift Current centre Matteo Gennaro fed a pass from behind the Everett net to pinching defenceman Noah King in the right slot.

    The 18-year-old rookie buried his first career WHL goal in either the regular season or the playoffs to trim the Everett lead to 4-3.

    Shortly after King’s goal, Gawdin had a chance to potentially net the equalizer, but he placed a shot wide of the Everett goal.

    Silvertips left-winger Connor Dewar sealed the win for the host side with a pair of empty-net goals. He had an assist in the contest to go with his two tallies for a three-point night.

    Sutter had a pair of assists to go with his goal to also finish with three points on the night for Everett.

Rookie defenceman Noah King scored for the Broncos.

    Stuart Skinner turned away 34-of-38 shots to take the setback in goal for the Broncos. Hart stopped 21 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Silvertips.

    The Silvertips, who finished third overall in the WHL with a 47-20-2-3 record in the regular season, are 6-6 at home and 8-1 on the road during the post-season.

    The Broncos, who finished second overall in the WHL with a 48-17-5-2 mark in the regular season, are 8-4 at home and 7-6 on the road in the playoffs.

    The winner of the WHL Championship series advances to the Memorial Cup tournament to play for the CHL title. The Memorial Cup runs May 18 to 27 in Regina.

    At the moment, the host Regina Pats are the only club with a spot in the four-team field.

    In the OHL Championship series, the Hamilton Bulldogs hold a 3-2 lead on the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Game 6 is set for Sunday in Hamilton.

    In the QMJHL Championship series, the Acadie-Bathurst Titan hold a 3-2 lead on the Blainville-Boisbraind Armada. Game 6 is set for Sunday in Acadie-Bathurst.

Hay says he retired from Blazers, left door open to coach

Don Hay spoke to the media on Friday about retiring as Blazers head coach.

    On Thursday, the Kamloops Blazers announced Don Hay had retired as the team’s head coach, and on Friday, Hay addressed the media in Kamloops.

    Hay wasn’t at the Blazers press conference on Thursday, when the team announced he had retired as the club’s head coach and would stay on with the club in a newly created role of senior advisor of hockey operations. That sparked speculation that Hay was pushed out as head coach.

    The 64-year-old met with the media on Friday, where he read a prepared before fielding questions.      Hay said he decided to retire from the Blazers, but he left the door open to return to coaching at any level, if the opportunity presented itself. He said he would discuss future opportunities to coach with his family.

    The legendary bench boss said he wasn’t at the press conference on Thursday, because he was laying down sandbags to protect his cabin from possible flooding. He also went to watch his granddaughters compete in track and field.

    Hay is the all-time leader in career regular season head coaching victories in the WHL posting a 750-506-110 record with the Blazers, Tri-City American and Vancouver Giants. The Blazers missed the playoffs with a 30-37-1-4 record this past season.

    During his career, Hay was a Blazers assistant coach when they won the Memorial Cup in 1992 and their head coach for their Memorial Cup victories in 1994 and 1995. Hay guided the Vancouver Giants to a Memorial Cup title in 2007.

    The Blazers also announced general manager Stu MacGregor has joined the amateur scouting department of the Dallas Stars and the contracts of Matt Recchi, who was the team’s director of player personnel, and Mike Needham, who was an assistant coach, will not be renewed.

    The Blazers are bidding to host the 2020 Memorial Cup, so this shake up wasn’t expected.

    Gregg Drinnan, who is “The Dean” of sportswriters when it comes to covering the WHL, is based in Kamloops, and he penned a column that is telling about the situation in Kamloops. That piece can be found 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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Expect Silvertips to circle wagons in Game 5 with Broncos

Captain Matt Fonteyne and the Silvertips are a desperate team.

    When an opponent can win a championship trophy in your rink, your desperation level gets kicked up a notch.

    The Everett Silvertips will be the desperate team on Friday when they hit the ice at the Angel of the Winds Arena for Game 5 of the WHL Championship series at 7:30 p.m. local time in Everett. The Swift Current Broncos lead the best-of-seven series 3-1 and can capture the Ed Chynoweth Cup with a victory in Friday’s showdown.

    For the first time in the post-season, the Silvertips are facing an elimination game. When the Everett players, coaches and staffers commute to their home rink on Friday, they know it will be their last home game of the campaign, and it could be their last game overall in the 2017-18 season.

    After posting the third best record in the WHL regular season at 47-20-2-3 and battling through three rounds of the playoffs, the Silvertips players have built big bonds and will not want to see their campaign come to an end.

    One of the hardest things to digest is watching your opponent celebrate a league championship in your rink, and for Everett overagers in captain Matt Fonteyne, Patrick Bajkov and Kevin Davis, they are facing the fact that could be their final memory in major junior hockey. All three are career Silvertips having played five compete seasons with the team.

    The Broncos are a tight group too and have grown tighter through their playoff journey. They finished second overall in the WHL regular season with a 48-17-5-2 record and are one win away from capturing their first WHL championship since 1993, which happens to be the last time a Saskatchewan based club has won the WHL title.

    Swift Current faced desperate teams already in the post-season winning two series deciding Game 7s and posting a 3-2 record in contests where they can close out a series. The desperation they will likely see out of the Silvertips will be something different from what they have faced in the past.

    The Broncos have three chances to win the WHL crown, and this first opportunity will likely be the hardest one to do it in.

Kevin Davis has one point for the Silvertips in the WHL title series.

    If the Silvertips win Game 5, the series will shift back to the Innovation Credit Union i-Plex for Games 6 and 7 on Sunday and Monday respectively. The start time for both contests if they are needed is 7 p.m. local time.

    The Broncos path to a road championship celebration will likely mean playing a game that was similar to what took play in their 1-0 victory in Game 4 in Everett on Wednesday. In that contest, Broncos star 19-year-old netminder Stuart Skinner made 32 saves to post his fifth shutout of the post-season.

    Skinner has stopped 132-of-139 shots in the four games in the series with the Silvertips and is the odds on favourite to be named the MVP of the WHL playoffs. The Broncos top skaters like captain Glenn Gawdin, Tyler Steenbergen, Aleksi Heponiemi, Giorgio Estephan, Matteo Gennaro and Colby Sissons have all come through with big plays helping Swift Current post three straight one-goal victories over Everett.

    Star goaltender Carter Hart has given the Silvertips the goaltending they’ve needed turning away 115-of-124 shots in the series. The Silvertips need to get a special night out of one of their top offensive players.

    Bajkov, who led the Silvertips in regular season scoring with 33 goals and 67 assists, has one goal in four games against the Broncos. Fonteyne, who was second in team regular season scoring for Everett with 35 goals and 53 assists, has two goals in four games against the Broncos.

    Right-winger Garrett Pilon was the third leading scorer on Everett’s roster in the regular season piling up 34 goals and 46 assists in 69 games split between the Kamloops Blazers and Silvertips. He had three assists in the first two games of the WHL title series with the Broncos and has been held pointless in the last two outings.

    Left-winger Connor Dewar was fourth in Silvertips team scoring in the regular season recording 38 goals and 30 assists in 68 games. He has been really snakebitten around the net in the series with the Broncos recording one goal and one assist in four games.

Broncos G Stuart Skinner is a leading candidate for WHL playoff MVP.

    Davis led all Silvertips defencemen in scoring in the regular season with 10 goals and 55 assists in 71 games. He has one assist in four games against the Broncos.

    If any of those top end players can break through with a big game, the Silvertips will extend their season.

    In this contest, the first goal will likely be more key than ever due to the fact the Broncos have won the last three straight clashes. If the Broncos score first, they will likely get an emotional boost knowing how close they are to lifting the championship trophy, and nervous energy might hit the Silvertips with thoughts of what might be slipping away.

    If the Silvertips score, they will likely get energized by the opportunity to erase what happened in the previous three encounters for at least one night.

    Due to the situation of the series, the Silvertips will likely deliver their best effort in Game 5, and it will be interesting to see if the Broncos can weather the storm.

Hay retires as Blazers head coach

The Blazers announced Don Hay has retired as the team’s head coach.

    Don Hay is no longer a head coach in the WHL.

    In a surprising development on Thursday, the Kamloops Blazers announced the Hay has retired as the team’s head coach, and he will stay on with the club in a newly created role of senior advisor of hockey operations. Hay is the all-time leader in career regular season head coaching victories in the WHL posting a 750-506-110 record with the Blazers, Tri-City American and Vancouver Giants.

    He was a Blazers assistant coach when they won the Memorial Cup in 1992 and their head coach for their Memorial Cup victories in 1994 and 1995. Hay guided the Vancouver Giants to a Memorial Cup title in 2007.
    Last season, the Blazers missed the playoffs with a 30-37-1-4 record.

    The Blazers also announced general manager Stu MacGregor has joined the amateur scouting department of the Dallas Stars and the contracts of Matt Recchi, who was the team’s director of player personnel, and Mike Needham, who was an assistant coach, will not be renewed.

    The media members in Kamloops noted that Hay was not present at the press conference, when these announcements were made. That has led to early speculation that Hay might have been forced into retirement.

    The Blazers are bidding to host the 2020 Memorial Cup, so this shake up wasn’t expected.

    Anyways, time will tell how long Hay stays retired from coaching.

Hurricanes set for the future

Dylan Cozens was named the WHL’s rookie of the year.

    The future appears to be bright for the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

    Having advanced to the WHL Eastern Conference Championship series last year, the Hurricanes heading into a reloading phase for the 2017-18 campaign. The bumps in the reload only lasted the duration of the regular season, where the Hurricanes finished second in the Central Division with a 33-33-6 record.

    In the playoffs, the Hurricanes made a surprising run to a second straight WHL Eastern Conference Championship series. At that point, they gave the Swift Current Broncos, who finished second overall in the WHL regular season standings with a 48-17-5-2 mark, all they could handle. Swift Current prevailed in the hard-fought best-of-seven series 4-2.

    The Hurricanes do lose three key overagers. Left-winger Brad Morrison had a stellar post-season piling up 16 goals and 21 assists in 16 games. His 37 points equaled the Hurricanes team record for most points in one post-season set by Wes Walz with 13 goals and 24 assists in the 1990 playoffs.

    Netminder Logan Flodell was named the top goalie in the Eastern Conference posting a 38-18-4 record, a 3.13 goals against average, a .909 save percentage and three shutouts in 61 regular season appearances split between the Hurricanes and Swift Current Broncos.

    Defenceman Tate Olson had a strong final WHL campaign recording two goals and 22 assists in 54 regular season games.

Calen Addison was a standout on the back end for the Hurricanes.

    The Hurricanes developed a strong group of younger players. Captain Jordy Bellerive topped Lethbridge in scoring with 46 goals and 46 assists in 71 regular season games as an 18-year-old. Right-winger Dylan Cozens piled up 22 goals and 31 assists in 57 regular season games in his 16-year-old season and was named the WHL’s rookie of the year.

    Defenceman Calen Addison cemented his role as a power-play quarterback as a 17-year-old sophomore leading all Lethbridge rearguards in scoring with 11 goals and 54 assists in 68 regular season games.

    Centre Logan Barlage, who completed his 16-year-old rookie season, had seven goals and 13 assists in 71 regular season games split between the Hurricane and Broncos, and he has the potential to make a bigger impact in future seasons.

    Flodell and Barlage came to the Hurricanes in a blockbuster trade with the Broncos on Jan. 9.

Hurricanes general manager Peter Anholt is one of the smartest men in hockey, and he always seems to make the most astute move for his team. Lethbridge has a strong coaching staff led by head coach Brent Kisio.

    When the 2018-19 season gets underway, it wouldn’t be a surprise to the Hurricanes be one of the league’s stronger teams.

Blades lose popular Russian to KHL

Mark Rubinchik has signed to play in the KHL.

    The Saskatoon Blades with be without a fan favourite and one of their hardest hitters next season.

    On Monday, the team issued a nice send-off press release for Russian import defenceman Mark Rubinchik, who signed a two-year, two-way contract with Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Kontinental Hockey League. He was set to enter his 19-year-old campaign with the Blades.

    Last season, Rubinchik, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 188 pounds, appeared in 67 regular season games for the Blades posting four goals and 19 assists. Over two campaigns in Saskatoon, he has suited up for 130 regular season games recording four goals and 42 assists.

    The Blades selected Rubinchik, who is from Moskva, Russia, in the first round and seventh overall in the 2016 CHL Import Draft. He became one of the more popular players around the team’s dressing room displaying a constant huge grin on his face and an upbeat personality.

    “It’s surreal for sure,” said Rubinchik in the release. “You grow up watching the guys play at the highest level, and you see how the arenas fill with people watch players do what they love.

    “I used to think, “I want to be like them.” The KHL is a great league – arguably the second best in the world. Of course, being close to family and friends is a bonus as well.

    “I just want to establish myself as an impact player early on in my career, and I hope that Salavat Yulaev gives me that opportunity.”

    Rubinchik said he was grateful for his time in Saskatoon.

Mark Rubinchik controls the puck at the point for the Blades.

    “I want to thank the fans and the whole Saskatoon Blades organization for the support they have given me,” said Rubinchik in the release. “These last two years flew by because of how much fun I had.

    “I wish the boys all the best. They were always so kind to me and helped me out when I needed it most. Being so far away from home can be challenging, but everyone in Saskatoon made sure I felt safe and superb.

    “I’m very proud to call every staff member and player my friend, thank you.”

    Blades general manager Colin Priestner was pleased to see Rubinchik get a chance to play in a top professional league, where he can play close to home.

    “It’s great, we love seeing our player move on to the next level and for Mark to be able to do that back home is exciting for both him and his family,” said Priestner in the release. “It’s never easy to move across the world when you’re a teenager, but Mark came here focused and really fit in well with our group.

    “He was an important part of our organization both on the ice and in the community, so we’re thankful to have had him for the past two seasons. We wish him nothing but the best moving forward and thank him for his commitment to our club during his time here.”

    With Rubinchik’s departure, the Blades have two import spots to fill, and they plan to make two selections in the CHL Import Draft, which is slated to be held either June 26 or 27.

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

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Skinner, Sissons give Broncos command of WHL final

Netminder Stuart Skinner made 32 saves in the shutout win for the Broncos.

    Stuart Skinner’s fifth shutout of the WHL playoffs has put the Swift Current Broncos one win away from capturing the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

    On Wednesday night at the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Wash., Skinner made 32 saves and offensive defenceman Colby Sissons wired home a second period power-play goal to give the Broncos a 1-0 victory over the Everett Silvertips in Game 4 of the WHL Championship series.

    With the win, the Broncos lead the best-of-seven set 3-1 and can close things out in Game 5 on Friday, which is set for a 7:30 p.m. local time start at the Angel of the Winds Arena. Swift Current last won the WHL title in 1993, which happens to be the last time a Saskatchewan-based team took the league championship.

    Skinner has posted a 15-9 record, a 2.21 goals against average, a .931 save percentage and five shutouts this post-season. The 19-year-old Edmonton product had six shutouts in the 2017-18 regular season in 56 appearances split between the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Broncos.

    The third round 2017 NHL Entry Draft selection of the Edmonton Oilers was dealt by the Hurricanes to the Broncos in a blockbuster trade on Jan. 9.

    In the opening 20 minutes, the Silvertips outshot the Broncos 8-4, but Swift Current had a big early chance to go ahead when centre Giorgio Estephan deflected a point shot from Sisson off the post of the Everett goal.

    Early in the second period, Broncos left-winger Beck Malenstyn had a short-handed breakaway, but he was stoned by Silvertips star netminder Carter Hart.

Colby Sissons scored the lone goal of Game 4 of the WHL final.

    With 5:25 to play in the second and the Broncos working on the power play, Sissons streaked into the Silvertips zone on a rush and wired home a shot to the top left corner of the Everett net to give the Broncos a 1-0 lead to disappoint most of the 5,081 spectators in attendance.

    From that point, Skinner slammed the door in the Swift Current goal.

    With just under six minutes to play in the third, he stopped Silvertips right-winger Garrett Pilon on a hard mid-range drive and stoned Everett left-winger Connor Dewar, who tried to backhand home the rebound.

    After the Silvertips pulled Hart for an extra attacker, Pilon found himself alone in front of the Swift Current goal with the puck, but his shot was turned back by a left pad stop from Skinner.

Hart turned away 18 shots to take the setback in goal for the Silvertips.

    The Broncos went 1-for-4 on the power play, while the Silvertips failed to score on five chances with the man advantage.

    Overage Silvertips star right-winger Patrick Bajkov played in Game 4 after leaving to the dressing room on a couple of occasions in his club’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Broncos in Game 3 on Tuesday.

    The Silvertips, who finished third overall in the WHL regular season with a 47-20-2-3 record, are 8-1 on the road in the playoffs and 5-6 at home. The Broncos, who finished second overall in the WHL regular season with a 48-17-5-2 mark, are 7-5 on the road in the post-season and 8-4 at home.

    If Everett wins Game 5 on Friday, the series will shift back to Swift Current for Games 6 and 7 if necessary, which will be held on Sunday and Monday respectively with a 7 p.m. local start times on both nights at the Innovation Credit Union i-Plex.

Back in the Express with Valkyries’ Peters

Devyn Peters (#31) is a breakout running back for the Valkyries.

    I was back in the pages of the Saskatoon Express this week with a feature on Saskatoon Valkyries running back Devyn Peters.

    Last season, Peters played linebacker on defence for most of her rookie campaign with the Western Women’s Canadian Football League team. In the league’s consolation final clash between the Valkyries and Edmonton Storm, Peters was inserted at running back on offence, and she carried the ball 15 times for 218 yards and scored two touchdowns in a 44-20 Saskatoon victory.

    The 19-year-old sophomore heads into this season as a full-time running back with the Valkyries.

    On Saturday, the Valkyries will host the defending WWCFL champion Regina Riot at 8 p.m. at Griffiths Stadium. The game was originally slated to be held at Saskatoon Minor Football Field but construction at that facility forced the contest to be moved.

    Both teams head into this contest with identical 1-0 regular season records. Last Saturday, the Riot traveled to Winnipeg, Man., and thumped the Manitoba Fearless 56-14. The Valkyries were in Winnipeg last Sunday and blanked the Wolfpack 48-0.

    The Express story on Peters can be found 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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Oh Captain! My Captain! – Gawdin’s hatty delivers Broncos to 3-2 overtime comeback win

Glenn Gawdin’s hat trick delivered the Broncos to victory.

    Glenn Gawdin was “captain clutch” once again for the Swift Current Broncos.

    On Tuesday night at the Angel of the Winds Arena, Gawdin had all three of the Broncos goals including the late third period equalizer and the overtime winner to deliver Swift Current to a 3-2 victory over the host Everett Silvertips in Game 3 of the WHL Championship series. With the overtime win, the Broncos take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

    Game 4 is set for Wednesday at 7 p.m. local time at the Angel of the Winds Arena. The Silvertips also host Game 5 of the series slated for Friday.

    The Silvertips built a 2-1 lead in the first period before 4,872 spectators and that edge help up until late in the third. With the Broncos killing a penalty, Swift Current right-winger Beck Malenstyn and Gawdin, who is the Broncos captain, broke into the Everett zone on a two-on-two rush.

    Malenstyn dropped a pass to Gawdin, who fired a long drive on goal. Silvertips star netminder Carter Hart stopped the long shot, but gave up a big rebound. Gawdin drove to the Everett goal after his first shot and banged home the rebound to force a 2-2 tie with 3:17 to play in the frame.

    Just 2:40 into overtime, Broncos offensive defenceman Colby Sissons fed a pass from the left corner boards in the Everett zone to Gawdin in the high slot. The Richmond, B.C., product fired home the winning goal to the top left corner of the Silvertips goal to give the Broncos their second straight overtime victory of the series.

    On Saturday in Swift Current, the Broncos rallied back from a 3-0 deficit in the first period to post a 4-3 victory in overtime in Game 2 of the WHL title series.

    In Tuesday’s clash, Gawdin gave the Broncos a 1-0 lead at the 14:44 mark of the first period taking a drop pass from linemate Aleksi Heponiemi and firing a shot from the right slot to the top left corner of the Silvertips goal.

    The Silvertips pulled even at 1-1 just 60 seconds later, when centre Riley Sutter tipped home a point shot from defenceman Jake Christiansen. The goal stood up after a video review.

Patrick Bajkov left for the Silvertips dressing room twice on Tuesday.

    With 1:25 remaining in the first, Silvertips captain Matt Fonteyne threw a bad angle shot on the Swift Current goal, and the puck found its way into the net past Broncos goalie Stuart Skinner.

    The scored remained 2-1 in Everett’s favour after 40 minutes thanks to a great diving save by Skinner on a one-timer from Fonteyne in the second period. Fonteyne received a pass from linemate Garrett Pilon from across the front of the Swift Current goal but was unable to drive the puck home.

    That set the stage for Gawdin to complete his hat trick dramatics with a goal late in the third and in overtime. During his WHL career, Gawdin has come through in many critical moments for the Broncos.

    Skinner turned away 37 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Broncos. Hart stopped 29 shots to take the setback in the Silvertips net.

    Sissons finished with two assists for the Broncos, while Christiansen had two helpers for the Silvertips.

    Silvertips star overage right-winger Patrick Bajkov left for his team’s dressing room a couple of times during the contest.

    With the win, the Broncos insured that their season will make it back to Saskatchewan. They could return to Swift Current for either Games 6 or 7 of the WHL Championship series, which are set for this coming Sunday and Monday respectively. The Silvertips have to win one of the next two games of the WHL title series for that to happen.

    If the Broncos manage to win the WHL title series in Everett, they will advance to play in the Memorial Cup championship tournament to play for the CHL title, and that event runs May 18 to 27 in Regina.

Back in the Express with Rush’s Thompson

Rush transition player Jeremy Thompson is a fan favourite.

    I was back in the pages of the Saskatoon Express with a story on Jeremy Thompson, who is a transition player for the Saskatchewan Rush of the National Lacrosse League.

    Thompson has been a fan favourite since the Rush franchise relocated from Edmonton to Saskatoon before the start of the 2016 season.

    He grew up in the Onondaga Nation located near Syracuse in upstate New York, and he said lacrosse is very important to his people. The sport came from the Iroquois Confederacy, which the Onondaga Nation is part of.

    Children of the Onondaga Nation are given a homemade traditional wooden lacrosse stick in their cradle when they are born. In death, they carry a traditional wooden lacrosse stick in their casket.

    The cultural link to lacrosse is part of Thompson’s fascinating story.

    This season, he played in all of the Rush’s 18 regular season games collecting six goals and nine assists. Thompson finished fourth in the NLL with 234 faceoff wins and second with 164 loose ball pick ups.

    The Rush finished first overall in the entire NLL this season with a 14-4 record. On Sunday, the Rush host their archrivals the Calgary Roughnecks in the Western Division final on Sunday at 5 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.

    The Roughnecks finished third in the Western Division with an 8-10 mark and upset the Colorado Mammoth 15-12 in a Western Division semifinal contest last Saturday. The Mammoth were second in the Western Division with an 11-7 record.

    The Rush claimed all three regular season encounters with the Roughnecks this season. The Rush prevailed 13-12 on Jan. 27 in Calgary, 10-6 on Feb. 24 in Saskatoon and 11-10 on April 28 in Saskatoon.

    Saskatchewan had the top two scorers in the league during the regular season. Veteran forward Mark Matthews topped the NLL in scoring with 32 goals and 84 assists, and forward Robert Church finished second in the league scoring race with 47 goals and 60 assists.

    Curtis Dickson topped the Roughnecks in regular season scoring and placed seventh overall in the league with 47 goals and 45 assists.

    The Rush are trying to advance to the NLL Championship series for the fourth straight year having claimed a league title in 2015, when the franchise was still in Edmonton, and another league championship in 2016, which was the team’s first campaign in Saskatchewan.

    The story on Thompson can be found 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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Broncos’ comeback was epic, but WHL championship with Silvertips still a toss up

The Broncos and their fans celebrate last Saturday’s OT win.

    Will a magical Saturday night in Swift Current for the WHL’s Broncos lead to that franchise’s third league title?

    A sellout crowd of 2,890 spectators bore witness to the “Miracle at the i-Plex.”

    The host Broncos trailed the Everett Silvertips 3-0 after the first period expired in Game 2 of the WHL Championship series last Saturday. Everett captured the first contest of the best-of-seven set 2-1 the previous night.

    It appeared the Broncos were going to be down 2-0 in the series, when it switched to Everett, Wash., for Games 3, 4 and 5. The Silvertips, who finished third overall in the WHL regular season with a 47-20-2-3 mark, were the league’s top defensive team giving up the fewest goal in the regular season at 167.

    Everett’s net was being protected by Carter Hart, who backstopped Canada to a gold medal win at the World Juniors that wrapped up in January. Before the start of the series, Hart was named the WHL’s goalie of the year for a third straight campaign.

Riley Sutter and the Silvertips will respond at home.

    The Silvertips were 8-0 on the road up to that point in this year’s playoffs.

    Swift Current finished second overall in the WHL regular season with a 48-17-5-2 mark, but the task of making a comeback was daunting.

    After the Broncos finally hit the scoreboard in the second period to cut the Silvertips lead to 3-1, Everett had at least four prime chances to pull away again had it not been for the efforts of Broncos netminder Stuart Skinner.

    The Broncos faithful became more quite, but they didn’t pack it in. When the Broncos came out for the start of the third period down two goals, they were given a rousing and warm standing ovation from their fans. It was a site you normally don’t see at most hockey rinks.

    The hosts withstood early pressure from the visitors. Offensive defenceman Colby Sissons scored to pull the Broncos to within 3-2 and his billet brother in star right-winger Tyler Steenbergen netted the equalizer to force a 3-3 tie with 1:37 to play with Skinner pulled for an extra attacker.

    A pandemonium type celebration broke out when Steenbergen scored.

    It was repeated when centre Giorgio Estephan netted the winner at the 9:27 mark of overtime to give the Broncos a 4-3 victory and conclude one of the most memorable games ever played in the history of the WHL Championship series.

Broncos D Colby Sissons, left, eludes Silvertips LW Sean Richards.

    The series is tied 1-1 going into Game 3 on Tuesday at the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett at 7 p.m. local time. Games 4 and 5 will be held on Wednesday and Friday respectively at the same venue.

    No matter how the series plays out, it won’t wipe out the special night the Broncos had. The “Miracle at the i-Plex” can reach a more lofty status, if the Broncos can win the series and advance to the Canadian Hockey League’s championship tournament – the Memorial Cup. The 100^th edition of the Memorial Cup runs May 18 to 27 in Regina, Sask.

    As the WHL Championship series progresses, it is likely each game will have its own individual story.

    Both the Broncos and Silvertips present a feeling that they are both mentally tough.

    The Broncos didn’t appear rattled after losing Game 1 at home.

    The Silvertips didn’t emotionally hit the gutter after blowing their 3-0 lead to fall in Game 2.

Captain Matt Fonteyne (#17) and his Silvertips will regroup at home.

    During the Silvertips post-game press conference involving head coach Dennis Williams, captain Matt Fonteyne and defenceman Ondrej Vala, a question was thrown out to any member of the trio asking about not capitalizing on the missed chances when the team held a 3-1 lead in Game 2.

    Showing his leadership skills, Fonteyne answered the query and calm credited Skinner for his play and said the Silvertips can’t get too hung up on a good player making good plays.

    The Broncos had a special night in their Game 2 win, but it far from guarantees they will win the series. Broncos head coach and director of player personnel Manny Viveiros will have his players set for their next task going forward.
    The fact the series is tied 1-1 is likely where it should be.

    At the moment, the battle for the Ed Chynoweth Cup is a toss-up, and this could end up being another classic WHL Championship series.

Best of luck to the Cougars wrestlers and men’s v-ballers

News conference @ReginaCougars standing room only #volleyball #wrestling pic.twitter.com/h4Fxt2CTn1

— Brian Webb (@Exigenomicon) May 7, 2018

    The athletes of the University of Regina Cougars men’s and women’s wrestling teams and men’s volleyball team are making their stand.

    On April 30, the University of Regina cut the three varsity programs that compete U Sports without warning. On Monday at Level 10 Fitness in Regina, the athletes from these programs held a press conference and 200 members from the wrestling and volleyball communities were on hand for the gathering along with members of the Regina media.

    Paul Tokarz and Jordan Tholl of the men’s wrestling team, Amber Wiebe of the women’s wrestling team and Michael Corrigan of the men’s volleyball team all presented an outstanding case that financial numbers don’t add up to the point where these programs need to be cut. They made a clear point on how cutting these teams will seriously damage these sports at the grassroots and high school levels in Regina and southern Saskatchewan.

    Alums and current members from the Cougars men’s and women’s wrestling teams and the Cougars men’s volleyball team fill numerous spots coaching and officiating their sports at all levels.

    The athletes went into details that they can’t transfer into athletic programs at other institutions due to the fact most teams have wrapped up their recruiting cycles and have allocated their scholarship funds.

    They stressed that if their teams could be cut without warning the same fate could be in store for the 13 remaining teams in the U of R’s athletics program.

    The athletes want their programs to be reinstated.

    Tokarz, Tholl, Wiebe and Corrigan gave an admirable performance that likely topped any performance they have given in competition.

    I like the fact they presented their case in a facility where many of the athletes from the U of R programs train out of, and invited U of R president Vianne Timmons, dean of kinesiology Harold Riemer and director of sport and community engagement and athlete development Lisa Robertson to be part of the media conference.

    That would require that trio to leave their comfortable confines of the U of R campus and actually step into the community. They elected to not attend.

    It would be really cool if the leadership of these athletes would be the thing that triggered the U of R to reinstated these three programs. These amazing young adults are handling themselves in a way more outstanding way than the older adults.

    The athletes from the wrestling teams and the men’s volleyball team will be meeting with university officials this week. I wish the athletes the best of luck in their efforts, and as an alum from the University of Regina, I am very proud of them.

    I hope the community of Regina and the alums of their programs keep supporting them in their efforts.

    These athletes should have never been forced into a situation where they have to lead the charge to get their teams back.

    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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Miracle at the i-Plex – Estephan’s OT winner caps crazy Broncos comeback over Silvertips

Giorgio Estephan, centre, celebrates his overtime winner for the Broncos.

    SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. – It might not be enough to pound a stake through their heart or shoot them with a silver bullet to do in the Swift Current Broncos.

    On Saturday night in Game 2 of the WHL Championship series, the host Broncos fell behind 3-0 in the first period to the visiting Everett Silvertips.
    The Broncos scored once in the second to pull within 3-1 and dodged bullets at the end of that frame and early in the third to remain two goals back on the scoreboard.

    The Broncos scored twice in the third with star right-winger Tyler Steenbergen potting the equalizer to force a 3-3 tie with 1:37 to play in the frame and netminder Stuart Skinner pulled for an extra attacker.

Netminder Carter Hart got over anxious with the puck resulting in a loss.

    At the 9:27 mark of overtime, the Broncos charged into the Everett zone on a rush. Silvertips netminder Carter Hart stopped a shot from Broncos centre Matteo Gennaro, and during the frantic action, Hart quickly cleared the puck up ice only to put it on the stick of Broncos forward Giorgio Estephan.

    Before Hart could react to what he did, Estephan fired home his 12th goal of the post-season to give the Broncos an improbable 4-3 victory and send a sellout crowd of 2,890 spectators at the Innovation Credit Union i-Plex into a raucous frenzy.

    “I was just kind of lucky the puck rolled to me, and I got to put it home,” said Estephan. “It is definitely one that I would say we were pretty fortunate to be able to get that goal and this win.

Tyler Steenbergen (#17) celebrates his third period equalizer.

    “Skins (Skinner) kept us in the game, and that is all from him. I think we are just more of a team that is resilient. We definitely battled for that tough one tonight.

    “Everyone played a great part in that game.”

    Estephan’s goal helped the Broncos tie the best-of-seven series 1-1. Game 3 is set for 7 p.m. local time on Tuesday at the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Wash.

    The win by the Broncos marked the first time the Silvertips had lost on the road in the 2018 post-season having won their previous eight road games.

    The Silvertips built their 3-0 lead in the first period with singles coming from the sticks of Matt Fonteyne, Martin Fasko-Rudas and Riley Sutter. Fasko-Rudas’s goal was a tough one for the Broncos side to take, because the Skinner got a piece of the puck with his glove only for it to go into his net.

    Everett had a 17-10 edge in shots on goal after the opening 20 minutes.

Matteo Gennaro had the first goal in the Broncos comeback.

    With the Silvertips hosting Games 3, 4 and 5 of the series, Steenbergen said his side did not want to go to Everett dropping the first two games of the best of seven set.

    “Going into the second and third, we just thought that there was no way that we were going to let this one slip,” said Steenbergen. “I think our mindset in the room we were all positive.

    “We weren’t getting on each other. Moving forward from the first period, I think that we just had the mindset that we weren’t going to lose this game, and we couldn’t lose this game.

    “It was one of those must-win feelings for us. It felt like a Game 7.”

    Matteo Gennaro scored for the Broncos at the 8:17 mark of the second period to cut the Silvertips lead to 3-1.

Captain Matt Fonteyne had the Silvertips first goal of the night.

    Inside of the final minute of the second, Skinner stoned Fonteyne on a tough screen shot, and after the Broncos went on a power play, Skinner turned away Silvertips left-winger Connor Dewar on a short-handed breakaway.

    Early in the third after the Broncos power play expired, the Silvertips had two big chances to score on a rush. Everett centre Riley Sutter was stop on drive to the Broncos goal and the rebound of his shot went to Dewar as a net scramble ensued.
    The product of The Pas, Man., was denied on a paddle stop by a diving Skinner.

    “Skinner is playing very well,” said Fonteyne. “He was the WHL goalie of the month (in April) for a reason.

    “He is going to make big saves. I think we just need to keep throwing the puck on net and keep going. We can’t get too hung up on a good player making good plays.”

Colby Sissons scored for the Broncos in the third period.

    At the 6:22 mark of the third, Broncos offensive defenceman Colby Sissons fired home a shot from the point to cut the Silvertips edge to 3-2.

    That set the stage for the dramatics with Steenbergen’s equalizer and Estephan’s winner.

    Before Estephan could score his winner, Skinner turned away Silvertips Centre Riley Sutter on a powerful rush to the net and stoned right-winger Garrett Pilon on a slot drive.

    When the dust settled, Skinner turned away 40 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Broncos. Hart stopped 34 shots to take the setback in net for the Silvertips.

    “We put ourselves in an opportunity to obviously win it in regulation,” said Silvertips head coach Dennis Williams, who club finished third overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 47-20-2-3 record. “Credit to Swift Current for playing the way they have all season, and they kept coming at us.

Connor Dewar (#43) was snakebitten around the net for the Silvertips.

    “When we went into overtime, it was as simple as it will take one shot. We’re in a good spot I told them. Obviously, we are trying to continue to stay positive throughout it.

    “It was a bit of a stinger there for our group, but again, it is something that we can definitely look at and learn from and comeback with a better effort on Tuesday.”

    Broncos head coach and director of player personnel Manny Viveiros was pleased to see the resilience of his club.

    “I thought Everett played very well again tonight,” said Viveiros, whose club finished second overall in the WHL regular season with a 48-17-5-2 mark. “They could have easily won that game.

    “There was no question we were fortunate, but we were also very happy with the way we responded and came back and battled. That is something we have been doing all season long and all playoff long.

Broncos fans cheer their team’s OT winning goal.

    “You have to be able to believe, and I am very proud of the kids.”

    Estephan’s goal on Saturday was his second overtime winner scored at home in the playoffs, and the overager from Edmonton, Alta., admits it feels special to be part of his team’s long post-season run.

    “I’m just thrilled to be a part of it and be in the city,” said Estephan. “Their energy the last few games towards our team and towards us winning, it has been great.

    “I think it makes any player love to come to the rink every day and any player love to play in front of their fans. That is kind of more where it comes from for me for sure.”

    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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