Visitors to “The Crushed Can” battled Warriors and their fans

First trip to Moose Jaw following rival Pats was eye opening

The Moose Jaw Civic Centre in 2011.

The pre-game reaction of a boy around the age of five proved the people of Moose Jaw took their WHL rivalry with hated Regina Pats seriously.

On Saturday, November 4, 2000, I stepped into the Moose Jaw Civic Centre, which was also known as “The Crush Can,” for the first time. It was the famous - or infamous depending on your point of view - home rink of the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors.

I was there that night covering the visiting Pats for the short-lived and ill-fated SportsRegina.com website.

During pre-game, I was touring the facility checking out various vantage points of where I might shoot pictures of the game from. As I walked around the stands, a boy, who looked to be five-years-old, asked me to take his picture.

Knowing the boy was likely from Moose Jaw, I replied, “I’m not from the Moose Jaw Times-Herald.”

The boy then asked with an exclamation emphasis, “Are you from Regina?”

Donald Choukalos and the Pats in the Civic Centre in 2000.

I nodded my head to give a “yes” response.

The boy quickly took off in the other direction and ripped into a tunnel that led to the concourse area like he had see The Joker, Lex Luthor or any other fictional villain you can think of.

The line was pretty clear.

“The bad guys” were anyone coming to this contest from Regina.

Hence was life in the rivalry between the Pats and Warriors, which is arguably the most heated one in the history of the CHL.

Tensions were high leading into this contest, which was the second encounter of the 2000-01 regular season between the two sides. The Pats and Warriors closed with 1999-2000 regular season with a heated home-and-home series.

The first game in Moose Jaw saw some Pats fans punch Warriors mascot, Puckhead, and the series concluded in Regina with a game that featured a line brawl that started when Warriors agitator Sean O’Connor hooked Pats goalie Donald Choukalos around the neck.

Lisa Franks at the Civic Centre in 2000.

The Pats healthy scratched dog mascot, K9, and polar bear mascot, Pat, in the return match due to fears of retaliation.

As for the November 4, 2000 encounter, the two sides met the previous night in Regina in a game that seemed to go on for three hours in real time due to all the fights and a third period line brawl that resulted in a suspension for Pats enforcer David Kaczowka. Moose Jaw came away with a 3-2 victory.

Despite all the crazy things that went on, the staff at “The Crushed Can” lived up to Moose Jaw’s motto of being “The Friendly City.”

As soon as you entered the building, they were super helpful in setting you up with game notes, making sure you knew where the media and scouts room was and ensuring you had everything you needed. If you had any other questions, all you had to do was ask.

The media and scouts room was set up in a dressing room at ice level. Pats head coach Lorne Molleken, who once coached the Warriors, and Pats assistant coach Chad Mercier came in and visited with everyone. At that time, you wouldn’t even know a big rivalry game was about to take place.

The Pats and Warriors in a scrum at the Civic Centre in 2000.

Things stayed on the down low for that night’s ceremonial faceoff. The Warriors were honouring Moose Jaw hero Lisa Franks, who won four goal medals in wheelchair racing at the 2000 Summer Paralympics held in October of that year in Sydney, Australia.

Pats captain Barret Jackman and Warriors assistant captain Jason Weitzel took part in the ceremonial faceoff. 

Jackman, who had played for Canada’s world junior team the previous season, had a deep respect for anyone that represented Canada on the world stage.

After both Jackman and Weitzel shook hands with Franks, Jackman turned to shake Weitzel’s hand.

Weitzel at first jumped back and game a facial expression of, “We’re enemies. What are doing?”

Weitzel then proceeded to shake hands with Jackman.

Grant Jacobsen (#15) fires a shot on goal for the Pats.

I expected the stage wouldn’t stay cordial. Right before the opening faceoff took place, I encountered two young teenage ladies from Regina who attended all the Pats home games.

They weren’t wearing their Pats jerseys that night, and they said they did so in order to avoid any problems with the Moose Jaw faithful.

As the game began, I looked up into the stands and wondered, “How did they get all these people in here?”

Attendance for that night’s game was listed as a standing room crowd of 3,135 at the 2,806 seat facility. It felt like there were more people shoehorned into the building than that.

There were eight uniformed police officers in sight at all times likely standing on guard in case anyone went over the line in the crowd, which happened a few times historically in that rivalry.

Before, after and during the game, you could feel the enormity and force of the crowd. They were figuratively on that ice surface playing that contest alongside the Warriors.

The game itself didn’t have any of the incidents like the previous recent encounters between the two sides at that point in time. For a game that didn’t have a fight or any line brawls, it was incredibly intense and physical.

Barret Jackman was heckle target of the Warriors faithful.

When anyone threw a hit, they were throwing a hit to hurt. Any time the Warriors laid a big hit, the crowd reaction was louder and way more emphatic than the hit itself.

The fans brought the heckles too, and the chants of “jackass” rained down for Jackman, who was also a first round NHL Entry Draft selection of the St. Louis Blues.

Pats 16-year-old left-winger Robin Big Snake and Warriors 16-year-old defenceman Mitch Love had a little battle going at one point that saw Big Snake take an unsportsmanlike conduct minor and Love a roughing minor at the 15:33 mark of the second period. Love happens to be the current day head coach of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades.

With the teams locked in a 2-2 draw, veteran Warriors left-winger Shawn Limpright scored on the power-play with 6:46 remaining in the third period to give the hosts a 3-2 edge. The Warriors locked things down defensively from there to make sure that 3-2 score hold up as the final in their favour.

I happened to be by the hallway where the Pats came off the ice after the game. Veteran Pats defenceman Scotty Balan was one of the first players who came off the ice, and I remember him firing his helmet down the hallway and loudly repeating an explanative all way to the Regina dressing room.

A huge media horde quickly formed outside the Pats dressing room.

Pats D Filip Novak at the Civic Centre in 2000.

As I stood among the huge gathering of media folks, I thought I saw Warriors fans heading into a fan lounge right next to the Pats dressing room. I might not have seen that correctly, but that is what I thought I saw.

I didn’t have much time to figure out what I saw there, because Molleken quickly emerged from the Pats dressing room to meet the media.

I ended up firing off the first question in the scrum for some reason, even though I was likely the youngest guy there at that point.

With all the things that happened the night before, I asked, “So what was the difference in this one?”

Molleken must have though the query was a smart assed one and responded, “Moose Jaw scored more goals. Next question.”

I followed by starting to ask if the result revolved around work ethic.

Molleken knew what I was getting at, and before I could finish the query, he said the work ethic was fine and went off to giving a good answer, which he always typically did.

He said that night’s game was a good hockey game, gave a break down on what both teams did and said the contest came down to Warriors netminder Sean Connors having a really good night.

A scramble of action around Warriors goalie Sean Connors.

Molleken proceeded to answer questions you may have already had in your head, which was something he regularly did.

After interviewing Pats players Brett Lysak and Matt Hubbauer, it was off to the Warriors side to talk up head coach Len Nielsen and Limpright.

It might sound strange now, but I needed to have the story finished by late Sunday afternoon, so I departed for the 45-minute highway trip back to Regina after the game.

As I left “The Crushed Can,” the fans that remained were in a friendly and jovial mood.

During the drive home, I kept thinking that was the craziest sports facility I had ever been to at that point in time of my life. I would return to “The Crush Can” for many more WHL contests over the years, and the atmosphere was still crazy, even when the Pats weren’t the opponent.

It did get cranked up a notch, when the Pats were in town.

From that point onward, I often told people that if they really wanted to experience the WHL they had to attend a game at “The Crushed Can” in Moose Jaw.

The Moose Jaw Civic Centre in 2011.

Anyone that didn’t get to see the Warriors play in that building before it was closed in September of 2011 missed out. After being replaced by state of the art Mosaic Place, “The Crushed Can” was demolished from August to November of 2012.

Still any time I drive by the strip mall buildings that exist where “The Crushed Can” was, I can still picture it and all the loyal Warriors fans inside going bonkers.

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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Pats/Warriors rivalry evolves

Punch ups of the past replaced by speed and skill

Altercations like these are no longer frequent at Pats vs. Warriors games.

    REGINA – Welcome to the new era feud between the Regina Pats and Moose Jaw Warriors, and if you are an ardent fan from the past, you might not recognize it.

    Separated by about a 71-kilometre stretch on the Trans-Canada Highway, the Pats and Warriors have engaged in arguably the greatest rivalry in the Canadian Hockey League dating back to 1984, when the Warriors moved from Winnipeg to the friendly small Saskatchewan city of Moose Jaw.

    For a majority of the history of this rivalry, the clashes between the Pats and Warriors were punctuated by three-hour games that includes multiple fights and line brawls. Fans on both sides got into various over-the-line antics in the stands to create wild atmospheres any time these two clubs met.

    Over the past 10 years, the image of the rivalry has changed much like hockey has changed thanks to a sharp decrease in fighting. On Saturday in Regina, these two arch-rivals met in a sold out Brandt Centre skating in as two of the elite teams in major junior hockey. The contest was played at a fast pace that featured momentum changes, skill, great goaltending and a total of six minor penalties.

Jake Leschyshyn (#19) and Noah Gregor (#22) battle for a draw.

    The Warriors skated away with a 4-1 victory that included an empty net goal thanks to a spectacular 39 save performance by star netminder Zach Sawchenko. Pats goalie Tyler Brown was stellar too turning away 34 of 37 shots he faced.

    The closest thing to an altercation came just over four minutes into the third period, when Pats star captain Adam Brooks had a lengthy wrestling match with Warriors defenceman Josh Brook. Each received a minor penalty for roughing.

    At the end of the game, there was a minor scrum in the left corner of the Moose Jaw zone. In the old days with a three-goal difference on the scoreboard, a line brawl would have definitely broken out.

Warriors goalie Zach Sawchenko stops Pats captain Adam Brooks (#77).

    When the scrum neared Sawchenko, he kind of glided away from it in a whatever type fashion. In a different time, another goalie in that same instance might have taken liberty to throw a few shots.

    The officials calmly separated the scrum and no penalties were called.  

    The gathering of 6,484 spectators, which did include a healthy contingent from Moose Jaw, seemed pretty engaged with the action. There no punch ups or incidents in the stands, and it seemed like the spectators preferred to engage more in firing off some good-natured jabs at each other.

    No mascots had to be healthy scratched like in the final game of the 1999-2000 campaign in Regina. In that clash, the Pats gave dog mascot, K9, and polar bear mascot, Pat, the night off due to fears of retaliation because some Pats fans punched Warriors mascot, Puckhead, in the head the night before in Moose Jaw.

Warriors fans cheer their team on in the Brandt Centre.

    On Saturday, the fans were still cheering hard for their teams, and that was one fact that didn’t change. When the Warriors carried play during the first 10 minutes of the first period and through the second stanza, their fans tried to make the Brandt Centre sound like the rowdy old Moose Jaw Civic Centre, which was best known as “The Crushed Can.” The Civic Centre has been demolished and replaced by the comfortable and modern confines of Mosaic Place in recent times.

    When the Pats carried play during the final 10 minutes of the first period and through the third frame, their fans got into the contest to back their side. One had to also chuckle from the fact the Pats fans made the loudest “boos” of the night, when it was announced in the third period a patron from Moose Jaw won the night’s 50/50 draw.

Pats centre Jake Leschyshyn (#19) wins a battle along the boards.

    During the post-game interviews with each side, it felt like a professionalism was there. Pats head coach and general manager John Paddock, Pats defenceman Connor Hobbs and Warriors head coach Tim Hunter went through the ins and outs of various aspects of the game. There was a focus from each side about what improvements had to be made going forward.

    While the thoughts of the rivalry were there, the Warriors, who improved to 25-9-6-1, weren’t that much over excited about the win, and the Pats, who fell to 27-4-6-1, weren’t noticeably more disappointed than normal about the loss.

Tyler Brown holds the fort in the Pats goal.

    Back in what seems like a forgotten era now, each side would be accusing the other of doing something underhanded during the game. Also, the victor would celebrate like the Memorial Cup was won, and at times, some members of the losing side would fire their helmets down the hallway in disgust followed by an assortment of curse words.

    Sawchenko, who has played his whole career in Moose Jaw, did give a nod to the rivalry.

    “Obviously, it is the best rivalry in the CHL,” said the 19-year-old puck stopper. “Being a part of it for four years now I truly believe that.

    “It is something pretty special. It is obviously not too hard to get up for a game against Regina. It is something pretty cool to hear our fan buses quiet the whole building tonight.”

Warriors captain Brett Howden looks to get past Pats centre Sam Steel.

    In the past, each side cheered against a villain from the other side. Warriors fans despised former Pats captain Barret Jackman, and Pats fans wished former Warriors captain Sean O’Connor would just disappear.

    And who could forget in the late 1980s when the song “Pop Goes the Weasel” played in Regina when Theo Fleury took the ice for the Warriors.

    The modern version of the rivalry is still intense. The hatred definitely isn’t there like it once was.

    Now, you get two top quality teams going at it putting on a great display of the game, and you have two fan bases that are just the right amount into the game. You add it all up, and it is still an enjoyable night out at the rink.

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

Rutherford Rink has long past its expiry date

The Huskies women's hockey team plays at the Rutherford Rink.

    Oh Rutherford Rink, how I love thee, but you really have to go.

    You were great for a while, and maybe longer than you should have been. With that said, you have become that former boyfriend or girlfriend, who doesn’t realize the relationship is over and keeps trying to hold on to what once was.

    I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but you are a dump. You are 85-years-old, and in the last like 30 years, you haven’t aged well at all.

    As far as rinks go, you make the late Moose Jaw Civic Centre, which was also known as “The Crushed Can,” look like the MTS Centre in Winnipeg.

    Rutherford Rink, a lot of your charms have fallen away over the years. You invented the rust break.

    The University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s and women’s hockey teams just love it when a puck flies into your roof causing rust to fall from the corroded support beams on to the ice surface. The training staffs for both squads then get to show their athletic abilities by leaping the boards with scrappers and shovels to remove the problem.

    They have become so adept at this unlisted function of their job that Huskies hockey games still wrap up on average in a swift two hours and 15 minutes in real time.

    I do realize the rust might be a little helpful. It does reflect off the ice surface creating a pink haze on game tapes, which has to hamper the preparation efforts of opposing clubs.

    You also spring up with some unwanted surprises. Last September, water shot out of a goalpost hole where the net sits on your south side. I know last summer contained a lot of hot days, but Huskies didn’t want to go running through water fountains like little children, when the upcoming hockey season was about a month away.

    Also Rutherford Rink, you are unbelievably cold. Spectators have long become accustomed to venturing outside to warm up during intermission breaks when it is minus 30 C in the middle of January.

A rust break clean up at the Rutherford Rink.

    Because of this fact, the concession stand could make a killing in hot chocolate sales, if it wasn’t contained in a cubbyhole lobby area.

    You have been great in helping the Huskies with team bonding over the years. When you are stuck in a small closet style dressing room, it is impossible not to find out what is happening in the lives of all your teammates. At times, it feels like you have more personal space riding the bus on road trips.

    With all your drawbacks Rutherford Rink, you have provided a tonne of amazing memories. You were the place where captain Willie Desjardins and the Hustlin’ Huskies skated to fame under head coach Dave King. They won the school’s only national hockey title back in 1983.

    Since then, the Huskies men’s team has captured a number of other Canada West titles, with the last coming in 2012 in your confines. Brett Ward scored in triple overtime to give the Huskies a 2-1 victory in the championship clinching game against the U of Calgary Dinos.

    You also played host to that marathon Canada West women’s championship series between the Huskies and the U of Regina Cougars in 2014. The best-of-three series went the distance with every contest going to overtime spanning 17 periods and 296 minutes of ice time.

    Canadian Interuniversity Sport rookie of the year Kaitlin Willoughby netted the series winner for the home side in double overtime for a 2-1 victory in Game 3. No one who was present will ever forget that night, and the Huskies players and coaches can reflect on the post-game celebration like it just happened.

    In January, you played host to that heartwarming fundraising night for former Huskies forward Cody Smuk, who is battling cancer. The upbeat feelings that came when Smuk dropped the ceremonial faceoff for that clash with the U of Alberta Golden Bears were better than words can describe.

Spectators pack the stands at the Rutherford Rink.

    Those were great memories Rutherford Rink, and the atmosphere inside your walls is incredible, when the spectators are shoehorned into the stands. We will cherish those times forever.

    The fact is you are not in the condition to keep making future memories.

    With the Huskies gone for summer, you are currently giving lodging to Gainer the Gopher and his cousin Leonard in a basement we didn’t know you had. They seemed to move in at the end of April, which gave more than a month’s worth of space before the Saskatchewan Roughriders arrived for training camp.

    The tunnels they created at the base of the south end can’t be good for your health Rutherford Rink.

    You need to be replaced as soon as possible. Your time is long past Rutherford Rink.

    It is time for the Huskies hockey teams to move into a new home. We all need to say goodbye to you forever.

    If you have any comments about this tongue and cheek post regarding the Rutherford Rink you would like to pass along, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.