Showing posts with label Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Show all posts

Sunday, 11 August 2019

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


    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 14th 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

    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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Saturday, 3 August 2019

Raiders’ summer highlighted by Ed Chynoweth Cup tour

The Raiders raise the Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL champions on May 13.
    The Ed Chynoweth Cup has seen a lot of places in the summer of 2019.
    On May 13, the Ed Chynoweth Cup, which is presented annually to the championship team of the Western Hockey League, was captured by the Prince Albert Raiders.
    In what will go down as one of the iconic games in the history of the WHL, the Raiders downed the Vancouver Giants 3-2 in overtime in a series deciding Game 7 of the WHL final.
    Overage centre Dante Hannoun tapped home a backdoor feed from overage linemate Noah Gregor with 1:35 remaining in the extra session to deliver the Raiders the title before a sellout crowd of 3,289 spectators at the 2,580 seat Art Hauser Centre. The Hauser became a madhouse as the Raiders fans revelled in the team’s second league championship.
    The win gave the Raiders a berth to the Memorial Cup tournament in Halifax, N.S., but Prince Albert went 0-3 trying to battle for the Canadian Hockey League crowd.
Raiders fans have enjoyed the Ed Chynoweth Cup.
    The disappointment at the Memorial Cup didn’t last long.
    As soon as the Raiders returned to “Hockey Town North” on May 22, they set out to celebrate how special their 2018-19 campaign was. The Raiders topped the WHL regular season standings with a 54-10-2-2 before embarking on their remarkable championship run in the WHL playoffs.
    They wanted to extend the celebration to as many people as possible who helped support the squad along the way.
    For almost three weeks after arriving back from the Memorial Cup, the Raiders seemed to pop up everywhere in Prince Albert and area with the Ed Chynoweth Cup.
    Pictures of the trophy began to appear on social media at stores, inside the big wheel of a tractor, various residences and the Clunie-Cooper Memorial Professional Bull Riders tour stop.
    It seemed like the majority of the Raiders players hung around Prince Albert in the three weeks following the team’s return from the Memorial Cup.
    The players were often the ones accompanying the Ed Chynoweth Cup to various stops. When the players departed for their hometowns, the Ed Chynoweth Cup hit the road.
    The Raiders decided to bring the WHL championship trophy to the homes of as many of the team’s players as possible. Like what happens in the NHL where players from the Stanley Cup winning team get a day with the trophy, the Raiders worked diligently to give each of their players a day with the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

    Kim Jackson, who is the Raiders manager of team services, has mostly been the one driving the Ed Chynoweth Cup to various stops across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
    Jackson, who is the great utility man in the Raiders organization helping with the team on the ice and staff in the business office, has been accompanied by a rotating crew of volunteers and Raiders staffers on most of these trips.
    The Ed Chynoweth Cup has visited Cross Lake, Man., Camrose, Alta., Estevan, Sask., and all points in between.
    This week, the Raiders general manager Curtis Hunt and Mike Dumelie, who is one of the team’s Saskatchewan scouts, brought the Ed Chynoweth Cup to the family farm of the late Adam Herold near Montmartre, Sask.

    Herold was one of the 16 players who passed away in the tragic Humboldt Broncos bus crash on April 6, 2018. The defenceman was wrapping up his 16-year-old season playing for the junior A squad that was in the semifinal round of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League playoffs.
    The Raiders selected Herold in the second round and 35th overall in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft. He skated in four regular season games with the Raiders, and during his time with the club, he made a lot of strong friendships.
    He was slated to be a full-time player with the Raiders as a 17-year-old for this past season had he not passed away. The Raiders made sure Herold was remembered as the club journeyed through a successful and extraordinary 2018-19 campaign.

    The WHL Championship trophy is named after the late Ed Chynoweth, who had a huge hand in building the WHL and major junior hockey to what it is today. Chynoweth, who passed away from cancer in 2008, would have loved to see the Raiders celebrate their WHL championship win in the manner they have done.
    The previous winning teams of the Ed Chynoweth Cup have gotten the trophy out to various events in their respective centres, but it is safe to say the Raiders have outdone all of those previous winners this summer.

    The Raiders have celebrated winning the WHL title in the right way, and they have created a great summer for so many that will never be forgotten.
    The summer of 2019 will go down as “The Summer of the Raiders.”

Guhle, Wiesblatt off to Hlinka Gretzky Cup

Kaiden Guhle is an assistant captain for Canada’s summer under-18 team.
    Two of the Prince Albert Raiders biggest young stars will aim to shine on the international stage wearing the colours of Team Canada.
    Last Tuesday, defenceman Kaiden Guhle and right-winger Ozzy Wiesblatt were among the 22 players named to Canada’s national men’s summer under-18 team for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. The Hlinka Gretzky Cup starts this coming Monday and runs through Saturday, Aug. 10, in Breclav in the Czech Republic and Piestany in Slovakia.
    Guhle was also named one of the assistant captains for the Canadian squad.
    Canada has won gold at the last two straight Hlinka Gretzky Cups and captured the tournament title 22 times in the previous 28 editions of the event.
    Guhle and Wiesblatt were part of a trio of outstanding 16-year-old rookies the Raiders had last season along with right-winger Jacob Brook. They helped the Raiders finish first overall in WHL regular season standings with a 54-10-2-2 record and win the Ed Chynoweth Cup as league champions.
    Brook took part in the selection camp for Canada’s under-18 summer team along with Saskatoon Blades left-winger Kyle Crnkovic, but both didn’t make the cut for the final roster.
    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.
Ozzy Wiesblatt will play for Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
    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.
    Guhle and Wiesblatt participated in the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge held last November in Quispamsis and Saint John, N.B.
    Guhle was captain of Canada Red and posted three assists in six overall games. Wiesblatt was an assistant captain for Canada Black and collected one goal and two assists in five overall games.
    On Saturday, Canada’s under-18 summer team faced Slovakia in an exhibition game at the Easton Arena in Piestany and posted a 4-1 victory.
    Guhle scored Canada’s third marker of the contest to conclude a three-goal surge in the first period. Jeremie Poirier, Jean-Luc Foudy and Seth Jarvis had singles for Canada.
    Oliver Fatul replied with a single for Slovakia.
    Tristan Lennox started the game in goal for Canada and turned away all five shots sent his way. Dylan Garand entered the contest at the 10:31 mark of the second period and turned away eight-of-nine shots fired his way.
    Simon Latkoczy stopped 22 shots going the distance in goal for Slovakia.
    Canada begins play at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup this coming Monday against Finland.

    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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Friday, 7 June 2019

Nolan being Nolan - That should be enough to get Blades goalie drafted to NHL

Nolan Maier makes a stop in goal for the Blades.
    Nolan Maier burst on to the WHL scene with shock and awe.
    As a 16-year-old rookie in the 2017-18 campaign, the Yorkton, Sask., product joined the Saskatoon Blades and racked up a string of impressive performances including a run of winning 10 straight games.
    He became a WHL starting netminder as a 16-year-old rookie, which is not very common in the current era of major junior hockey.
    Maier finished out his rookie campaign posting a 23-17-2 record, a 3.31 goals against average, a .895 save percentage and two shutouts.
    There were times that season you could argue he was one of the top five netminders in the WHL.
    Last August, Maier joined Blades teammate and star centre Kirby Dach on Canada’s under-18 team that won gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup held jointly in Edmonton and Red Deer.
Nolan Maier has put together two stellar seasons with the Blades.
    Going into last season, it seemed like Maier was going to be a sure bet to be a prospect that was picked in the NHL Entry Draft coming up on June 21 and 22 in Vancouver, B.C.
    Still, it seems like the attention given to Maier from professional scouts is lukewarm at best.
    Maier cracked NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings for North America goaltenders at the 22nd spot.
    That was after he had a stellar sophomore WHL campaign where he posted a 36-10-6 record, a 2.64 goals against average, a .910 save percentage and four shutouts.
    Thanks to Maier’s efforts, the Blades finished fourth overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 45-17-8 record and made the post-season for the first time since 2013.
    Maier kept up his impressive play in the playoffs helping the Blades advance to the second round.
Nolan Maier tracks the play coming up ice for the Blades.
    In Saskatoon’s 10 post-season contests, Maier posted a 6-4 record, a 2.86 goals against average, a .903 save percentage and one shutout.
    The Blades fell in a six game series in the second round to the eventual WHL champion Prince Albert Raiders.
    Maier proceeded to join Canada’s team for the world under-18 hockey championship tournament that was held in April in Ornskoldsvik and Umea, Sweden.
    Currently, Maier is taking part in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence Goaltending Camp in Calgary, Alta. The camp started Wednesday and wraps up on Saturday.
    Maier’s biggest challenge when it comes to cracking into the NHL might be the fact he stands 6-feet and weighs 173 pounds. It seems like those that make the decisions regarding player personnel in the NHL are weighted towards finding puck stoppers who stand preferably 6-foot-3 or taller.
Nolan Maier moves the puck to the side of the Blades goal.
    Those goalies can still play the butterfly style and have their shoulders cover the top of the net when they go down.
    Maier can’t control how tall he is. The one thing he can control is stopping the puck, and he is very good at that.
    Last season, Maier shutout the powerful Raiders twice. On Dec. 9, 2018, Maier made 32 stops to back the Blades to a 1-0 victory over the Raiders at the SaskTel Centre.
    On April 9, Maier turned away 26 shots in a 1-0 playoff victory over the Raiders at the SaskTel Centre.
    Maier follows in a line of great goaltenders the Blades have had in their history including Dave Parro, Tim Cheveldae, Norm Maracle, Anton Khudobin and Braden Holtby.
    Maier is a great athlete who can make the impossible save or hold up against the barrage of pucks, when his team is pinned in the defensive zone.
    On top of his hockey skills, Maier is a stellar person. Anyone that knows him from his time growing up in Yorkton will tell you how great of kid he has been.
Blades G Nolan Maier, left, celebrates a win with Dawson Davidson.
    He is the perfect person you want representing your team in the community. Due to the fact the Blades strive to make as many community appearances as possible, it has been big to have Maier on the team from that aspect.
    With all that said, it feels like Maier might play out his final three years of eligibility in the major junior ranks without being an NHL Entry Draft selection. He wouldn’t be the first star netminder to get less than a realistic shot from the NHL ranks and move on to play U Sports and get a degree.
    For NHL club that does select Maier in the NHL Entry Draft, that team is likely in for a pleasant surprise. That club will likely discover the selection of Maier is a wise one from all sorts of levels like the Blades have already discovered.

Dyck takes over as under-18 summer coach

Michael Dyck surveys a situation from the Giants bench.
    Vancouver Giants head coach Michael Dyck is in store for a busy summer.
    On Friday, Dyck was named the head coach of Canada’s summer under-18 that will play in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, which is slated to run Aug. 5 to 10 in Breclav, Czech Republic and Piestany, Slovakia.
    He replaces Dan Lambert as head coach. Lambert, who was the head coach of the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs, accepted an assistant coach position with the NHL’s Nashville Predators on Tuesday.
    Due to working for a professional club, Lambert wasn’t available to fulfill his commitments with Hockey Canada.
    Last season, Dyck guided the Giants to the second best regular season record in the WHL at 48-15-3-2. The Giants advanced to the WHL final and fell in a series deciding Game 7 to the Prince Albert Raiders 3-2 in overtime.
    Dyck was named the coach of the year for the WHL’s Western Conference.
    With Dyck taking over Hockey Canada’s summer under-18 team, he vacates his position as head coach for Team Canada White for the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, which runs Nov. 2 to 9 in Medicine Hat, Alta., and Swift Current, Sask.
    Hockey Canada is searching for someone to fill that head coaching vacancy. Saskatoon Blades associate coach Ryan Marsh is an assistant coach for Team Canada White.

Dinos’ Roberts in for Hockey Canada women’s goalie camp

Kelsey Roberts earned a big Hockey Canada goalie camp invitation.
    University of Calgary Dinos women’s hockey team netminder Kelsey Roberts showed you can be discovered even if your team struggles.
    Roberts earned an invite to Hockey Canada’s National Women’s Development Camp, which started Thursday and runs through to Sunday.
    The Kitimat, B.C., product posted a 2.06 goals against average and a .935 save percentage in 23 regular season games last season for the Dinos. The Dinos finished last in the Canada West Conference with a 5-20-3 record, and Roberts was 5-15-3 in her appearances.
    With the Dinos being outshot in most of their games, Roberts stood out with the large amount of work sent her way.
    It was great to see she was one of 11 goaltenders targeted for potential spots on Canada’s national women’s team and the national women’s development team.
    The U Sports ranks sent a total of four netminders to that camp. Joining Roberts were Kristen Chamberlin from the University of Albert Pandas, Tricia Deguire of the McGill University Martlets and Kendra Woodland of the University of New Brunswick Reds.
    The National Women’s Development Camp included nine goaltenders that were targeted for potential sport on Canada’s under-18 women’s team.
    I admit I can’t argue against the selections. Still it would have been cool to see invites given to Jessica Vance of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies and Lauren Taraschuk of the University of Manitoba Bisons for the camp targeting players for Canada’s national women’s team and the national women’s development team.
    Vance has been outstanding in her two full seasons with the Huskies posting a 26-10-3 record, a 1.05 goals against average, a .954 save percentage and 15 shutouts in 40 career regular season games. She was the Canada West player-of-the-year in the 2017-18 campaign and was Canada’s starting netminder in a silver medal winning performance at the FISU Winter Universiade that wrapped up in March in Krasnayarsk, Russia.
    Vance has a surreal calm to her game you wish you could see in all goaltenders.
    Taraschuk has been outstanding in her two full seasons with the Bisons posting a 27-6-3 record, a 1.28 goals against average, a .941 save percentage and six shutouts in 36 career regular season games. She was the rookie of the year in the Canada West Conference in 2017-18 and backstopped the Bisons to a U Sports national title.
    Standing 6-feet tall, Taraschuk has an edge in size that most netminders in the female game don’t have. She moves very fluidly in goal and displays very little wasted motion in stopping the puck.
    A Hockey Canada invite would have been a way to keep Taraschuk in the game. In April, she gave an interview to the Winnipeg Free Press stating she was quitting the Bisons due to personality issues on the team and a coaching staff change that will occur before the start of next season.
    Taraschuk said she wasn’t finished with hockey, but she has to sit out a year before joining another U Sports club or a team in the NCAA ranks. Actually, a team looking to contend for a national title in the NCAA ranks would be wise to pick up Taraschuk.
    The majority of Canada’s high end players at the university age skate in the NCAA ranks, and it would help Taraschuk to play against those players to continue to improve her game. She is more than ready for that step.
    One hold back would be educational goals. Taraschuk was enrolled in the criminology program at the U of Manitoba. If she pursues that course of study at a United States university, there are no certainties how her education would transfer back up in Canada.
    While, the addition of Vance and Taraschuk at the Hockey Canada women’s goalie camp would have been great, there are only four spots up for grabs between the national team and national development team. It is extremely hard to obtain one of those positions.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.
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    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.

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Tuesday, 9 April 2019

Dach, Maier have Blades back in business against Raiders

Kirby Dach had one of his best games Tuesday as a member of the Blades.
    It is “series on” thanks to Kirby Dach and Nolan Maier.
    The Saskatoon Blades draft eligible stars were their team’s two best players on Tuesday night, and they got their club back into their best-of-seven WHL Eastern Conference semifinal series with their archrivals the Prince Albert Raiders. The Raiders topped the WHL’s regular season standings with a 54-10-2-2 record and were rated second in the final CHL Top 10 rankings.
    Playing before a crowd of 7,641 spectators at the SaskTel Centre, Dach scored the game’s lone goal and Maier made 26 saves in goal to deliver the Blades to a 1-0 victory in Game 3 of the series.
    With the win, the Blades cut the Raiders lead in the best-of-seven set to 2-1. Game 4 is set for Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.
Nolan Maier made 26 saves to pick up the shutout Tuesday for the Blades.
    Last August, Dach and Maier were members of Canada’s under-18 men’s team that capture gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, which was held in Edmonton and Red Deer.
    Blades head coach Mitch Love was part of that Canadian team as an assistant coach.
    Winning gold gave Dach and Maier great experience on a big stage and set them both up to have great campaigns in 2018-19. They played key parts in helping the Blades finish fourth overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 45-15-8 record and earn an honourable mention status in the final CHL Top 10 rankings.
    In Tuesday’s win over the Raiders, Dach set the tone early for the night.
    At the 4:21 mark of the first period, Blades defenceman Nolan Kneen fired a point shot on the Raiders net and the puck rebounded to sit loose by the left side of the Prince Albert goal.
The Blades celebrate Kirby Dach’s goal on Tuesday.
    Dach fought his way past Raiders captain Brayden Pachal and backhanded home the loose puck to put the Blades up 1-0, which would turn out to be the final result of the contest.
    Dach, who is projected to be a first round selection in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft, was the best skater at both ends of the ice playing a strong two-way game.
    Of course, the Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., product drew obvious attention for his brilliant play at the offensive end of the ice that could have resulted in even more goals for Saskatoon.
    In the second period, Dach fed a beauty pass across the face of the Prince Albert goal that feisty linemate Riley McKay just missed trying to tap into the net.
    Later Dach cut through the Raiders top defensive pair in Pachal and Zack Hayes only to have a backhander turned away by Raiders star netminder Ian Scott.
The SaskTel Centre faithful cheer Kirby Dach’s goal.
    To add to how impressive that rush was, Pachal topped all players in plus-minus during the WHL regular season with a plus-76 rating, while Hayes was second with a plus-71 rating.
    Near the end of the second period, Dach had another huge chance to score on a short-handed rush. He cut wide on Raiders import defenseman Sergei Sapego and rang a forehand shot off the post of the Prince Albert goal.
    In the third, Dach was in perfect position for another scoring chance. He gathered the rebound of a shot taken by McKay in front of the Prince Albert net, but the point-blank chance was denied by Scott.
Kirby Dach was solid at both ends of the ice for the Blades.
    “I love playing in these big games in the big moments,” said Dach in a media scrum after the game. “Any player that can find that extra gear and keep pushing forward is going to be a difference maker in the series, and that is what I want to be.”
    After recording 25 goals, 48 assists and a plus-15 rating in 62 regular season games for the Blades, Dach is finding another gear in the post-season. He has five goals and two assists in the Blades seven playoff games to date including a highlight reel tally in the Blades 3-2 setback in Game 2 to the Raiders in Prince Albert on Sunday.
    While Dach loves playing in front of the home faithful, he enjoys being the villain on the road in Prince Albert and hopes he continues to be the target of taunts in the Raiders home rink, the Art Hauser Centre.
Ian Scott makes one of his 26 saves in goal for the Raiders.
    “I love that stuff,” said Dach. “If I am not getting booed, I am not doing something right, so I enjoy all of that.”
    Maier earned his first career shutout in the WHL post-season on Tuesday and blanked the Blades for a second time in the 2018-19 campaign including action in the regular season and playoffs.
    Last Dec. 9, Maier had a sensational 32-save performance in a 1-0 victory over the Raiders at the SaskTel Centre.
    On Tuesday, Maier made a key pad save on Raiders star overage centre Dante Hannoun in the opening 20 minutes.
    Later in the first, Maier turned away Sapago on a chance after the rearguard received a sweet drop setup pass from Raiders star right-winger Brett Leason.
A frenemies moment between a Blades fan and a Raiders fan.
    In the second period, Maier robbed Raiders star overage centre Noah Gregor on a wraparound with a pad save.
    In the third, Maier made eight key stops to keep the Raiders off the scoreboard and deliver victory to the Blades.
    “I think it is really big,” said Maier. “I think for our crowd and our team it gets everyone pumped up.
    “It is a big momentum change. Maybe we can turn that to our advantage and kind of go shove it in their face. It will be huge.”
    Maier had an outstanding regular season for the Blades appearing in 53 games posting a 36-10-6 record, a 2.64 goals against average, a .910 save percentage and four shutouts.
Kirby Dach controls the puck at the point for the Blades on the power play.
    The Yorkton, Sask., product has upped his game in the post-season posting a 5-2 record, a 2.32 goals against average, a .915 save percentage and one shutout.
    He overshadowed a great game from Scott, who stopped 26 shots to take the setback in the Raiders net.
    The Raiders came to the SaskTel Centre with a sizable contingent of supporters, but they were drowned out by the Blades faithful, who saw their club win their first game in the second round of the playoffs since 2010.
    Maier said the support of the home faithful was something his team noticed.
    “The fan support we’ve been getting in this city is huge, and I think it has helped us all the way,” said Maier. “We can’t thank them enough for everything they have done.”
The Blades celebrate their win on Tuesday.
    Thanks to everything Dach and Maier did on Tuesday, they have put the Blades back in their series with the Raiders and guaranteed Prince Albert isn’t going to be an automatic winner.

    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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Friday, 17 August 2018

Hilltops approach “drive for five” in similar way to past seasons

Jason Price, right, zips downfield on a touchdown catch for the Hilltops.
    Saskatoon Hilltops plan to soak in each moment, because they expect the 2018 season will pass quickly.
    The Toppers are embarking on a quest to win an unprecedented fifth straight Canadian Junior Football League title. Last November, they became the first team to win four straight CJFL titles, when they romped over the host AKO Fratmen in Windsor, Ont., 56-11 in the Canadian Bowl.
    The Hilltops open this year’s regular season on Saturday, when they travel to Regina to face the Thunder at 7 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium. Saskatoon tops the CJFL’s power rankings, while Regina is rated eighth.
    While the CJFL campaign is still in its infancy, Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant expects time will pass at a rapid pace.
    “When we had our kickoff meeting, I talked to the fifth years,” said Sargeant. “In a blink of an eye, they are in their fifth year, and this is it.
    “We’re very proud that people stay loyal and committed to this program. The biggest reason we win is because of our fifth-year players. We coach and honour that.
The Hilltops celebrate a touchdown last season at Mosaic Stadium.
    “We expecting big things, expecting them to make a lot of plays and have a lot of fun with it. That is what Hilltop football stands for. It is about family, about fun and about playing together and going for the ultimate goal we set is winning the championship for our fifth-year players.”
    With those words, the Hilltops will approach their “drive for five” in similar fashion to past seasons. For as long as anyone can remember, Sargeant has talked about playing to honour the fifth-year players by helping them depart their playing days as champions.
    Naturally, fifth-year star quarterback Jordan Walls is focused on embracing every moment in his final campaign with the team. He admits to becoming more aware about how quickly time goes by.
    “I’ve tried not to think about it too much about the last year,” said Walls, who topped the CJFL’s pre-season top 50 players to watch list. “It is in the back of your mind.
    “It is taking it one day at a time. It is hanging out with your buddies, having fun in the locker room and getting to business on the practice field.”
QB Jordan Walls fires a pass downfield for the Hilltops.
    Walls is confident the Hilltops will play under control and not get over anxious trying to figuratively win a fifth-straight Canadian Bowl on every play.
    “We’re just approaching it like business as usual,” said Walls. “We’ve got a veteran squad here.
    “We have lots of guys returning from last year. We’re excited to finally get on the field for Saturday for sure.
    “They are not handing out the Canadian Bowl after every game. We’ve got a long season ahead. We just have to approach it every week, take our practices seriously and then get into the games, respect our opponents and get at it.”
    Sargeant said the Hilltops did a great job of staying in the moment last season in posting an 11-1 overall record in winning a fourth straight national title, and the 20th CJFL championship in team history. The sideline boss said that experience will help, but the Hilltops of the current year will ultimately write their own story.
    “It is always good to learn from the past, but every year each team creates their own identity and what they stand for,” said Sargeant, whose team has won seven out of the last eight Canadian Bowl games. “This team is already different than last year’s team.
Hilltops HC Tom Sargeant is already to go.
    “I think we are going to do things a little differently. We have to coach and build towards their strengths. They have to build their own individual and team confidence so when they come out and play, this uniform certainly stands for unbelievable tradition and high expectations.
    “They have to match that and honour that knowing they have the biggest bullseye in Canada. We embrace that. We are excited about that. We can’t wait to get this show on the road.”
    The two sides met in the Prairie Football Conference final last October, which the Hilltops claimed 36-24 after scoring a late fourth quarter touchdown to seal victory.
    “It is always a challenge playing Regina,” said Walls. “They come in and they are tough and they are physical.
    “They fly around, and they make a lot of plays. They never quit. That is something we found out a lot last year, especially the two games at SMF Field.
    “They were down, and at times, they looked like they were out. They clawed back and fought back every drive and made the game come right down to the wire.”
    When the Hilltops travel to Regina, they are usually followed by a large convoy of fans from Saskatoon. The Toppers supporters have done a great job of making the crowds mixed ones during their stops in Regina.
    Actually, the Hilltops fans in recent years have done a great job in creating a presence at most of the club’s road games. Sargeant said that type of support is appreciated and is special for the team.
The Hilltops fans like to flood the stands on team road trips.
    “It seems like every game is a home game,” said Sargeant. “We have great support and a great following. That is what makes us so proud.
    “Everyone is for one another. There is not a lot of big egos around here. Everyone is just working hard and knowing that we have a big job ahead of us.
    “We love the pressure. We love the challenges. We love what is in front of us, and I love this team. If we do the right things, good things happen for the Saskatoon Hilltops.”

Blades trio gets boost with Hlinka Gretzky Cup win, other notes

Kirby Dach stood out playing for Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
    Victory at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup should give a Saskatoon Blades trio some great positive vibes heading into the 2018-19 season.
    Centre Kirby Dach, netminder Nolan Maier and first year Blades head coach Mitch Love all helped Canada take the event’s gold medal game 6-2 over Sweden last Saturday at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alta. Love was an assistant coach on the Canadian side working under head coach Andre Tourigny, who is the head coach of the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s.
    The Hlinka Gretzky Cup is a best-versus-best tournament featuring the top national teams in the world in the under-18 age group.
    Dach, who will enter is 17-year-old sophomore season with the Blades, captured the attention of media and hockey personnel at that event with his play. The Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., product, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 181 pounds, recorded two goals and five assists in the five games Canada played, which were all wins.
    Sweden actually jumped ahead 2-0 early in the gold medal game, and Dach netted the equalizer for Canada with 5:25 remaining in the first period to even things up at 2-2. That was part of Canada’s six-goal surge to finish that contest.
    Maier, who stands 6-feet and weighs 168 pounds, started four games for Canada posting a 3.12 goals against average, a .872 save percentage and one shutout. The Yorkton, Sask., product, who will enter his 17-year-old sophomore season with the Blades, made 34 saves in Canada’s 6-5 overtime victory in a semifinal game Aug. 10 against the United States.
Nolan Maier played four game for Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
    There was a bit of a controversy in the semifinal clash with the United States, because Canada scored inside of the final second of the third period to tie things up at 5-5 and force overtime. 
    Video review showed the puck went into the net after time expired on the equalizer, but the goal counted as all teams agreed before the tournament that video review couldn’t be used. The original call on the ice was the shot was a goal.
    Maier had a rough start in the gold medal game turning away one of three shots sent his way before being pulled for Taylor Gauthier, who plays for the WHL’s Prince George Cougars, at the 11:33 mark of the first period. Gauthier turned away all 16 shots he faced in relief in Canada’s win.
    Despite being pulled in the final game, the tournament was still an overall good experience for Maier playing in a high-level event.
    Love kept adding to what is starting to become a lengthy resume with his accomplishments contributing to Canada’s gold medal win from behind the bench. The 34-year-old product of Quesnel, B.C., has worked his way up the coaching ladder to get to the point to become the head coach of the Blades.
    He joined the Blades after spending seven seasons on the staff of the Everett Silvertips. Love came on board with the Silvertips in 2011 as an assistant coach and strength and conditioning coach. He was an assistant coach and an assistant to the general manager this past season.
    As one of the Silvertips bench bosses, Love helped Everett finish third overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 47-20-2-3 mark this past season. In the playoffs, the Silvertips advanced all the way the WHL Championship series, where they fell 4-2 in the best-of-seven set to the Swift Current Broncos.
Blades HC Mitch Love was an AC for Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
    During his years with the Silvertips, Love was also an assistant coach for a couple of Canadian teams at the Under-17 World Hockey Challenge in 2015 and 2016. The under-17 tournament saw Love earn a gold medal working with Team Canada White.
    Overall, Dach, Maier and Love became the first members of the Blades to be part of Canada’s entry at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup since defenceman Duncan Siemens helped Canada win goal in 2010, when the event was still known as the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.
    As another bonus, Dach, Maier and Love got a head start in getting to work together for the first time before training camp rolls around. The Blades players are expected to start cycling back to Saskatoon after the weekend for training camp activities that will likely start mid to late next week.  
    The Blades missed the WHL playoffs last season despite posting a solid 35-33-3-1 record playing out of a tough East Division.
  • Blades forward Gage Ramsay announced his retirement from junior hockey on Friday. Ramsay, who will turn 20-years-old in October, appeared in 63 regular season games with the Blades last season collecting six goals and 14 assists. In 166 career regular season games split between the Vancouver Giants and the Blades between 2014 and 2018, Ramsay posted 18 goals and 19 assists. He has elected to pursue post-secondary studies and will attend Saskatchewan Polytechnic in September.
  • Saskatoon Stars defender Abby DeCorby has committed to join the Ryerson University Rams women’s hockey team for the 2019-20 season. DeCorby, who stands 6-feet, hasn’t missed a regular season game in her two full campaigns with the Stars recording seven goals and 21 assists in 56 regular season games in the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League. The defensive defender had three goals and 12 assists in 28 regular season games last season. She is entering her final season with the Stars, and will turn 17-years-old in early November. DeCorby played in the SFMAAAHL as an underage player in the 2015-16 campaign registering two goals and four assists playing all 28 regular season games with the Prince Albert Northern Bears.
  • Medicine Hat, Alta., has to be in full party mode, as the Medicine Hat Mavericks captured their third Western Major Baseball League title in team history on Thursday night. The Mavericks took the best-of-five set claiming a series deciding Game 5 by an 8-2 final over the Regina Red Sox at Athletic Park in Medicine Hat. Mavericks infielder Carson Johnson was named the WMBL playoff MVP. In 13 playoff games, Johnson had 18 hits and five walks in 54 at bats.
  • The Delisle Chiefs of the junior B Prairie Junior Hockey League announced Eric Ditto and David Richard will be returning to the club’s coaching staff for the upcoming campaign. Ditto, 27, enters his fourth season as the team’s head coach joining the club partway through the 2014-15 campaign. Richard, 29, enters his second season as an assistant coach. Back in the 2004-05 campaign, Richard helped the Saskatoon Contacts midget AAA team win a Telus Cup national title playing forward. He moved on to play four seasons in the WHL with the Seattle Thunderbirds recording 42 goals and 60 assists in 256 regular season games. Former Saskatoon Blades and Prince Albert Raiders forward Dustin Cameron makes his debut with the Chiefs as an assistant coach. From 2004 to 2010, Cameron, 29, appeared in 284 regular season games with both the Blades and Raiders piling up 86 goals and 84 assists. He was the Raiders captain in his final two campaigns in the WHL running from 2008 to 2010.
  • After spending four seasons as an assistant coach with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s and men’s hockey teams, Scott Dutertre is leaving Saskatoon to become an assistant coach with the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos. The Broncos made that announcement on Monday. Dutertre is well-known in the Saskatoon area coaching players individually in skill development camps. The Broncos also hired Brandin Cote as an assistant coach. Both Dutertre and Cote will be working under the guidance of new Broncos head coach and director of hockey operations Dean Brockman.
  • Defenceman Connor Cox has signed on with the professional hockey ranks. Cox will join the Dundee Stars in Scotland for the upcoming season. Cox, 26, just finished a five-year playing career with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team in the U Sports ranks appearing in 120 regular season games from 2013 to 2018 collecting nine goals and 40 assists. He graduated with his business degree and a major in finance. Before joining the Huskies, Cox played five seasons in the WHL from 2008 to 2013 with the Moose Jaw Warriors, Blades and Silvertips appearing in 278 regular season games collecting 12 goals and 93 assists.

Help return gear to Huskies’ alum Cooke

    Former U of Saskatchewan Huskies goalie Jordon Cooke experience an unwelcome downer embarking on his first season of professional hockey.
    Cooke departed to France to play for Gap Rapaces, but Air Canada lost all his goalie gear and his suit during the voyage from Canada to France. Cooke shared on Twitter on Thursday that Air Canada informed him his gear can’t be located.
    The 25-year-old was a member of the Huskies for the past four seasons, and he posted a 16-7 record, a 2.29 goals against average, a .920 save percentage and three shutouts last season.
    This is a shot in the dark, but here is Cooke’s initial tweet about his missing gear in case anyone finds these items.

Tiger-Cats’ Crawford gets engaged

    The feel good social media post of the week goes to Hamilton Tiger-Cats long snapper Aaron Crawford.
    One of the CFL’s top good guy, Crawford brought his girlfriend from the Hamilton, Ont., area to his hometown of Medicine Hat, Alta., with the Tiger-Cats enjoying a bye week.
    He proposed to her at the Methanex Bowl, which is the stadium in that Hat that hosts high school and minor football, and she said, “Yes.”
    The couple brought Crawford’s Tiger-Cats jersey and his Crescent Heights High School Vikings football jacket for the occasion.
    I should note Crawford and I were teammates for the 2006 season for the now defunct Medicine Hat Marauders senior tackle football team of the Alberta Football League, so I am happy to see this development.
    Those in Saskatchewan might remember that Crawford played for the CJFL’s Thunder as a linebacker in 2006 and 2007. The Tiger-Cats return to action on Aug. 23, when they host the Edmonton Eskimos.
    Crawford posted engagement photos on Instagram on Friday.

    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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