Hilltops season flew by into a fourth straight CJFL title

The Hilltops celebrate a Colin Stumborg touchdown.

    Two realizations hit when the Saskatoon Hilltops won their fourth straight Canadian Junior Football League title.

    First was the realization of euphoria with the team winning the Canadian Bowl with a 56-11 triumph over the host AKO Fratmen in Windsor, Ont.

    The second unexpected realization hits when you start asking yourself, “Wow, is the season really over?”

    It seemed like yesterday it was July 31 and the Hilltops were opening their main training camp at Ron Atchison Field. Since that opening day of training camp, the season just sped by.

    All of a sudden, it was Nov. 11, and the Hilltops were in Windsor, Ont., winning the Canadian Bowl for the seventh time in eight years. The Toppers also claimed their 20^th CJFL title in team history. Even now, that game was held a week ago from today.

Tom Schnitzler hoists the Canadian Bowl.

   In a double edge situation with a positive twist, the fact the season flew by meant it was fun. There were downs that went along with the ups, but everyone looked forward to practice and game day no matter what was happening.

    Credit on this front has to go to the team’s leadership group. That group starts with the coaching staff led by head coach and offensive coordinator Tom Sargeant and defensive coordinator Jeff Yausie.

    The leadership group proceeds to expand to the team’s captains like quarterback Jordan Walls, running back Logan Fischer, receiver Sam Mike, offensive tackle Kirk Simonsen, middle linebacker Cameron Schnitzler, defensive lineman Tom Schnitzler, outside linebacker Cody Peters and safety James Vause.

Hilltops running back Logan Fischer tears downfield against the Thunder.

    That group helped all those involved with the team to stay in the moment. With the Hilltops trying to become the first team in the history of the CJFL to win four straight league championships, it could have been easy to emotionally hook everything up to that end result.
    The Hilltops never got into a position where the players started to think every touchdown would win the Canadian Bowl that day or conversely every missed tackle would cost you a national championship that day.

    If the team got hooked on to that line of thinking, the season could have ground down a team even as storied as the Hilltops.

    Instead, the team focused on the moment no matter where they were at in the campaign.

    In the annual alumni game in August, the players were trying to prove they were ready for bigger roles, but moments were reserved to renew links with alums that played a part of establishing the club’s venerable history.

Hilltops HC Tom Sargeant, right, is rocking and rolling on the sidelines.

    On Aug, 12, the Hilltops played their first game ever at Regina’s new state of the art Mosaic Stadium. The players and coaches will always remember stepping on to that field for the first time and hearing the noise from all the supporters that came down from Saskatoon echo in the facility.

    The Toppers won 37-20 that day over the host Regina Thunder. While the coaches and players knew there was still a lot to work on, everyone made sure to take time to thank the family and friends that lined the west side stands after the game to create some special moments.

    A 29-26 loss to the Thunder on Sept. 9 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field provided a grounded moment for the Hilltops. That setback would prove to be the only loss for the Saskatoon side, but it provided many lessons to the Hilltops regarding the challenges in facing a quality opponent.

Hilltops DL Riley Pickett gets one of his nine regular season sacks.

    Everything from one or two off play calls on the coaches’ side to being out executed on the players’ side for one or two plays can result in the scoreboard not coming out in your favour.

    Another big memory was the last regular season game on Oct. 7, where the Hilltops traveled to Edmonton to face the Huskies, who were undefeated at 7-0 at that time. That contest would decide first place in the Prairie Football Conference and there was curiosity on the Hilltops side to see what the Huskies were about.

    The Hilltops were pumped up to play that game and came away with a 38-28 victory in an encounter that was a battle.

    Two exciting playoff contests at SMF Field followed as the Hilltops slipped past the Winnipeg Rifles 28-21 in a PFC semifinal and downed the provincial rival Thunder 36-24 in the PFC Final. Defensive tackle Garth Knittig flew through the air for the game clinching touchdown with 96 seconds to play for Saskatoon. It is safe to say no one will forget that sight.

    On Oct. 29, the Hilltops played their final home game of the 2017 campaign at SMF Field and hammered the Nanaimo, B.C., based Vancouver Island Raiders 48-0 in a CJFL national semifinal.

DT Garth Knittig (#59) flies through the air for a Hilltops TD.

    That set the stage for Saskatoon’s historic win in the Canadian Bowl, where the Hilltops rounded out their 11-1 overall record for the campaign.

    During the journey, a lot of special memories were made for everyone that was involved with the team. You took time to savour each moment as the season progressed, but it still seemed that moment passed along before you knew it.

    The team has spent the past week enjoying the spoils from the Canadian Bowl win, which included being honoured before Wednesday’s Saskatoon Blades WHL game.

    Tonight, the “Hilltops Family” in the club and their supporters will gather one last time in 2017 for the club’s end of the year banquet at Radisson Hotel to enjoy the season that was. After tonight, life circumstances like family, school and work will begin to pull the 2017 edition of the Hilltops in all sorts of directions making harder and harder for future reunions to occur.

    The Hilltops enjoyed a lot of great moments in 2017. It is just too bad time in real life wasn’t able to go a just little slower just to enjoy them that much longer.

Slobodzian, Parker to play for Canada at under-18 worlds

Willow Slobodzian will play for Canada at the under-18 women’s worlds.

    It seems like Willow Slobodzian and Mackenna Parker are destined to do everything together.

    The two 17-year-old Clavet, Sask., products found out on Thursday they will play for Canada at the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Under-18 Women’s World Championship, which runs this coming January 6-13 in Dmitrov, Russia.

    Slobodzian, who is a smooth skating standout defender, and Parker, who is a smart and skilled centre, have spent most of the last decade playing together at various levels of minor hockey. Together, they helped the Saskatoon Stars win Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League championship in 2015 and 2016.

    This season, Slobodzian, who stands 5-foot-7, is playing her rookie season with the Cornell University Big Red Women’s Hockey team appearing seven overall games entering play Saturday. On Friday, she picked up her first career NCAA goal scoring on the power play in the Big Red’s 5-1 road victory over the Brown University Bears.

    Last season with the Stars, she was the team’s captain and posted six goals and 21 assists appearing in all of the team’s 28 regular season games.

Mackenna Parker will play for Canada’s under-18 women’s team.

    Parker, who stands 5-foot-5, is using up her final season of midget AAA eligibility with the Stars as their captain. She leads the SFMAAAHL in scoring with 19 goals and 14 assists in nine games.
    Now in her fourth season with the Stars, Parker is currently tied as the third all-time leading scorer in the history of the SFMAAAHL piling up 68 goals and 63 assists in 90 career regular season games for 131 points entering play Saturday.
    Brienna Gillanders, who played for the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats and Notre Dame Hounds from 2006 to 2010, is tied with Parker with 131 career SFMAAAHL regular season points.

    Parker is the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Stars.

    Slobodzian and Parker will be joined on the Canadian team by a third Saskatchewan product in defender and Gull Lake resident Taylor Kirwan. Kirwan is the captain of the SFMAAAHL’s Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats this season, and she has six goals and eight assists in 11 regular season games.

    The Saskatchewan trio should help the Canadian side in a big way at the under-18 women’s worlds.

    For Slobodzian and Parker, it is great to see them continue their hockey journey together “side by side and stride for stride” as stated in a 2016 Hockey Canada article about the talented duo.

New committee gets sports gear to rural kids

Steve Hogle chairs the Saskatoon Equipment Drive Committee.

    The new Saskatoon Equipment Drive Committee created under the umbrella of Kidsport Saskatoon made a big first splash on Thursday.

    The new committee was established to collect, process and distribute new and gently used equipment to youth across Saskatchewan. Partnered with Sport Central in Edmonton, Alta., the Saskatoon Equipment Drive Committee received $400,000 worth of sports equipment at the Canadian Tire warehouse on 105^th Street East on Thursday morning.

    The shipment included close to 6,000 pieces of equipment that were distributed to the Big Island Cree Nation, the Yellow Quill First Nation and Ranch Ehrlo in Regina.

    The Saskatoon Equipment Drive Committee is chaired by Saskatoon Blades president Steve Hogle. The committee also includes Saskatoon Police Service spokesperson and communications expert Kelsie Fraser. Both Hogle and Fraser have always been active in getting involved with community initiatives.

    Anyone seeking information about the Saskatoon Equipment Drive Committee can contact kidsportequipment@sasksport.sk.ca or check out the committee’s web page by clicking here.

Nogier plugs SPS K-9 calendar

    Nelson Nogier might be sidelined with a shoulder injury, but he is finding time on the recovery trail to be a pitchman for the Saskatoon Police Service’s K-9 Unit Calendar.

    The 21-year-old defenceman sent out a tweet on Wednesday encouraging everyone to pick up the calendar, which raises funds for the Saskatchewan SPCA Stryker K9 Care Fund. Nelson’s father, Patrick, used to be part of the Saskatoon Police Service’s K-9 unit. The Nogier family would keep Patrick’s retired K-9 unit partners as pets.

    Nelson is in the second year of his NHL entry-level contract with the Winnipeg Jets. On Sept. 29, he suffered a serious shoulder injury playing a pre-season game with the American Hockey League’s Manitoba Moose, and is currently involved in a rehabilitation process that is expected to last four-to-six months from the time the injury occurred.

    The defensive defenceman, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 191 pounds, is a Saskatoon area product and is a graduate of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades and Red Deer Rebels. Last season, Nelson played 60 games with the Moose collecting two goals, 11 assists and was a minus-five in the plus-minus department.

    He finished off his first professional campaign play 10 games with the NHL’s Jets posting a minus-one rating. The Jets posted an 8-2 record in Nelson’s 10-game stretch with the team.

Just picked up my 2018 SPS K-9 Calendar! Great work done by @SPSCanine and @SaskatoonPolice . All proceeds go to a great cause. Get yours today! pic.twitter.com/2JouUsv3IS

— Nelson Nogier (@NelsonNogier) November 15, 2017

    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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“Willo” says she won’t be the sole reason for Huskies success

Kaitlin Willoughby, left, and Cassidy Hendricks talk during a break.

    Kaitlin Willoughby believes her teammates might surprise a few people in the U Sports ranks this season.

    The captain of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team believes she won’t be the only reason for any success her club has in the 2017-18 campaign. The 22-year-old Prince Albert product, who is in her fifth and final season of eligibility, is confident she is leading a capable group.

    Last season, the Huskies posted a 15-10-3 record to finish fourth in the Canada West Conference, swept away their provincial rivals the U of Regina Cougars 2-0 in a best-of-three first round series and fell 3-1 in a series deciding Game 3 in a Canada West semifinal series against the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds.

    A notion went around the Canada West women’s hockey ranks that the Huskies got that far because of Willoughby and a goalie – namely now graduated veteran Cassidy Hendricks. Basically, U of S’s formula for winning kind of resembled the NHL’s Calgary Flames during the era when they had power forward Jarome Iginla and goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff.

    The joke around Calgary’s NHL franchise at that time was that Kiprusoff would made 46 saves, Iginla would pop in a couple of goals and the Flames would win 2-1.

    The Huskies have respect for being sound defensively to tinker with the formula a bit. Instead, it was Hendricks would make 27 to 30 saves, Willoughby would pop in a couple of goals and the Huskies would win 2-1.

    U of S opens the regular season on Friday hosting the U of Regina Cougars at 7 p.m. at the ancient Rutherford Rink.

    When asked about the notion that the Huskies rely on her for offence and couldn’t win if she didn’t score, Willoughby didn’t seem too happy with the query but took time to calmly jump to the defence of her teammates.

    “I wouldn’t say that they rely on me,” said Willoughby, who topped the Huskies in scoring with 11 goals and 10 assists in 24 regular season games in 2016-17. “Obviously, I am the one who scored the most goals last year.

    “I don’t think that really matters, because we each have like our own things that we are good at. There are some girls that are like super good penalty killers, and our penalty kill was like the top of the whole (U Sports). I feel like everyone has their own role in that way.

    “I’m happy in my role too. I’m really happy to just score goals. I’m hoping that this year our lines click and we have a couple more people that have really good (offensive seasons) this year.”

    In checking that statistics, Willoughby was pretty bang on. The Huskies had the fifth best penalty kill in all of U Sports women’s hockey posting an impressive 91.1 per cent efficiency rate last season.

    Judging by the returning players the Huskies have on defence like Leah Bohlken, Morgan Willoughby, who is Kaitlin’s younger sister, Kayla Kirwan, Kira Bannatyne and Emma Nutter, U of S should be as sound defensively and on the penalty this season as they were last season.

    While Hendricks is no longer around to tend goal, the Huskies have three solid options to turn to in net in Chloe Marshall, Jasey Book and Jessica Vance.

    Offensively, the Huskies look to get a boost from their returning forwards who seem a little faster and stronger in the pre-season due to the work they put into off-season training. Sophomore forward Bailee Bourassa, who was a star in midget AAA with her hometown Weyburn Gold Wings, looks stronger and more confident.

    The same can be said of fellow second-year forwards Emily Upgang and Danielle Nogier and third-year forwards Shyan Elias, Rachel Lundberg and Courtney Cormack. Third-year feisty forward Brooklyn Haubrich will arguably be the hardest player to battle against in the U Sports ranks.

Kaitlin Willoughby jets up ice for the Huskies.

    The Huskies still have fifth-year forwards Kennedy Harris and Kori Herner, who bring key intangibles to the team. Harris knows how to ensure the team doesn’t get too high or too low and stays grounded, while Herner is viewed as the greatest teammate and the upbeat presence that lifts the atmosphere in the dressing room.

    Rookies Chloe Smith and Abby Shirley come to the Huskies with reputations as high-end scorers from the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League. As the captain of the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats, Smith finished third in last season’s SFMAAAHL scoring race with 18 goals and 31 assists in 28 regular season games. Shirley was 10^th in league scoring piling up 14 goals and 18 assists in 25 regular season games.

    While the Huskies have a couple of really skilled first-year forwards, the captain wanted to ensure there were no unrealistic expectations for the newcomers.

    “It is a lot of just getting used to (U Sports),” said Kaitlin Willoughby. “It is a lot different for the rookies coming in.

    “Hopefully, lots of people can take that transition really well. I hope that is the case for our team this year.”

    The Huskies roster is also getting a boost from women’s hockey transfers from the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference ranks. Forward Chelsea Broadhead, who is in her fourth year of eligibility, comes to the Huskies from the Olds College Broncos and defenders Madison Colbow and Teagan Borbandy join the U of S side coming from the SAIT Trojans and Red Deer College Queens respectively. Colbow and Borbandy are both entering their third seasons of eligibility.

    The trio should help the Huskies in every aspect of their game.

    Willoughby, who is in nursing, is focused on helping her team bond together.

    “If I look back on the year and I know that everyone had fun that everyone felt as if we were a family, I think that is the number one thing for success I think is when you can click and get along,” said Willoughby.

Kaitlin Willoughby expects her team to enjoy a number of goals.

    In what will be her first and only season as captain, Willoughby wants to emulate her first captain with the Huskies in Cami Wooster. The two made an impressive offensive duo on the Huskies top line in their lone campaign together in 2013-14. They played a key part in helping the Huskies win their first Canada West title and a bronze medal at the U Sports nationals in that campaign.

    Wooster was a huge positive influence on the players on the Huskies Canada West championship winning team and made countless big plays to help the Huskies win games. At the moment, Wooster goes down as the best and most influential captain in the history of the Huskies women’s team.

    “She is so calm on the ice, and she just like always knows where to be,” said Willoughby. “She is an unreal player. I miss her.”

    After the Huskies posted a 5-1 record in the pre-season, Willoughby is looking forward to getting going for real.

    “I’m just happy to get my fifth year started and see what it can bring,” she said.

Smith still thinks about missed SFMAAAHL title chance

Chloe Smith in action for the Wildcats in March of 2016.

    Chloe Smith still thinks about the title chance that got away from her Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats.

    Smith, who is an 18-year-old rookie forward with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team, was playing our her 16-year-old season of midget AAA eligibility with the Wildcats in 2015-16, when they advanced to the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League championship series. The Wildcats posted a 19-6-3 regular season record but were underdogs in the best-of-series to the Saskatoon Stars, who were the defending league champions and topped with SFMAAAHL with a 24-4 record.

    The Wildcats traveled to Saskatoon and took Game 1 of the series 4-3. The Stars took the next two contest by respective 1-0 and 2-1 scores.

    In Game 4 of the series in Swift Current, the Wildcats jumped out to a 3-1 lead in front of a raucous home crowd at the Fairview Arena with 4:39 to play in the second period. For a short time, it appeared the two teams would have to play a series deciding Game 5 in Saskatoon.

    The Stars proceeded to rally cutting the Wildcats edge to 3-2 heading into the second intermission. Saskatoon netted the equalizer to force a 3-3 tie in the third and 14-year-old forward Grace Shirley fired home the game and series winning goal at the 4:08 mark of overtime to give the Stars a 4-3 win in the game and a 3-1 victory in the series.

    For Smith, the result of that series still stings.

    “It still bugs me,” said Smith. “That was a good series.

    “All of us actually kind of talk about it nowadays too. It still bugs us, because we had a good team that year.

    “We were wanting to go a little further than we did. Things happened. Saskatoon, they stepped it up in that third period, so it was good for them.”

    Smith is playing on the Huskies with defender Kayla Kirwan and goalie Jasey Book, who were also teammates on the Wildcats club that fell in the 2016 SFMAAAHL title series. Besides the team success, Smith had a breakout year offensively on a personal front netting 13 goals and 19 assists in 26 regular season games to finish fourth in the SFMAAAHL scoring race in 2015-16.

    She became the Wildcats captain in her final campaign with the team last season. Overall, the SFMAAAHL title loss doesn’t dampen the memories Smith made with her hometown squad.

    “We have a great organization,” said Smith. “Terry Pavely is the head coach, and he has done good job with that organization. It is one of the ones where lots of girls come to and they leave happy.

    “It is a great group of girls, a good city. I loved my years with the Wildcats. They were awesome.”

Nogier suffers serious injury with Moose

Nelson Nogier suffered a serious shoulder injury.

    Saskatoon area product Nelson Nogier could miss most of his second season of professional hockey with a serious injury.

    On Wednesday, Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun reported Nogier suffered a shoulder injury playing for the Manitoba Moose in an American Hockey League pre-season game in Grand Forks, N.D., last Friday. The 21-year-old, who is a graduate of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades and Red Deer Rebels, suffered the injury on his first shift in the Moose’s 3-2 victory over the Iowa Wild.

    It is expected that Nogier will need surgery.

    Last season as a rookie professional, Nogier, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 191 points, recorded two goals, 11 assists and a minus-five rating in the plus-minus department in 60 games with the Moose. He finished the 2016-17 campaign with a 10-game call up to the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets, where he posted a minus-one rating as the Jets posted an 8-2 record over that stretch.

    Nogier played 235 career regular season games for the Blades and Rebels from 2011 to 2016 recording eight goals, 42 assists, 196 penalty minutes and an even rating in the plus-minus department.

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

Nogier took big strides as a rookie pro with Moose and Jets

Nelson Nogier signs autographs as part of a charity event in Saskatoon.

    Nelson Nogier couldn’t ask for much more in his rookie year of professional hockey.

    The 21-year-old defensive defenceman spent most of rookie campaign playing for the American Hockey League’s Manitoba Moose appearing in 60 games collecting two goals, 11 assists and a minus-five rating in the plus-minus department. The Moose are the farm club of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets
    On March 21, the Saskatoon product made his NHL debut with the Jets, and he helped them pull out a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg.

    Nogier appeared in 10 games with the Jets posting a minus-one rating.

    “It was an unreal experience,” said Nogier, who played four complete seasons in the WHL with his hometown Saskatoon Blades and Red Deer Rebels. “The learning curve and the development process was sped up so much throughout those 10 games that I was up there.

    “I was able to soak in and learn a lot to try and set myself up here for a good summer.”

    Nogier experienced his first big highlight in his first professional regular season game. On Oct. 14, 2016 in Des Moines, Iowa, Nogier fired home his first goal helping the visiting Moose down the Iowa Wild 3-1. He scored by keeping things simple.

    “Ryan Olsen passed me the puck out of the corner, and I just pulled it to the middle and threw it on net,” said Nogier. “Sure enough, it went in.”

Nelson Nogier during his days with the Saskatoon Blades.

    Like he did during his time with the Blades and Rebels, Nogier, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 191 pounds, focused on being solid in his own zone and becoming more consistent in his defensive game. He performed well enough that near the end of the campaign he received the break all rookie pros hope for.

    As injuries piled up on the Jets blue-line, Nogier received his call up to the big club.
    The night before he made his NHL debut he called his father, Pat, and mother, Lori, to tell them about the news. Both were able to make it to Winnipeg to see their son play his first regular season game with the big club and also receive some air time on TSN’s broadcast.

    The son will never forget that day.

    “It was amazing,” said Nogier. “For me, that was a dream come true, but to be able to share that with my parents who have had such an important role in my life, it is something that I will cherish forever.

    “Everything about it was kind of a whirlwind. It happened so fast. You’re kind of star struck at times, but you just try to be comfortable about it and go out there and play your game.”

    Another memory wasn’t a total highlight, but it was something Nogier laughs about afterwards. In the second period of a Jets 4-3 home ice overtime victory over the Anaheim Ducks, Nogier had his first NHL fight taking on veteran heavyweight forward Jared Boll.

    Boll nailed Jets defenceman Mark Stuart with a high elbow, and Nogier came to the aid of his defence partner. The fight was a short one as Nogier walked into a right hand punch from Boll and went down.

    The rookie came out of that tussle unscathed despite being schooled by the veteran.

    “That was a tough situation,” said Nogier. “It was kind of a high hit on my D-partner, and I tried to step in for him and show the boys that I would be willing to step in for him when I needed to.

Nelson Nogier during his days with the Red Deer Rebels.

    “I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into, but I just tried to hang in there for as long as I could, even though it was a pretty short while.”

    Overall, Nogier was satisfied with his first professional season.

    “It was a good development year for me,” said Nogier, who collected eight goals, 42 assists and 196 minutes in penalties in 235 career regular season games in the WHL. “I came in there from making the jump from junior into the AHL.

    “I did real well and kind of got comfortable with the role I was set to play with the Moose and then obviously earn myself an opportunity where I could try and show that I could play at the next level as well. I just tried to make the most of the opportunity and go from there.”

    Now the hope will be to have a longer stay at the NHL level in his second season of professional hockey.

    “You don’t want to get your hopes to, too, high,” said Nogier. “You never know what you are going to get thrown at when you come into camp.

    “It is just going to be a matter of me making sure I have a strong summer of training here and setting myself up to be in a good position when I come into camp.”

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com. It should be noted that Nogier is my young cousin, and I do cherish the opportunities to write a piece like this.

U of S Huskies men’s hockey team had a great run

The Huskies celebrate at playoff victory at the Rutherford Rink.

    Despite coming up short in the national final, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team’s season has to be considered a success.

    On Sunday, the Huskies appeared in the title game of the University Cup national championship tournament in Fredericton, N.B., and they dropped a 5-3 decision to the host University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds, who claimed their sixth U Sport title in the last 11 years. Of course, there was some disappointment the Huskies fell short of winning their first national title since 1983, but the entire season can’t be cannibalized over one or two games.

    Since that last national championship win in 1983, the Huskies have fallen in the U Sports final in 1987, 2005, 2014 and last Sunday. 

    Under veteran head coach Dave Adolph, this marked the 13^th time the Huskies made it to the University Cup, but they still haven’t brought the championship trophy back to the U of S.

Jesse Forsberg sets up on the point for the Huskies.

    With all that said, the Huskies had one of the best teams in Canada in the amateur hockey ranks. Any time one could attend a game at the ancient Rutherford Rink you got to see a treat. 

    The Huskies posted a 21-5-2 record to finish first in the Canada West conference for a second straight year, and they were usually rated second in the U Sports top 10 rankings.

    On the national level, netminder Jordon Cooke was named the U Sports goaltender of the year and a first team all-Canadian all-star for a second consecutive season. He posted a 19-4-2 record, a 1.94 goals against average, a .929 save percentage and four shutouts during the regular season.

    Adolph was named the winner of the Father George Kehoe Memorial Award as the coach of the year in U Sports. He had been named the Canada West coach of the year in 1997-98, 1999-2000 and this season, but this marked the first time he was named coach of the year on a national level.

    Defenceman Jesse Forsberg was named a second team all-Canadian all-star after having a breakout campaign in his third season. He piled up 11 goals, 16 assists and a plus-eight rating in the plus-minus department appearing in all 28 regular season games.

Levi Cable scored a University Cup quarter-final OT goal for the Huskies. 

    The Huskies entered the University Cup on a down note having dropped a series deciding Game 3 in the Canada West final 6-3 to their forever rivals the U of Alberta Golden Bears.

    U of S rebounded nicely at the University Cup, which is played in an elite eight single elimination format. Under that format, a team can easily be eliminated thanks to one bad game or even one bad break.

    In a quarter-final contest last Friday, the Huskies displayed some overtime magic, when sophomore forward Levi Cable snuck home the contest’s only goal just 61 seconds into the extra session. The tally gave the Huskies a 1-0 victory over the York University Lions. Cooke turned away 24 shots to earn the shutout.

    The Dogs arguably had one of their best outings of the season in an 8-0 romp over the St. Francis Xavier University X-Men. Logan McVeigh scored twice for the Huskies, while Forsberg, Cable, Carson Stadnyk, Parker Thomas, Wyatt Johnson and Connor Cox all had singles. Cooke made 26 stops to pick up the shutout.

Huskies netminder Jordon Cooke plays the puck behind his own goal.

    In the championship final, the Huskies were done in by a star player, who had a hot night. Varsity Reds standout Cam Braes, who played for the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes and Moose Jaw Warriors from 2007 to 2012, fired home four goals. Mark Simpson had the other lone tally for UNB, while Etienne Marcoux made 18 stops to pick up the win in goal.

    Connor Gay, Jordan Fransoo and Kohl Bauml all had singles for the Huskies, while Cooke turned away 31 shots taking the loss in goal.

    The Huskies trailed 4-1 at one point in the second period, but cut the deficit to 4-3 in the third. Braes proceeded to pick up his fourth goal that that point on a power play, which turned out to be a key insurance marker.

    U of S did pretty much everything this season but win its last game. They fell in the national final to great team, and there is never any shame in that.

    While it would have been nice for the Huskies to win it all, the reality in sports is that it sometimes will just not happen no matter how many times you reach the national championship tournament or the national final. You just have to try again next season.

Towriss heading to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame

Brian Towriss, right, will be inducted Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

    Legendary U of Saskatchewan Huskies football head coach Brian Towriss didn’t have to wait long to get named to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

    Just a little over three months after resigning his post as Huskies head coach on Dec. 19, 2016, Towriss was named part of the 2017 Canadian Football Hall of Fame class on Wednesday in Regina during an announcement hooked into a league promotion called CFL Week. Towriss enters the Hall as a builder along with former Calgary Stampeders president Stan Schwartz.

    Also entering the Hall are a quartet of the league’s all-time great players in Anthony Calvillo, Geroy Simon, Mike O’Shea and Kelvin Anderson.

    Towriss played defensive tackle from 1974 to 1977.  He was an assistant coach with the Dogs from 1980 to 1983 before becoming head coach in 1984. As a head coach, Towriss compiled a 196-118-1 overall record, guided his team to 11 Canada West titles and three Vanier Cup championships.

    The formal induction of the Hall of Fame class will occur on Sept. 14 in Hamilton, Ont.

Blades’ Flodell named WHL all-star

Blades goalie Logan Flodell was named a WHL second team all-star.

    Saskatoon Blades goaltender Logan Flodell was rewarded for his stellar season by being named a WHL Eastern Conference second team all-star on Wednesday.

    The Blades acquired Flodell in a trade with the Seattle Thunderbirds before the start of the regular season. The Regina product, who stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 166 pounds, appeared in 48 regular season games posting a 22-20-4 record, a 2.81 goals against average, a .912 save percentage and three shutouts.

    He played a major role in almost pushing the Blades into the WHL playoffs for the first time since 2013. The Blades finished ninth overall in the WHL’s Eastern Conference with a 28-35-7-2 record to sit five points back of the Calgary Hitmen (30-32-8-2) for the conference’s final wildcard berth.

    One of Flodell’s best performances came on Dec. 10, 2016, when he made 39 stops in a 2-1 overtime road victory over the powerhouse Pats in Regina. He is eligible to return to the Blades as an overage player next season.

    The WHL also held its annual WHL Bantam Draft lottery on Wednesday, and the Blades draft position didn’t change in the first round. They currently hold the fifth overall position and the 10 overall pick, which was acquired in a trade with the Victoria Royals. In the subsequent rounds, the Blades usually pick in the fifth spot.

    Also on Wednesday, Saskatoon product Connor Hobbs was named the WHL’s Eastern Conference nominee as the top defenceman and was named a first team Eastern Conference all-star. Hobbs, who can return as an overage player next season, had an outstanding 2016-17 campaign for the Regina Pats netting 31 goals, 54 assists and a plus-30 rating in the plus-minus department. The Pats topped the WHL’s overall standings with a 52-12-7-1 record.

Nogier makes NHL debut with Jets

Former Rebels D Nelson Nogier made his NHL debut with the Jets.

    Tuesday ended up being a proud night on a personal front for my family as my young cousin Nelson Nogier made his NHL debut with the Winnipeg Jets.

    The 20-year-old defenceman had 12 minutes and 16 seconds of ice time making three hits and getting one shot on goal. The Saskatoon product, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 191 pounds, has always been known as a sound defensive defenceman who is tough to play against in his own zone. Nogier was solid in his role as the Jets pulled out a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg.

    He was selected by the Jets in the fourth round and 101^st overall in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Before Tuesday’s game, Nogier had spent most of the season with the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League, where he has collected two goals, 11 assists and 33 penalty minutes in 57 regular season games.

    Before moving to the professional ranks, Nogier spent four complete seasons in the WHL with the Saskatoon Blades and Red Deer Rebels, where he appeared in 235 regular season games collecting eight goals, 42 assists and 196 minutes in penalties. He played for the Blades in the 2013 Memorial Cup in Saskatoon and the Rebels in the 2016 Memorial Cup in Red Deer.

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

NLL champion Rush better than advertised

Champion’s Cup winner delivers thrills to Saskatchewan

Rush captain Chris Corbeil raises the Champion's Cup.

    It seems unthinkable to say a championship contending team exceeds expectations when it wins, but that is exactly what the Saskatchewan Rush have done.

    The Rush capped their first season in Saskatchewan on Saturday by sweeping the best-of-three National Lacrosse League championship series 2-0 with an 11-10 victory at the SaskTel Centre over the Buffalo Bandits. Locked in a 10-10 draw in Game 2 with 12 seconds to play, Rush defenceman Jeff Cornwall found himself on a breakaway and tucked home the championship winning goal to send a sellout crowd of 15,182 into delirium.

    The noise and sheer excitement from the crowd might have hit the highest high that has ever been seen for a sporting event held at the SaskTel Centre. The exciting finish was fitting way to cap a special season.

    The Rush followed and unprecedented path since winning their first NLL championship in June of last year while the franchise was based in Edmonton.

    Unable to secure a long-term lease in the Alberta capital, owner Bruce Urban moved the team to Saskatoon in July of last year to end a decade long run in that centre.

The Rush celebrate an NLL finals winning goal from Jeff Cornwall, centre.

    The NLL is an established professional league dating back to 1987. In a circuit like the NLL, it was almost unthinkable to see a club leave a city after winning a league title. To go on and repeat as a league champion in a new home city isn’t something that would be conceivable.

    When the Rush set up shop in Saskatoon, an obvious curiosity factor existed. Saskatoon had seen its share of professional teams come and go, but the Rush were the first team to arrive from an established circuit, and they had the Champion’s Cup in tow.

    The club took on the provincial moniker calling itself the Saskatchewan Rush in order to brand itself as the province’s team like the CFL’s Roughriders, who are based out of Regina.

    The strategy appears to have worked. If you wandered thought the tailgate parties that happened in the SaskTel Centre parking lots pre-game, you would have found a group of supporters from Prince Albert who arrived at 3 p.m. for a 7 p.m. start.

    While the biggest contingent of supporters comes from Saskatoon, you would have found supporters from all sorts of locations in Saskatchewan. You would have also encountered some diehard fans from Edmonton, who traveled in to see their former team play.

The Rush fans are ready to party at the SaskTel Centre.

    In the six months leading up to the season, the Rush really had to hustle to sell the sport of lacrosse and be in a position to deliver a great game day experience for the fans. On Jan. 15 of this year, the Rush played their first home game before 9,147 spectators falling 13-11 to the Vancouver Stealth. While the Rush lost, the fans were hooked, and they returned.

    The Rush hosted 11 home games between the regular season and playoffs, and attendance did not dip below 10,000 for the last eight of those contests. Over 15,000 people attended each of the last three home dates. That included a SaskTel Centre record for a sporting event of 15,192 spectators for a May 21^st home game that saw the Rush win the West Division final series against the Calgary Roughnecks.

    On the court, the Rush were expected to content for another championship. The club proceeded to top the West Division with a 13-5 record as the players quickly became comfortable playing in front of raucous home crowds.

Rush forward Robert Church drives to the net for a scoring chance.

    The fans loved the game presentation from watching the performances of the Crush dance team, getting pumped up by the music that blared continuously during play and doing the chest beat celebration every time the Rush scored a goal.

    To top things off, games were exciting, and the Rush were a fun team to watch. Goalie “Stone Cold” Aaron Bold and gritty transition player Jeremy Thompson became fan favourites as well as likeable team scoring leader Mark Matthews, who piled up 40 goals and 69 assists during the regular season.

    Matthews got the party rolling Saturday with an amazing diving goal that saw him get shoved into the Bandits goalie Anthony Cosmo just 74 seconds into the contest. It took a video review to allow the goal to count, but when it went up on the scoreboard, the crowd went into a frenzy.

    The Bandits were game too, and both teams went back-and-fourth on the scoreboard. The visitors led 9-7 going into the fourth quarter, but the Rush prevailed on one of their classic final frame outbursts.

The Rush celebrate winning their second straight NLL championship.

    It seemed fitting for Cornwall to get the series winner as a reward for playing an unselfish and sound defensive game, which included a big shot block on Bandits phenom Dhane Smith.

    Scoring the series winner with 12 seconds to play, Cornwall showed he had hands of gold around the net. After the final buzzer sounded, a large number of fans stuck around for about an hour soaking in the post-game celebrations. The championship party would go long into the Saskatoon night.

    Forget being as good as advertised, the Rush were even better than advertised. Time will tell how long the feel-good honeymoon will last.

    Saskatoon sports fans have a reputation for being fickle. One wonders if they will disappear the first time the Rush have a losing season.

    With that said, the Rush appear to have the potential to be a winner for the foreseeable future. More good times appear to be in store in the coming years.

Nogier’s NHL signing an uplifting story

Nelson Nogier springs into action for the Rebels.

    The Saskatoon hockey community and the city of Red Deer received a feel good story on Wednesday when Nelson Nogier signed a three-year entry-level NHL contract with the Winnipeg Jets.

    The Jets selected the Saskatoon product in the fourth round and 101^st overall in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Nogier, who turned 20 in late May, played last season with the Red Deer Rebels posting four goals, 17 assists and a plus-27 rating in the plus-minus department in 69 games.

    He helped the Rebels advance to the Eastern Conference Championship series of the WHL playoffs for the first time since 2004. The Rebels hosted the Memorial Cup and Nogier helped them make the tournament’s semifinal game.

    Nogier started his WHL career playing two-and-a-half seasons for his hometown Saskatoon Blades and was dealt to the Rebels in a trade in December of 2014.

    When Nogier signed with the Jets, tributes poured in from social media from the hockey communities in Saskatoon and Red Deer. The big overall message was that everyone was happy for Nogier, because he is an outstanding individual.

    Of course, Nogier is my young cousin, and my family is really proud of him. I was always big time impressed he won the league award as the WHL’s scholastic player of the year while with the Blades during the 2013-14 season. To do so well in school while playing elite level hockey is impressive.

Nelson  Nogier protects the point for the Rebels.

    With that said, it will still heartwarming to see the tributes from everyone else.

Blades play-by-play voice Les Lazaruk said a lot of really glowing words over the radio waves which were repeated on his blog. Kind words also came from social media posts from Blades president Steve Hogle and Blades managing partner Colin Priestner.

    I recently visited with Blades and University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team alumnus Derek Hulak, who plays for the AHL’s Texas Stars, and he was happy to hear my cousin signed with the Jets. That was extremely cool to hear as Hulak is held in very high regard in Saskatoon’s hockey community.

    It was also so enjoyable to travel to Red Deer and see how much the Rebels fans really took Nogier in as one of their own.

    Nogier has always been the perfect gentleman even when he was a young boy. As he grew up, it always amazed me how well-mannered he was.

Nelson Nogier brings the puck up ice for the Rebels.

    It is also sweet to see how close he is to his younger sister Danielle, who just graduated as the captain of the two-time defending Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League champion Saskatoon Stars. Danielle was the scholastic player of the year for the SFMAAAHL this past season and will join the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team in the fall.

    Nelson and Danielle love sharing stories about their hockey adventures with each other and are always in constant contact. They really enjoy spending time doing things together.

    Both are outstanding persons, and I am confident they will do well in the next chapters of their hockey lives.

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

NHL shafting prospects that lack size

Adam Brooks led the WHL in scoring this past season.

    What is old has become new again if you are a small guy trying to make the NHL.

    When I covered the Regina Pats in the last half of the 1999-2000 season and first half of the 2000-01 campaign, two of their most exciting players to watch were Matt Hubbauer and Kevin Korol. Both were heart-and-soul skilled players, had tonnes of speed and competed hard night in and night out. Off the ice, they were gold in the dressing room becoming best friends with all of their teammates.

    Despite all their positive characteristics, you had a gut feeling that no matter how hard or how well Hubbauer and Korol performed they would never play in the NHL because of their size. Hubbauer stood 5-foot-10 and weighed 194 pounds, while Korol was 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds.

    While they played hard, it was viewed players like Hubbauer and Korol would not be able to hold up to the physical pounding a player takes in the NHL. Despite posting solid statistical seasons in their major junior careers, Hubbauer and Korol were never drafted and never played a shift in the regular season or playoffs in “The Show.”

    Fast forward to the current major junior campaign that is nearing completion with the Memorial Cup tournament getting underway Friday in Red Deer. Two of the most exciting players on the Pats this season were Adam Brooks and Cole Sanford. They were key in helping Regina advance to the second round of the WHL playoffs, where the Pats fell in an exciting seven-game series to the Memorial Cup hosting Red Deer Rebels.

Matt Hubbauer used to pile up points for the Pats.

    As a 19-year-old veteran, Brooks topped the WHL in regular season scoring with 38 goals and 82 assists playing in all 72 regular season games. Sanford was an overage right-winger the Pats acquired in a trade with the Medicine Hat Tigers. In 63 regular season games in 2015-16, Sanford had 41 goals and 39 assists. In four seasons in the WHL, Sanford collected 126 goals and 123 assists in 260 career regular season games.

    Both were dynamite in the Pats 12-game playoff run. Brooks pick up seven goals and 16 assists, and Sanford posted seven goals and nine assists.

    Both also have shortcomings in the size department. Brooks stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 175 pounds, while Sanford stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 165 pounds.

    Neither player has been selected in the NHL Entry Draft, and they will likely be camp bodies when NHL training camps open this fall. That will likely be the closest either player comes to appearing in an NHL regular season or playoff game. Barring something unforeseen, Brooks will be back with the Pats next season as an overager.

    It seems like NHL scouts are just looking for players that stand 6-foot-3 and weigh in the neighbourhood of 210 pounds. Gifted Brandon Wheat Kings Centre Nolan Patrick is viewed as a perfect prospect, because he has the size, as he stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 195 pounds, to go along with his outstanding skill. The Winnipeg product isn’t eligible for the NHL Entry Draft until next year, so he will have lots of time to bulk up and fill out.

Cole Sanford (#26) has never been afraid to battle in the hard areas.

    The travesty is the fact the little guys with skill don’t seem to be on the radar of NHL scouts anymore. The WHL might be the most physical of any junior hockey circuit in the world, but players like Brooks and Sanford have still flourished. Both never shy away from battling the corners or other tough areas on the ice.

    They have proven they can play and should be given a real chance to make an NHL roster.

    At one time not long ago, the door was wide open for the little guy. From a period of about 2005 to 2008, there was a serious effort to crack down on obstruction at all levels of hockey. All of a sudden, the little guy with skill became a valuable asset.

    It was during this time that brilliant puck moving defenceman Kris Russell, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 170 pounds, went from being the WHL’s most valuable player in 2006-07 with the Medicine Hat Tigers to becoming an NHL regular. Over nine NHL seasons, Russell has suited up for 573 regular season games collecting 38 goals and 139 assists.

Jordon Cooke of the Huskies has been the top goalie in the CHL and CIS.

    Forward Tyler Ennis, who stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 160 pounds, went from being a star with the Tigers to a first round selection by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. After going 26^th overall to the Sabres, Ennis has appeared in 368 career regular season games over seven seasons collecting 92 goals and 131 assists. While he was out most of last season with a concussion, Ennis proved he belongs in the NHL.

    Unfortunately, scouts have a little too much fear that smaller players have a greater chance of suffering injuries like concussions, so that fear helps little guys get overlooked. With that said, a lot of big players have suffered their share of concussion injuries over the years too.

    As a result, you can go to a Canadian university hockey men’s game and watch players like goaltender Jordon Cooke and forward Kohl Bauml shine with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. When you see both of those players perform, you think they should be in the professional ranks but realize they aren’t because of their size.

Kris Russell has played nine seasons in the NHL.

    Cooke, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 185 pounds, came to the Huskies after having an outstanding WHL campaign in 2013-14 with the Kelowna Rockets, where he was named the Canadian Hockey League’s goalie of the year. Just think about that for a second. Cooke was voted the best goalie in all of major junior hockey, and he still didn’t get an NHL contract.

    That fact right there shows how difficult it is for the small guy to gain a legitimate chance to make an NHL team.

    Cooke had a spectacular campaign in 2015-16 for the Huskies posting a 19-5 record, a 2.52 goals against average, a .921 save percentage and two shutouts. His win total set a new Huskies regular season team record, and he was named the goaltender of the year for Canadian Interuniversity Sport and was a first team CIS all-star.

    Bauml, who stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 170 pounds, potted 30 goals and 30 assists in 71 games as an overager with the Everett Silvertips in 2014-15. He topped the Huskies in team scoring as a rookie recording 12 goals and 21 assists in 28 games. The Saskatoon product was named the rookie of the year for the Canada West Conference and was named to the CIS all-rookie team.

    You can keep adding from there to the list of small guys who are not getting a serious NHL look. These players have kicked down the door to prove they can play. All they need is another cycle to arise where NHL scouts come to their senses to allow small players to have legitimate shots to make the league again.

Back in the Express with Nogier

Nelson Nogier will play in the Memorial Cup tournament for a second time.

    I was back in the Saskatoon Express this week with a story I really enjoyed writing.

    I had the opportunity to craft a feature story on my young cousin Nelson Nogier, who is about to appear in the Memorial Cup tournament for a second time. Nogier is a 19-year-old stay-at-home defenceman with the Red Deer Rebels, who are hosting the Memorial Cup. The Rebels open the tournament on Friday against the Ontario Hockey League champion London Knights.

    The prospect of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets was a 16-year-old rookie with his hometown Saskatoon Blades when they hosted the Memorial Cup in 2013. Nogier, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 209 pounds, joined the Rebels via a trade that came shortly before the WHL’s Christmas break in 2014.

    On a personal note, I had a lot of fun interviewing Nogier, and I had so much pride and enjoyed watching him help the Rebels make it to the WHL Eastern Conference championship series, which they lost to the eventual WHL champion Brandon Wheat Kings. My story on Nogier can be found right here.

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