Return of the Broncos

Swift Current makes charge at first in Central Division

The Broncos have been enjoying goal celebrations and wins.

The Swift Current Broncos appear set to jump over a few humps in a big way.

Way back in the 2017-18 campaign, the Broncos went all in on a quest to win the WHL championship. They finished second overall in the WHL regular season standings with a 48-17-5-2 mark. In an epic post-season run, the Broncos captured their third league title in team history and appeared in the Memorial Cup tournament that determines a CHL champion held in Regina in May of that year.

Since that campaign, the Broncos haven’t been able to return to the WHL Playoffs until clinching a post-season berth in the current campaign.

They suffered heartbreaks in each of the past two seasons when it came to capturing a WHL post-season berth. Last season, the Broncos needed to win their last regular season game in regulation against the Tigers in Medicine Hat to make the playoffs.

In that contest played on March 25, 2023, the Broncos jumped out to a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes. The Tigers responded by scoring four straight goals and ultimately held on for a 4-3 victory.

Medicine Hat finished eighth in the Eastern Conference capturing the conference’s final playoff berth with a 30-29-8-1 record. Swift Current finished three standings points back of the Tigers with a 31-33-1-3 mark.

In the 2021-22 campaign, the Broncos needed to claim victory in their last regular season game played against the visiting Prince Albert Raiders to lock away a post-season berth. The Raiders came away with a 4-1 victory in that contest played on April 15, 2022 to end Swift Current’s campaign.

The Raiders took eighth place and the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference with 28-35-4-1 mark. The Broncos finished two standings points behind the Raiders with a 26-35-5-2 record.

Conor Geekie has been a big addition to the Broncos.

For most of the current campaign, the Broncos were holding a playoff spot in the standings. The team’s management decided to strengthen their roster with a couple of trades in early January in an attempt to ensure a playoff berth wasn’t a question.

On January 4, the Broncos acquired 19-year-old star centre Conor Geekie in a trade with the Wenatchee Wild. In return, the Wild received 18-year-old defenceman Sam Ward, defenceman Josh Fluker, who turned 18-years-old on January 3, rookie 17-year-old left-winger Maddix McCagherty, first and second round selections in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft, a first round selection in the 2026 Prospects Draft and a seventh round selection in the 2027 Prospects Draft.

On January 10 before the passing of the WHL’s trade deadline, the Broncos acquired overage defenceman Tyson Galloway from the Calgary Hitmen in exchange for a second and a third round selection in the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft.

To make room for Galloway, the Broncos dealt overage right-winger Tyson Laventure to the Victoria Royals for a fifth round selection in the 2026 Prospects Draft.

At first, it didn’t appear the moves were going to do much to improve the Broncos fortunes. On January 28, they dropped a 3-2 decision in overtime to the Blades in Saskatoon. Following that result, the Broncos record sat at 22-18-3-2, and they sat third in the Central Division 11 standings points behind the first place Tigers.

Since that overtime setback, the Broncos have gone 13-2-1 in their last 16 outings to improve to 35-20-4-2 to officially clinch a berth in the WHL Playoffs. They sit one point behind the Tigers (35-22-5-2) for first in the Central and have three games in hand on the Medicine Hat side.

Owen Pickering has 38 points for the Broncos this season.

On Saturday, the Broncos drew their first sellout crowd of 2,890 spectators of the season to their home rink in the InnovationPlex for a 6-3 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. The game was a rough one with Broncos 20-year-old defenceman Ryan McCleary being given a double minor for checking from behind in the second period for a hit he threw on Wheat Kings captain Brett Hyland.

The contest ended with a line brawl that saw Dawson Gerwing and Petr Pavelec of the Broncos and Charlie Elick and Carter Klippenstein all being assessed fighting majors. The fight between Gerwing and Klippenstein was tabbed as being a second fight starting after the one between Pavelec and Elick.

Also during that contest, one of the spectators in the crowd threw a big plastic trash can inside the Wheat Kings bench.

As of Monday night, there hasn’t been any news if any disciplinary action will be handed out by the WHL office.

Aside from the extra-circulars, the Broncos have a solid squad. Geekie leads the team in scoring recording 86 points coming off 37 goals and 49 assists to go with a plus-46 rating in the plus-minus department in 48 games played between the Broncos and Wild.

Sophomore left-winger Clarke Caswell is having a breakout season recording 21 goals, 46 assists and a plus-10 rating appearing in all the Broncos 61 games so far this season. Star left-winger Josh Filmon is having another solid campaign posting 26 goals, 35 assists and a plus-12 rating in 58 games for the Broncos.

Offensive-defenceman Owen Pickering tops the Broncos in blue-line scoring with 38 points coming off six goals and 32 assists to go with a plus-15 rating.

Reid Dyck has rounded out as a solid starter in net posting a 22-6-2 record, a 2.66 goals against average, a .911 save percentage and two shutouts.

Josh Filmon has 26 goals and 35 assists for the Broncos this season.

If the Broncos are able to finish first in the Central Division, they will be a tough out in the post-season. The InnovationPlex is traditionally raucous in the post-season giving the Broncos one of the best home ice advantages in the WHL.

The Broncos will try to keep their roll going over their final seven regular season games. They travel to Prince Albert to face the Raiders (30-27-2-3) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre.

Following that contest, the Broncos face the Tigers in a huge home-and-home series. The two sides meet at the InnovationPlex on Friday at 7 p.m. and on Saturday at Co-op Place in Medicine Hat at 7 p.m. local time.

When the WHL post-season comes around at the end of the month, it might feel like the spring of 2018 for the Broncos.

Blades on cusp of Eastern Conference clinch, other notes

Brandon Lisowsky had a penalty shot OT winner on Saturday.

It is almost academic that the Saskatoon Blades will lock up first place in the WHL’s Eastern Conference, but a little more work is required when it comes to finishing first overall in the WHL.

The Blades lead the WHL standings with a 45-12-2-3 mark. They need to collect just one standings point in their final six regular season contests to lock up first in the Eastern Conference. Their first chance to obtain that one standings point comes on Tuesday when they host the Brandon Wheat Kings (30-27-6-1) at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.

Finishing first overall in the WHL is another matter. The Blades need to obtain nine standings points over their last six games to lock up top spot overall in the circuit.

Saskatoon sits five points ahead of the Western Conference leading Prince George Cougars (43-15-1-3), who sit second overall in the WHL. The Portland Winterhawks (43-15-2-1), who are second in the Western Conference and third overall in the WHL, sit six points behind the Blades. The Winterhawks have a game in hand on both the Blades and Cougars.

Of course, the amount of points the Blades need to collect in the standings to finish first overall in the WHL could change depending on results involving games with the Cougars and Winterhawks.

The Blades have won their last three games in a row. In their last outing this past Saturday, the Blades downed the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings 2-1 in overtime at the SaskTel Centre. Blades star left-winger Brandon Lisowsky pulled of a rarity scoring the winner on a penalty shot just 42 seconds into the extra session.

That contest saw the Blades retire the #39 of the team’s all-time great in Frank Banham. Banham played four seasons for the Blades from 1992 to 1996 appearing in 278 career regular season games collecting 190 goals and 180 assists for 370 points. He is the Blades all-time leader in career goals and points.

The last time the Blades finished first overall in the WHL was when they posted a 56-13-1-2 mark in the 2010-11 campaign, which is the club’s all-time best record for one regular season.

• On Monday, the WHL handed out its weekly awards for the week ending on Sunday. Kelowna Rockets right-winger Andrew Cristall was the player of the week, Kolby Hay of the Edmonton Oil Kings was the goaltender of the week, and right-winger Terik Parascak was the rookie of the week.
• Spokane Chiefs centre Berkly Catton is having an outstanding sophomore season. The Saskatoon product, who turned 18-years-old in January, sits fourth in WHL scoring with 105 points coming off 49 goals and 56 assists to go with a plus-11 rating. Catton is a top prospect to be selected in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft to be held June 28 and 29 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
• Medicine Hat Tigers 16-year-old rookie left-winger Gavin McKenna is going to need a big game or two in his team’s final four regular season outings to hit the 100-point plateau. McKenna has 90 points coming off 31 goals and 59 assists. McKenna is trying to become the fifth 16-year-old in the history of the WHL to record 100-or-more points.
• Saskatoon Blades 20-year-old captain Trevor Wong lead the WHL with 79 assists. He also had 13 goals to go with a plus-20 rating.
• You have to love the battle of the Edmonton Oil Kings. They have been eliminated from playoff contention and are playing out the string with a 23-36-3-1 mark. Still, they are playing every contest like it is Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final.
• It is great to see Dave Dawson serving as the play-by-play voice of the Edmonton Oil Kings. He officially became the Oil Kings play-by-play voice on February 1 after former Oil Kings play-by-play voice Andrew Peard took a new role with OEG Sports and Entertainment with the Edmonton Oilers communications department.  Dawson is one of the good guys in broadcasting who has more than paid his dues. It would be cool if this turned into something big for him.
• On Saturday, I had new content appear on the Howe Happenings blog that supports the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. I put together a feature on young right-handed softball pitcher Emma Frisky, who was named to Softball Canada’s Under-18 Women’s National Team. That piece can be found by clicking right here. I also put together a photo roundup that showed the winter season in its stretch run with the spring season peaking around the corner. That post can be found by clicking right here.

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

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Blades close in on locking up second in conference

Wong powers Saskatoon past Swift Current

Trevor Wong had three points for the Blades on Wednesday.

Trevor Wong put the Saskatoon Blades on brink of locking up a second place finish in the WHL’s Eastern Conference.

On Wednesday night, the 19-year-old centre collected a goal and two assists to power the Blades to a 3-2 victory over the host Swift Current Broncos to disappoint most of the 1,618 spectators in attendance at the InnovationPlex. Wong leads the Blades in scoring with 81 points coming off 24 goals and 57 assists to go with a plus-20 rating in the plus-minus department appearing in all the team’s 64 games.

With the win, the Blades improved to 45-14-4-1 to sit second in the Eastern Conference and fourth in the WHL’s overall standings. The Blades need to earn just two standings points over their last four games to lock up a second overall finish in the Eastern Conference.

In the Eastern Conference standings race, Saskatoon sits seven points up on the Red Deer Rebels (41-17-3-3), who have locked up first in the Central Division.

In the first round of the WHL Playoffs, the two division winners are given the first and second seeds. From the second round onwards, the teams are reseeded by standings points, which means the Blades would have home ice advantage for any potential post-season encounters with Red Deer by finishing second in the Eastern Conference.

The WHL leading Winnipeg Ice (53-9-1) are assured of a first overall finish in the Eastern Conference.

In Wednesday’s clash with the Broncos, Josh Davies, who is an 18-year-old centre, gave Swift Current a 1-0 lead at the 6:43 mark of the first.

With 7:09 remaining in the opening frame, Wong netted his 24^th goal of the season to even the score at 1-1. Overage left-winger Josh Pillar picked up an assist on Wong’s tally.

Aidan De La Gorgendiere had the Blades second goal on Wednesday.

At the 2:49 mark of the second, Wong picked up his first assist of the contest. He won a faceoff in the left faceoff circle in the offensive zone to star left-winger Brandon Lisowsky.

Lisowsky passed the puck to Blades captain and overage offensive-defenceman Aidan De La Gorgendiere. De La Gorgendiere put home an off-speed point shot to give the Blades a 2-1 edge.

With 6.5 seconds remaining in the second, the Blades increased their advantage to 3-1 on Wong’s second assist of the contest. Wong had the puck at the right side point, and fed a smart pass to defenceman and NHL Entry Draft prospect Tanner Molendyk, who was skating to the front of the Swift Current net.

Molendyk got the puck in alone on the Swift Current goal and put his ninth tally of the season past Broncos netminder Joey Rocha. Lisowsky picked up his second assist of the contest on Molendyk’s tally.

At the 1:59 mark of the third, Broncos star 18-year-old right-winger Josh Filmon netted his 44^th goal of the season to cut the Blades lead to 3-2, but Swift Current wasn’t able to find the equalizer.

Austin Elliott made 29 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Blades. Rocha turned away 23 shots to take the setback in net for the Broncos.

Thanks to collecting his two assists on Wednesday, Wong now has 100 career regular season assists to go with 54 career goals collected in 193 career WHL regular season games played with both the Blades and the Kelowna Rockets.

With the loss, the Broncos dropped to sit in a tie for the ninth and 10^th spots in the Eastern Conference standings with the Brandon Wheat Kings (26-30-8) at 60 standing points. Both clubs sit two points back of the Calgary Hitmen (27-27-5-3) for eighth place and the final post-season berth in the conference.

The Hitmen dumped the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes 7-1 at home on Wednesday, while the Wheat Kings dropped a 6-3 decision to Connor Bedard and the Pats in Regina.

Tanner Molendyk scored for the Blades on Wednesday.

The Wheat Kings have four games remaining on their regular season schedule, the Broncos have five regular season contests left, and the Hitmen still have six regular season games they are slated to play.

The Prince Albert Raiders (26-34-3) sit 11^th in the Eastern Conference and are seven points back of the Hitmen. The Raiders have five regular season contests left to play.

The Broncos return to action on Saturday, when they travel to Red Deer to take on the Rebels (7 p.m. local time, Peavey Mart Centrium).

The Blades are off until Saturday when they host the Wheat Kings (7 p.m., SaskTel Centre).

WHL finalizes suspensions in Warriors conduct saga

Connor Ungar in action for the Warriors on January 18.

It appears the WHL has navigated through an off-ice saga involving an incident with the Moose Jaw Warriors, where there has been no word on what happened in the incident.

Back on February 11, the WHL announced that four Warriors players in Connor Ungar, Max Wanner, Lynden Lakovic and Marek Howell were suspended indefinitely pending an investigation into possible violations of team rules and WHL Standard of Conduct policies.

Ungar is the Warriors star netminder who turned 21-years-old on January 13. In 38 appearance with the Warriors this season, Ungar has posted a 26-7-3 record, a 2.58 goals against average, a .925 save percentage and one shutout.

Wanner is a defenceman who turned 20-years-old on Sunday and has a signed NHL entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers. Lakovic is a rookie 16-year-old centre, and Howell is a rookie 16-year-old defenceman.

Last Friday, the WHL announced that Ungar, Wanner, Lakovic and Howell have been suspended for the remainder of the regular season due to an off-ice incident during a team road trip to Edmonton in February. The players’ conduct was determined to be a violation of team and league rules including the WHL Standard of Conduct policies as outlined in the WHL Personal Conduct Policy.

All four were dressed when the Warriors beat the Oil Kings in Edmonton 4-1 on February 3. All four played when the Warriors beat the Hitmen in Calgary 2-1 on February 5, and that was the last time all four dressed for a game for the Warriors.

Those players will miss the Warriors last 17 regular season games.

In order to be reinstated by the WHL following the completion of their suspensions, the four players will be required to complete further personal conduct and respect training.

The WHL also announced Warriors general manager Jason Ripplinger and head coach Mark O’Leary have been suspended for five regular season games. Ripplinger and O’Leary were subject to discipline on the basis of failing to provide the proper oversight and supervision required to ensure a safe and positive environment for player in particular while traveling.

The Moose Jaw Warriors Hockey Club was fined $25,000.

The WHL said in its released last Friday that once notified of the incident, the WHL Security Network reported the matter to the authorities in Moose Jaw and Edmonton. The Edmonton Police Service confirmed the incident was not criminal in nature.

Following a preliminary review of the incident by the WHL Security Network, the WHL proceeded to commission an independent third party to investigate the matter. That investigation led to the suspensions.

The WHL Security Network consists of liaison officers assigned to each WHL club. The WHL Security Network is responsible for assisting WHL clubs with enforcing the WHL Standard of Conduct policies and ensuring clubs continue to deliver a safe and positive environment at all times.

The WHL statement added the standard of conduct for persons associated with the WHL is considerably higher than simply complying with criminal law. Everyone associated with the WHL or its member clubs is expected to conduct himself or herself lawfully, ethically, and responsibly in a matter that promotes the values upon which the WHL was founded and based.

The WHL never said what the four Warriors players did, and what those players did never game out in any media reports.

The Warriors released a statement last Friday saying they accept the sanctions imposed by the WHL over the incident. Both the WHL and Warriors they wouldn’t provide further details on the matter out of respect of the privacy of all parties involved.

While it is easy to go on Twitter to find criticism about the WHL not saying what the off-ice incident was about involving the four Warriors players, I take this situation is an “it is what it is” type situation.

I believe the WHL set out to show it followed due diligence, and it appeared the league did in this case. It is still a circuit that deals with teenagers in high school and players overall in the young adult age group.

Knowing how hyper the world gets these days on social media, saying what actually happened in the incident would likely be more adverse than keeping quiet since no criminal charges were going to be laid.

Personally, I’m good with how this all came out. I know there will be people who won’t be, and for me, that is fine too.

Bedard racism talk on social media total garbage, other notes

Connor Bedard in action for the Pats on February 17.

Last week, Regina Pats 17-year-old phenom centre Connor Bedard had to deal with a situation he likely never saw coming due to one of his superstitions.

For any media types the regularly cover the Pats and anyone who has dealt with Bedard, it is well known he has a superstition that he doesn’t want anyone touching his hockey stick before a game. For as long as hockey has been played, players have had various superstitions and Bedard has one regarding stick touching.

Early last week, a short video clip surfaced of the Pats walking out to the ice before a home game between two lines of children. The children were cheering the Pats players, and a lot of the players were giving the kids fist bumps.

Bedard safely lifted his stick before walking through the two lines to uphold his superstition.

A number of children in the lines were Indigenousness, and that sparked accusations of racism as the video was spread on various anonymous social media accounts particularly on Twitter.

Likely, the person who first shot the video didn’t know of Bedard’s superstition, and that was likely where the problem started.

In the social media world, Twitter has become in my view the most toxic of all social media lines, and the “t” in Twitter basically stands for “toxic.”

To me, this whole situation was so stupid I didn’t want to write about it. It was bantered briefly on some of the Regina-based sports talk shows.

Veteran all-star sportswriter and columnist Darrell Davis wrote the top piece when it came to Bedard having to deal with these unfounded accusations in the Regina Leader-Post. Davis’s piece can be found by clicking right here.

• In anticipation of the SaskTel Centre selling out for the Saskatoon Blades game Sunday at 4 p.m. against the visiting Connor Bedard and the Regina Pats, the Blades put together a “need to know” piece including different options to get to the game. That piece can be found by clicking right here.
• Saskatoon Blades play-by-play voice Les Lazaruk reported on Twitter on Wednesday night the Blades have surpassed 14,000 tickets sold for Sunday’s game at 4 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre against the visiting Connor Bedard and the Regina Pats. He wrote 13,600 tickets have been sold for the contest between the Blades and Bedard and the Pats set for the SaskTel Centre on Friday, March 24 at 7 p.m. Tickets for Sunday’s game can be found by clicking right here and for the March 24 contest by clicking right here.
• The NLL’s Saskatchewan Rush hold the record for the top two single event attendance records for a sporting event in the history of the SaskTel Centre. The Rush drew a SaskTel Centre record 15,192 spectators on May 21, 2016 for their 12-9 victory over the Calgary Roughnecks in Game 2 of a best-of-three West Division semifinal series that they swept 2-0. On June 4, 2016, the Rush drew the second highest attendance for a sporting event at the SaskTel Centre when 15,182 spectators saw them down the Buffalo Bandits 11-10 in Game 2 of the best-of-three NLL Championships Series on Jeff Cornwall’s winner with 12 seconds left to play. The Rush swept the series 2-0 to capture the NLL title.
• At the moment, Prince George Cougars 17-year-old centre and Saskatoon area product Riley Heidt share the WHL lead in assists this season with Connor Bedard. Both players have 66 assists on the campaign.
• On March 9, I had new content appear on the Howe Happening blog that supports the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. I put together a piece on Luca Veeman and Serena Dallaire leading a Saskatoon Lions Speed Skating Club medal haul at the Canada Winter Games. That piece can be found by clicking right here. I also created a photo roundup that shows the fun of the winter season in its stretch run. That piece can be found by clicking right here.

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

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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.