Top 10 memories of 2015

Tom Sargeant gets the Gatorade shower after the Canadian Bowl

    At the start of the year, I didn’t know what would be on this list.

    No longer working full time in the mainstream media, I really thought I would not go through enough experiences to create this list. To my surprise, I was able to make a whole bunch of memories mainly through creating this blog and my freelance work. Reflecting on that fact gives me a confidence boost that I do not have to be part of the mainstream media to have moments where I feel like a rock star, which in recent years has been a struggle.

    Through most of this year, I felt I had to scrap, kick, claw and fight for a just the smallest, tiniest, mini-break. I do keep trying to push for a major break in both my career field and also the relationship front – both of which seem they will never come.

    One of the big things that drove me on was seeing this blog surge past 32,000 page views. I never imagined I would get 5,000 views. During interactions with you the readers, I get that upper where I feel like I matter. I thank you for that.

    I have so enjoyed the relationships that I have renewed writing this blog and the new ones I have made.

    I think one of the top feel good moments came on Nov. 7, 2015 after the Saskatoon Hilltops downed the Okanagan Sun 38-24 to win the Canadian Junior Football League title game the Canadian Bowl.

    I remember running on to the turf at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, and I ended up hugging energetic and heart on his sleeve Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant who said, “Thank you for everything you have done for us.”

    That meant a lot to me. The 2015 CJFL campaign marked the first time I covered the Hilltops for a complete season. I respect those guys so much, and I hold the coaches in such high regard that I will cherish that moment always.

    It felt good to matter, and you all make it happen by reading this blog. Again, thank you.

    Now without further ado, here are the memories. Wow, it is cool to see how much happened.

10. UFC’s visit to Saskatoon

A young fan gets a picture taken with a UFC title belt.

    I had worked one mixed martial arts card on a minor promotion, but I had never dealt with the UFC in any form before.

    The UFC stopped in Saskatoon for the first time ever on Aug. 23, 2015 with its UFC Fight Night 74 card, and I covered it for The Canadian Press, the Saskatoon Express and my blog. It was cool seeing the lead up spectacle covering the open workout at O’Brians Event Centre, checking out the weigh-ins, the UFC Experience fan festival and the fights themselves.

    I befriended UFC staffers Carolyn Blakely, Neil Springer and Stephanie Ura, and they all made working the UFC stop easy. The fighters were a joy to deal with. They were all so engaging and all had cool stories to tell.

    It was so cool to watch the fights from the floor at cage side. Another highlight was helping Octagon Girl Chrissy Blair with her phone.

    The action inside the cage was impressive, and the crowd of 7,202 definitely got their bang for their buck. The UFC stop in Saskatoon was definitely a good time.

9. Valkyries and Riot play a conference final classic

Valkyries RB Sam Matheson runs through the Riot.

    In the short history of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League, the Saskatoon Valkyries and the Regina Riot played arguably the circuit’s greatest game on June 28, 2015, when they battled in the Prairie Conference final.

    The Valkyries entered the contest having won the WWCFL title in each of the previous four years. The Riot were looking to knock off their provincial rivals and were hosting the conference final at Mosaic Stadium. Regina also thumped the Valkyries 49-9 in a regular season encounter in Saskatoon, so one had to wonder if the Riot’s time to rise to the top of the league had come.

    The conference final was gritty clash that saw the Riot slowly build what appeared to be a comfortable 28-7 edge early in the fourth quarter. While Regina had a big lead, it never felt like Saskatoon was out of the game.

    One of those classic strong Mosaic Stadium winds was blowing at full force in that contest, and the Valkyries had the wind at their backs in the fourth quarter.

    A long pass reception by Valkyries receiver Marci Kiselyk set up an 18-yard touchdown run by running back Sam Matheson. Kiselyk caught a two-point conference to further cut the Regina lead to 28-15 and the game’s momentum had swung.

    Matheson proceeded to run in scores from 28 and 25 yards out to give the Valkyries a 29-28 lead with 1:26 to play. She accounted for all four Saskatoon majors piling up 159 yards rushing on 14 carries.

    After falling behind, the Riot responded gutting out a final drive that was powered by the work of running back Carmen Agar and quarterback Aimee Kowalski along the ground. With 15 seconds to play, Morgan Turner kicked a 12-yard field goal to give the Riot a 31-29 victory.

    The Riot advanced to the WWCFL title game in Winnipeg and crushed the Edmonton Storm 53-6, but in all reality, the league title was decided in that classic Prairie Conference final clash between the Riot and Valkyries in Regina.

8. Labour Day Classic a feel good day once again

The Roughriders get set to plunge in for a touchdown.

    The Labour Day Classic at Mosaic Stadium always seems to be a yearly highlight.

    The 2015 edition made for the ultimate lost party weekend in Regina. The host Saskatchewan Roughriders downed the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 37-19 for an 11^th straight victory in this annual clash.

    Cheering for the Roughriders, all you could feel was elation after that game. The Riders were 0-9 at that point in the season, they have just fired their head coach and general manager and they had a whole host of key injuries. They were without their star starting quarterback Darian Durant, who ruptured his left Achilles tendon in the opening game of the season.

    It seemed like the Roughriders were never going to win a game in 2015. After posting that convincing win over the Bombers, I remember streaming off to Wayne’s World and dancing with girls I just met to David Lee Murphy’s “Dust on the Bottle.” Wayne’s World is a backyard party spot at a house situated across the street from Mosaic Stadium.

    The party went long into the night at various locals in Regina. For a small moment, it felt like everything was right.

7. A farewell to Beily’s

    After 10 years in operation, Beily’s Ultralounge on 8^th Street closed its doors forever back in February, and its farewell weekend was one to remember.

    For most of its existence, Beily’s was the hotspot to be at in Saskatoon before a whole bunch of pubs opened up in downtown.

    NHL players often stopped in. For a number of years, there was often an annual impromptu gathering there during the weekend NHLers came to town to support the annual golf tournament to raise funds for Royal University Hospital.

    Beily’s relived its prime during its final weekend, which was also the February long weekend. Friday and Saturday were packed leading up to the final industry Sunday on Feb. 15, 2015. The final industry Sunday was an epic send-off party.

    A number of people that don’t normally go out did for Beily’s final weekend. Most wished owner Jeff Ledding well.

    After the last song played on Sunday night, you could feel the finality. Staff members were hugging each other and hugging the patrons. There were also a few tears shed.

    I took a cab home that night, which also created another weird memory. When I returned to recover my car the afternoon on the following day, I remember looking at quiet and empty Beily’s building. The electric sign out front thanked the city for a great 10 years.

    It really hit me at that time I would never have a night out at Beily’s again. It also hit me that would be the last time I recovered my car the next day after spending a night out at Beily’s. It felt strange.

    With that said, thanks Beily’s for all the great memories.

6. Motley Crue rocks Saskatoon one last time

Nikki Sixx plays during Motley Crue's last show at the SaskTel Centre.

    Finalities seem to be a theme for me in 2015, and Motley Crue’s farewell tour stop in Saskatoon provided another epic memory.

    On Dec. 10, 2015, Motley Crue played the SaskTel Centre for the last time ever and Alice Cooper opened the show. Both legendary acts nailed down iconic performances and the SaskTel Centre was pretty much packed.

    I saw Motley Crue for the first time a couple of years back to strike something off the bucket list. Their final performance in Saskatoon is something I will always remember taking everything in from my floor seat.

    Like the first time I went to Motley Crue, I went to the show on a limo bus that left Outlaws with a big group of friends. The after party back at Outlaws was pure fun.

    You could also feel the finality. After Motley Crue concluded their set with “Home Sweet Home,” I remember a realization hitting me that I will never see this band play live again. I took a selfie on the floor at the SaskTel Centre before departing to join up with my friends on the limo bus.

    I savoured the night as much as I could, but it seemed to go by way to fast.

5. The final regular season night at The Arena

The Tigers raise a banner to the rafters of The Arena thanking the fans.

    Wow, I will always remember the love from the people in Medicine Hat on this night.

    On March 21, 2015, the Medicine Hat Tigers played their final regular season game at The Arena downing the Saskatoon Blades 6-2. I came back to check out the final regular season game along with a huge number of former players. The contest also marked the first time I had been to Medicine Hat since moving away at the end of July in 2014.

    I lived in Medicine Hat for 10 years, but my last three years in the Gas City were filled with turmoil mainly stemming from work. Driving to town, I remember feeling excited to get to Medicine Hat, which was special. I could still recall return trips to Medicine Hat after visiting family and friends in Saskatoon from 2011 to 2014 and constantly feeling fear about how the roof will fall in.

    When I pulled into the Hat, I immediately went to The Arena to see the Tigers office staff. I remember hugging Tim Machan, who was the Tigers creative services and digital media manager, and going into the building to check out the video screens that were set up for that night’s festivities.

    After checking into the hotel, I returned to The Arena for game time and felt constant love from the moment I stepped in the building. It took me 15 to 20 minutes to get from one end of the building to the other due to shaking hands and visiting with fans. The former Tigers players that came back for that night had similar experiences.

    Fans brought out old pictures and memorabilia, which brought back so many cool memories. I got to go to the Tigers alumni function that was held after the game at Ralph’s, and soaked in sharing memories with a huge group of friends I made from the 10 seasons I covered the team as a beat writer. I wish that get together could have lasted forever.

4. One Voice Fundraiser – A night of love those battling mental illness longed for

    It was a night where it felt like dealing with mental health issues was given a proper respect.

On July 24, 2015, I attended the One Voice Fundraiser at TCU Place, which supports the Neural Health Project at the University of Saskatchewan. The hope of the Neural Health Project is to develop a more complete approach to the treatment of mental illness.

    Since 2012, I have knowingly battled issues with anxiety. I have long gone public about these battles, and during my journey on this front, I frequently run into people that think mental issues are non-issues or fake issues.

    At the One Voice Fundraiser, mental health issues were discussed normally in a comfortable and upbeat setting. For those that have battles with those issues, you felt great and unafraid.

    The event was spearheaded by Mike Babcock, who is the head coach of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, and Dr. DeeDee Maltman, who is the medical director for the Centre of Integrative Medicine at the U of S. For me, it was uplifting to see someone of Babcock’s statue champion the fact we need to do a lot better in tackling mental health issues.

    The two times I have visited with Babcock in my life have been spectacular. The demanding coach has a big heart.

    On the night, over $1-million was raised for the Neural Health Project.

    I was glad I could help in a small way what happened that night with a big advancer article about my mental health story. That had been one of the few nights in recent years I truly felt on top again.

3. Hilltops capture 18^th CJFL title

Austin Thorarinson and the Hilltops raise the Canadian Bowl.

    Since I moved back to Saskatchewan, one of the great things that has happened to me is renewing ties with the venerable Saskatoon Hilltops.

    In 2014, I wrote a handful of stories on the Hilltops, and I had so much fun going to games and hanging around the team I made it a point to follow them for a full season in 2015. As a side bonus, my posts on the Hilltops rank right up there with my most viewed posts.

    As the season progressed, it was fun to Hilltops improve game in and game out. When they advanced to host the Canadian Bowl, I remember waking up on the morning of Nov. 7, 2015 full of anticipation for what was to come. I couldn’t wait to get down to Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

    When I arrived, it was amazing to fans and former players tailgating in the parking lot, which doesn’t normally happen at Hilltops games. The stadium was packed, and you got to see all sorts of familiar faces like former Saskatoon StarPhoenix sportswriter Cory Wolfe.

    With 3:46 to play in the third quarter and the Okanagan Sun holding a 21-17 edge on the Hilltops, I can still see Saskatoon quarterback Jared Andreychuk hitting receiver Tyson Sawatzky on a 73-yard bomb pass play to put the hosts up 24-21. The connection came two plays after the Hilltops had a similar long touchdown pass called back due to a penalty.

    Saskatoon pulled out a 38-24 victory to claim an 18^th Canadian Junior Football League title. The hang out party at the Hilltops clubhouse afterwards was a blast.

    The Hilltops are a first class team, and everyone from coaches, players, parents, directors, support staff and cheerleaders are all outstanding people to deal with. It was a blessing to around the whole 2015 championship campaign.

2. Saskatoon Stars shine brightly

The Stars celebrate winning a SFMAAAHL title.

    I must admit the only reason I discovered the Saskatoon Stars midget AAA female hockey team was due to the fact my young cousin Danielle Nogier is one of their players.

    After you go to a couple of games, you kind of get hooked on how upbeat, energetic and optimistic the Stars players are. The team also has one of the best parent support groups I have ever seen as well.

    Over the 2014-15 season, the Stars posted a 45-5 overall record including play in Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League regular season and playoffs, the Mac’s tournament and the Esso Cup national championship tournament.

    They won the Mac’s title, the SFMAAAHL championship and a bronze medal at the Esso Cup.

It was a special to be at the Agriplace Arena on March 25, 2015, when the Stars downed the Prince Albert A & W Bears 2-0 in Game 3 of the SFMAAAHL champion series to sweep the best-of-five set.

    That night proved to be one of the few of my many sports memories that contained a family member. I got a lot of joy snapping a picture of Danielle skating around the rink with the championship banner.

    Actually, it seemed like the Stars players were bouncing around all over the place with pure joy and happiness. You almost forget how much energy a group of teenagers aged 14 to 18 have.

    Entering 2016, the Stars are again first in the SFMAAAHL with a 16-2 record. Danielle is the team’s captain playing in her final year of midget eligibility. They might have a few more highlight moments coming up in the next few months.

1. Cancer battles – RIP Cody Smuk and Dominic Rooney

Cody Smuk at the Rutherford Rink on Jan. 30, 2015.

    The most memorable moments of 2015 also proved to be the most emotional and heart wrenching.

    In Saskatoon, former University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team forward Cody Smuk passed away after a battle with cancer that lasted over a year. In Medicine Hat, little Dominic Rooney, who is the son of Medicine Hat News sports editor Sean Rooney, passed away after a two-year battle with acute myeloid leukemia just shy of his third birthday.

    Both deaths were way too sad and way too soon.

    Since moving to Saskatoon at the end of July in 2014, I had been around to see most of Smuk’s battle. Smuk was actually the first person I interviewed when I moved to Saskatoon as part of a feature story for the Saskatoon Express. I was impressed with how deep of a person he was during that one-on-one talk at the ancient Rutherford Rink and how optimistic he was in his fight.

    It was inspiring to see the community of Saskatoon rally again and again to help Smuk. I can still remember the warm fundraising night at the Rutherford Rink, and the big send off for him at the airport when he traveled to Germany for alternative treatment. Actually, my two most viewed posts ever are about Smuk.

    Smuk passed away on June 25, 2015 at age 26. I still feel for his father, Marty, mother, Darla, sister, Brittnie and fiancée, Stephanie Vause.

Items from Dominic Rooney's celebration of life.

    From a distance, I watched for the last year how Dominic Rooney’s battled played out. When I moved away from the Hat, he was in more of a stable spot, and his father, Sean, and mother, Trish, were pretty happy.

    It was cool to see how Medicine Hat rallied around the Rooney family. I think everybody realized how unfair that whole situation was.

    When Dominic was given just weeks to lived, the little guy managed to keep kicking for 36 weeks. He managed to go on a trip to Vancouver and one to Orlando.

    It was impressive to see how much Sean and Trish grew through this whole situation, but it is definitely something you don’t want anyone to go through.

    Dominic passed away on Sept. 3, 2015. I hope Sean and Trish have been able to find a new normal.

    The celebrations of life for both Cody Smuk and Dominic Rooney were spectacular. Both will always be remembered.

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

Sanford deserves NHL shot

Lack of size stigma only obstacle in path of Tigers captain

Tigers captain Cole Sanford gets set for a faceoff.

    MEDICINE HAT - Cole Sanford chuckled at the notion that it might take an old Medicine Hat Tigers link to get a break at the professional level.

    The Vernon, B.C., product and current Tigers captain knows the fact that he stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 165 pounds is the biggest obstacle he faces when it comes to trying to get an NHL entry-level contract offer. Playing in Medicine Hat, the thought does get booted around that maybe Vancouver Canucks head coach Willie Desjardins might take an interest in Sanford and create a chance for the skilled right-winger, who is small in stature.

    Desjardins was with the Tigers as head coach from 2002 to 2010 and also held the general manager’s role for the last five of those campaigns. He had a string of success utilizing smaller, skilled players, so naturally one would think there would be fit for Sanford.

    “Obviously, connections are nice,” said Sanford, who did attend Edmonton Oilers training camp in September. “If that happened, obviously, that would be exciting for me.

    “I am sure whatever came up or if there is any kind of opportunity, I’d be excited. It doesn’t matter where it is.”

    For his part, Sanford has already done more than enough to earn an NHL deal. After potting two goals and nine assists in 53 games as a 17-year-old rookie in 2012-13, Sanford had a break-out year as a sophomore netting 33 goals, 40 assists and a plus-47 rating in the plus-minus department.

    As an established star last season, he became one of the few players in recent WHL campaigns to crack the 50-goal barrier recording 50 goals, 45 assists and a plus-24 rating. Sanford missed some time this season with a shoulder injury, but he has still recorded 17 goals and 15 assists in 30 games on a Tigers team that has seen its lineup shuffle due to a number of key injuries.

    Those challenges have contributed to the fact the Tigers, who have made the playoffs for 13 straight seasons, sit an uncharacteristic 10^th overall in the WHL’s Eastern Conference with a 12-20-3-1 mark.

    Sanford is hopeful a professional shot will come.

Tigers captain Cole Sanford gets set to wire a shot on goal.

    “It is my goal,” said Sanford. “Right now I have basically half a year to find something and find an opportunity up there.

    “Obviously, that is everyone’s goal is to move on. We will see what happens.”

    As far as Sanford’s time in Medicine Hat goes, Tigers head coach and general manager Shaun Clouston said the veteran forward’s value cannot be overstated.

    “He has had a great career here,” said Clouston, who is second on the Tigers career regular season coaching wins list. “He has been a player that other guys can look up to.

    “He has gotten better, because he has committed to improvement. He has found ways to elevate his game at important times. He has been a great Tiger.”

    Clouston added that the uphill battle for smaller players to make the NHL seems to never go away, but he said Sanford keeps consistently doing his best to turn heads.

    “I think it is always a challenge,” said Clouston. “I think any time that a player is not 6-feet tall there is a bit of a label.

    “They have to fight through that. They have to prove themselves more so than a lot of the other players. He is a guy that continues to prove himself year in and year out.”

    The veteran bench boss added that Sanford’s game is still getting better.

    “He is a guy that has really committed especially late in games to doing the right thing, whether it is protecting the lead, finishing checks and getting clears,” said Clouston, whose team won four of five games heading into the WHL Christmas break. “He has been a real go to guy during this stretch where we have had more success.”

Cole Sanford (#26) celebrates a Tigers goal with his teammates.

    Sanford has put together a standout WHL career playing with a few different linemates as well. When he broke out offensively in 2013-14, Sanford was the triggerman on a high octane unit that contained Curtis Valk at centre and Trevor Cox at left wing. That trio formed one of the most exciting lines the Tigers had ever seen.

    Last season, Steven Owre stepped in at centre between Sanford and Cox after Valk was lost to graduation. Due to injuries and trades this season, Sanford has played with a variety of linemates.

    “It is definitely a lot different than the last two years, but I think it is good for me,” said Sanford. “It is good for me to play with different guys and adjust to that.”

    Sanford said he is a player that has a tendency to shoot more than pass in the offensive zone. With that said, he had a couple of nice assists in his club’s 5-4 overtime home ice loss on Sunday to the Lethbridge Hurricanes. The best helper came on the Tigers third goal, when Sanford slipped a feed that had eyes across the face the Lethbridge goal to Mark Rassell, who capitalized on the chance.

Tigers captain Cole Sanford follows through on a shot on goal.

    Since joining the team, Sanford said he has been fortunate to play on lines that contained smart playmakers, who had great vision, which has resulted in him being the finisher around the goal. During his time in Medicine Hat, Sanford has made a number of good memories, which included helping the club advance to the WHL’s Eastern Conference championship series in 2014.

    He also had the chance to play in the Tigers first home rink, The Arena, and the team’s new home, the Canalta Centre, which opened this season. No matter what happens on the professional front, the Tigers will always have a place in Sanford’s heart.

    “I’ve come a long ways with this team starting off as a 17-year-old and not playing too much and kind of earning my ice there as an 18-year-old and then getting the opportunity to play,” said Sanford. “Obviously, last season was a career year for myself. Everyone here has helped me lots.

    “When I was 15 looking at this organization, I was real excited to see all the videos and the rich history here. To be a part of that now with the new rink and obviously the old rink it is pretty cool.”

Canalta Centre looks sweet

A look over Tigers goalie Nick Schneider into the Canalta Centre.

    On first impressions, I think the Medicine Hat Tigers time in the Canalta Centre is going to be alright.

    When the moment came for the storied WHL franchise to play in a new home rink, there was a bit of a fear that something might be lost due to the fact the team was no longer playing in The Arena, which was the only home rink the franchise had known until the current campaign got underway.

    The nostalgia and the lively boards are two things The Arena will always have. The Tigers and their fans shared countless memorable experiences in that old rink including Brennan Bosch’s double overtime goal that won the seventh and deciding game of the 2007 WHL championship series. That building rocked in the post-season as sellout crowds of 4,006 packed the place in its final seating configuration.

    With those memories in mind, it was cool to see the Tigers playing in a modern home facility that seats 6,016 spectators in the Canalta Centre. There are no bad sightlines, and even though the building is bigger, you don’t feel far from the action.

    The view from the “Bob Ridley Broadcast Centre” press box and the box seating have to the envy of the league. You think the view from those areas would be far, but when you are in them you feel on top of the action.

    When the Tigers fell 5-4 in overtime to the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes on Sunday, you could still sense a good atmosphere as 5,032 spectators filled most of the seats. The rival Hurricanes also brought a healthy contingent of a few hundred supporters, whose cheering helped engage the host side’s fans.

Tigers centre Chad Butcher gets set up in the offensive zone.

    The game was widely entertaining, and you could set the highlight video to the old Tom Cochrane song, “Big League.” Basically, that night was the Western Hockey League at its best.

    There was also a familiarity factor to the place, even though it is new. The majority of the game day staff from The Arena came over to the Canalta Centre, and all the Tigers ardent supporters came too. Anyone that was at the old facility would recognize most of the people at the new facility on a game night.

    There are still obvious signs that the move in isn’t complete. The Tigers are suiting up in what is supposed to be the visitors’ dressing room due to the fact the home one isn’t finished. The Tabbies still don’t have a merchandise store set up and none of the team’s banners are hanging in the rafters.

    All of those items will be looked after over time. There is only so much that can be done, when you undertake a major move, which also included issues with getting a framework down for a lease.

    There is also a bit of a sense that everyone is still getting used to the new building, but you do have a gut feeling the Canalta Centre will be the place to be during a long Tigers playoff run. The Tigers new home is sweet, and it will be interesting to see what a game experience will be like when the club has a full off-season to prepare for the Canalta Centre’s sophomore campaign without worrying about a move.

    Still, the Hat’s new rink even right now is a place you have to see.

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

Lindgren lifts Hurricanes in OT

The Lethbridge Hurricanes celebrate their OT win in Medicine Hat.

    MEDICINE HAT - The surprising Lethbridge Hurricanes picked up where they left off in their first game after the WHL Christmas break.

    At the 2:23 mark of overtime, veteran centre Ryley Lindgren potted his second goal of the night to deliver the Hurricanes to a 5-4 victory over the host Medicine Hat Tigers before 5,032 spectators at the Canalta Centre on Sunday. The win allows the Hurricanes, who have missed the post-season for six straight years, to remain first overall in the WHL’s Eastern Conference with a 25-11 record.

    The Tigers, whose record moved to 12-19-3-1, almost pulled off a huge upset rallying from being down 2-0, 3-1 and 4-3 to force overtime. Moments before Lindgren scored, the Tigers looked like they were going to pick up the winner on a two-on-one break.

Ryley Lindgren was the Hurricanes OT hero.

    Medicine Hat winger Max Gerlach appeared to have an open cage to shoot at after receiving a pass from across the face of the Lethbridge goal, but Hurricanes netminder Jayden Sittler slide across the crease to make a huge highlight robbery save.

    Giorgio Estephan scored twice in regulation for the Hurricanes, who received a single from Justin Gutierrez. Gerlach, Cole Sanford, Mark Rassell and Matt Bradley replied with singles for the Tigers. Bradley tied the contest up at 4-4 with 5:20 to play in the third period.

    Sittler made 27 saves in goal for the Hurricanes, while Nick Schneider turned aside 33 shots in goal for the Tigers. The Tigers and Hurricanes will go at it again on Tuesday in Lethbridge.

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

Gardiner relishes Raiders rise

Reid Gardiner celebrates after scoring a goal for the Raiders.

    Reid Gardiner is having a lot more fun playing in the WHL this season.

    Now in his fourth full season with the Prince Albert Raiders, the 19-year-old right-winger has enjoyed the fact his club is battling amongst the league’s best. As the league wrapped up play to go into the Christmas break, the Raiders have surprised posting a 20-11-2-1 record to sit two points back of the Brandon Wheat Kings (21-11-1-2) for first in the WHL’s East Division and fifth overall in the WHL’s Eastern Conference.

    Actually, the Raiders, who have relied on a strong work ethic and an attention to detail, are only five points shy of first place in the Eastern Conference trailing another surprise team in the Lethbridge Hurricanes (24-11).

    When the season started, the Raiders, who missed the playoffs last season with a 31-37-2-2 mark, were expected to battle for a playoff spot at best. At times, they have sat first overall in the Eastern Conference and the East Division. First place in the East Division was supposed to be conceded to the Wheat Kings, so Gardiner is pretty pleased his team is in the mix.

    “It is obviously a lot more fun,” said Gardiner. “Nobody likes losing obviously. It is not very fun.

    “To kind of be in the top five or six in the east is a pretty good feeling for our group. I think we have a good group. We’ve got a close team, and that has helped kind of propel us kind up in the standings.”

    The Humboldt, Sask., product, who has always had good offensive skill, is also having what might be his best campaign in the league. Having appeared in all of the Raiders 34 games, he has posted 20 goals, 26 assists and so far a career best plus-15 in the plus-minus department.

    In his first two seasons, the Raiders had decent records posting a 37-28-3-4 mark in 2012-13 and a 35-32-3-2 record in 2013-14, when the club needed to down the Red Deer Rebels in a tiebreaking game to make the post-season. The Green, White and Gold were swept out of the post-season in both of those campaigns.

    Gardiner said there has been a better overall atmosphere with the team this season compared to past campaigns that he played with the club.

    “I think just changing the culture of our group and the overall attitude of playing in Prince Albert,” said Gardiner, who is the Raiders scoring leader. “I think back in the late 80s and early 90s it was a kind of a dynasty like team.

    “P.A. is a hockey town. I think lots of guys had a sour taste in their mouths coming into this year after not making playoffs last year. Everybody made a point of working hard over the summer and coming in with the right attitude. Things have worked out thus far.”

Reid Gardiner (#19) breaks up ice with Raiders teammate Vojtech Budik.

    Part of the atmosphere change occurred after Marc Habscheid took over as the team’s head coach about a third of the way into last season, when the Raiders relieved Cory Clouston of those duties. Coming to Prince Albert, Habscheid has a lengthy resume of being a star coach who is best remember for guiding the Kelowna Rockets to a WHL title in 2003 and a Memorial Cup championship as the tournament’s host squad the following campaign. He also guided Canada’s world junior team in 2002-03 as head coach.

    Habscheid said the key to his the Raiders strong start so far is the fact the players have stayed focused on the present.

    “In this league, it is a day to day thing,” said Habscheid. “You look at it overall, and you never want to be satisfied.

    “There are ebbs and flows throughout the season, and you just have to look at realistically and not get too high or too low. Overall, we are OK.”

    The Raiders signed Habscheid to a four year contract extension in the off-season and brought in Curtis Hunt, who was a former player on the clubs 1984-85 Memorial Cup championship  team, as general manager on a four-year contract after former GM Bruno Campese and the club mutually parted ways.

    Habscheid and Hunt have combined with associate coach Dave Manson, who was also a player on the Raiders Memorial Cup winner and a veteran coach with the club, to make the Art Hauser Centre a good place to be for the players. Habscheid, who is a former player with the Saskatoon Blades, and Manson also had lengthy playing careers in the NHL.

    Gardiner said the additions of Habscheid and Hunt have been big for the team.

    “They are willing to put their time in with us and make us better people and players,” said Gardiner. “It is definitely a benefit to us to have former players coaching us, and being a general manager for sure.

    “I think it was a smart move by the organization to sign Marc Habscheid for another four years and Curtis Hunt for four years.”

    The Raiders return to action on Sunday, when they host their archrivals the Blades at 7 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre.

Blades aim to make second half waves

Right-winger Ryan Graham, right, sets a screen in the offensive zone.

    Connor Gay wanted to maintain a balance of enjoying family time while still having some focus on hockey.

    The overage right-winger wants to push his Saskatoon Blades back into the post-season after a two-year absence. The Blades finished last in the entire WHL each of the past two campaigns after hosting the Memorial Cup in 2013. After the 2013 Memorial Cup wrapped up, the Blades have been going through an extensive rebuild phase.

    They went into the Christmas break of the current campaign with a 13-17-3 record to sit ninth overall in the WHL’s Eastern Conference and two points back of the Edmonton Oil Kings (14-19-3) of the conference’s final playoff berth with three games in hand.

    Gay was pretty aware of the opportunity that was before his club.

    “You have to keep it in the back of your mind,” said Gay, who has 11 goals and 22 assists in 31 games. “If you totally let go from it, you are not going to have a very good start of the second half.

    “It is a time to relax. It is time to let go and have some fun, obviously. You have to be able to come back in the second half and be ready for a tough second half of the season.”

    After jumping out to a 7-4-3 start, the Blades hit a slide starting on Nov. 15. They proceeded to go 3-12 from that date before winning three of their last four contests before the Christmas break.

    With the Blades having the youngest roster in the league, a November skid could have been expected, because that is the time the grind of the season kicks in. That grind is always a challenge for any young player to adjust to.

    Often during the losing stretch, the Blades would give the first goal and not be able to rally.

With that in mind, Saskatoon gained a nice boost after rallying from a 2-0 deficit to beat the league leading and defending WHL champion Kelowna Rockets 5-3 in the last contest before the break on Dec. 19.

    “We didn’t allow it to affect us,” said Blades head coach and general manager Bob Woods. “I thought our older guys kind of took charge and led by example.”

    Gay was happy to see the down stretch come to an end, and he can’t wait to get the second half going.

    “It is definitely frustrating to find a way out of it,” said Gay. “Right now, it is going well.

“We need to have a good Christmas break, have some fun, but when we get back on Boxing Day it is time to get back to work.”

Merry Christmas to everyone

    I hope all the readers out there have a Merry Christmas and a happy new year, and I also a big thank-you to you all for stopping by here to read my posts.

    I hope everyone was able to spend some quality time with friends and family. I have been able to enjoy a couple of sizable family gatherings in the Saskatoon area.

    While it has been for me to live in a centre with a large number of family members, I do miss being in Medicine Hat for the holiday season having lived there for 10 years from 2004 to 2014. One of the highlights was always attending the late night Christmas Eve mass at St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church. It always felt like those nights were magical.

    Wherever you are, I hope you all were able to enjoy the annual traditions you partake in over the holiday season. Have a great one.

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

Christmas comes early for Blades

Double Blue earns huge upset victory over Rockets

The SaskTel Centre scoreboards flashes the final of the Blades upset win.

    The Saskatoon Blades gave themselves an early Christmas present.

    On Saturday at the SaskTel Centre, the Blades entered their final contest before the WHL’s Christmas break as huge underdogs against the league leading and defending league champion Kelowna Rockets. The Rockets were also rated fourth in the Canadian Hockey League's top ten rankings. After falling behind 2-0 after the opening 20 minutes, the hosts side roared back to pull out a well-earned 5-3 victory before an appreciative crowd of 3,997 spectators.

    “They are a pretty phenomenal hockey team,” said Blades overage right-winger Connor Gay. “They are team that is quite offensive, and I think we stuck to our game tonight.

    “We played good defence, and I couldn’t be happier that we won tonight.”

    The Rockets came into “the Bridge City” with two big absences as centres Nick Merkley and Rourke Chartier were both in Finland trying to crack the final roster for Canada’s world junior team. Kelowna was also without forward Tomas Soustal, who is trying to earn a spot on the Czech Republic’s team for world juniors, and left-winger Calvin Thurkauf, who will be part of Switzerland’s team at the world juniors.

    Despite the fact that foursome was overseas, the Rockets jumped ahead 2-0 on a pair of tallies coming off the stick of WHL scoring leader Tyson Baillie, who potted his first marker on a breakaway. While Kelowna held a 2-0 edge after first frame, Blades played at an even pace with the visitors.

Blades rearguard Mitch Wheaton, right, helps with the teddy clean up.

    Just 67 seconds into the second, the Blades were finally rewarded for their effort, as centre Wyatt Sloboshan scored to cut the gap to 2-1. Sloboshan’s goal triggered a flood of stuffed animals to get thrown on to the ice surface due to the fact Saskatoon was holding its teddy bear toss promotion.

    After the stuffed animals were cleared away, the Blades momentum continued to roll with goals coming from the sticks of captain Nick Zajac and stand out centre Cameron Hebig, which gave the hosts a 3-2 edge.

    The lead didn’t last long as five seconds later Rockets left-winger Justin Kirkland put a floater past Saskatoon netminder Evan Smith, who was making his first start with the Blades after being acquired in a trade with the Victoria Royals on Dec. 10.

    Before the second period ended, the Blades jumped back ahead 4-3. While working on a power play, Sloboshan got the puck down low by the right side of the Kelowna goal after a greasy bounce off the boards, and Vanscoy product made no mistake potting his second of the contest.

    After jumping out to a 7-4-3 start, the Blades hit a big slide starting on Nov. 15. Saturday marked the fifth time Saskatoon has won since that date as their record improved to 13-17-3. During the skid, they often couldn’t recover after giving up the first goal of a game, so Gay was pleased his side erased a two-goal deficit on Saturday.

    “There has been lots of talk about us obviously deflating after the first couple of goals get let in,” said Gay. “Lately, I think we’ve been really trying to stay positive and fighting back in games. Lately, it has been working out.

    “You never want to be down in a hockey game. If you are down, you have to stay positive and you have to work hard to get back in the game, and that is what we did.”

    Gay added another power-play goal at the 7:31 mark of the third to put Saskatoon up 5-3. Smith made 27 stops to pick up the win in goal.

    Star netminder Jackson Whistle turned away 28 shots taking the loss in goal for the Rockets, who fell to 25-9-1 but remain first overall in the WHL.

Evan Smith made 27 saves to earn his first win in goal for the Blades.

    “Our guys believe they can win any game,” said Blades head coach and general manager Bob Woods. “Last year we probably didn’t think that way. Now, we believe that.

    “We probably put a little bit more pressure on ourselves, because our expectations are higher than they have been. There is nothing wrong with that. I think that is a great step for our guys.

    “We want to have success, and we are not happy if we don’t. That to me is the type of environment you want to have especially with your young guys.”

    The Blades sit ninth overall in the WHL’s Eastern Conference, and they trail the 14-19-3 Edmonton Oil Kings by two points for eighth place and the conference’s final playoff berth. Saskatoon finished last in the entire WHL each of the past two seasons after hosting the 2013 Memorial Cup.

    Woods said wins like the one his squad earned over the Rockets help his players gain confidence, but he cautioned his squad still has a lot of room for improvement.

    “We are the type of team that still has a lot of growing pains,” said Woods. “We are the youngest team in the league, and I hate always bringing that up, but it is a fact.

    “There are lots of things for us to learn. We just have to keep going and take in every experience and build on it. The second half is going to be a tough go.

    “Hopefully, we are in some meaningful games and have a chance to battle for that last playoff spot.”

    The Blades and Rockets both return to action on Dec. 27. Saskatoon travels to Prince Albert to take on the Raiders, while Kelowna heads to Kamloops to take on the Blazers.

    NOTES – In the second period of Saturday’s game, Rockets defenceman Cal Foote received a major penalty and a game misconduct for a head check. That play will be automatically reviewed by the WHL office for a suspension.

    Whistle stopped Blades right-winger Mason McCarty on a penalty shot late in the third period.

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

Stars still among Canada's best

Depth of Saskatoon’s female midget AAA squad shines through

Mackenna Parker gets set to drive home a goal for the Stars.

    The Saskatoon Stars are trying to emulate the 1989-90 Edmonton Oilers by showing they still have a great team despite the loss of their superstars.

    Back in the 1989-90 NHL campaign, the Oilers ventured on a surprising run that saw them capture their fifth Stanley Cup title. At the time, that victory was supposed to be unthinkable, because two years early they traded the icon of all hockey icons in Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings.

    When Gretzky was dealt, many believed a very long time would pass before the Oilers would every again win the Stanley Cup. By winning it all in 1990, the Oilers proved they were still a great team.

    The Stars female midget AAA team entered the 2015-16 campaign with two crippling superstar departures. Gone were forwards Sophie Shirley and Nara Elia who left to play their 16-year-old seasons with the Notre Dame Hounds club that plays out of the Junior Women’s Hockey League, which is made up of prep school teams.

    As 15-year-old sophomores with the Stars in 2014-15, Shirley and Elia were the two most exciting players in the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League. Elia topped the league in scoring with 23 goals and 17 assists, and Shirley, who was named the league’s most valuable player, was second in the scoring race with 22 goals and 17 assists.

Anna Leschyshyn cuts hard to the net for a Stars scoring chance.

    Together, they helped the Stars post an unprecedented 25-3 regular season record and a 45-5 mark after including action at the Mac’s tournament, the SFMAAAHL playoffs and the Esso Cup national championship tournament. The Stars also claimed the Mac’s title, the SFMAAAHL championship and bronze at nationals.

    While five players from that team exhausted their eligibility after playing out their 17-year-old seasons, one had to think the Stars would do great things in 2015-16 returning a great core of players. Shirley, who was recently named to Canada’s under-18 team for the women’s worlds in January, and Elia would have been the jewels among the returnees. Their presence alone would have made the Stars huge favourites to hang a few more banners at the Agriplace Arena.

    When Shirley and Elia departed to Wilcox, Sask., one had to wonder if the Stars would fall back to the pack with the rest of the teams of the SFMAAAHL.

    It looked that way for a very short time at first. The Stars opened the regular season falling 3-1 to the Prairie Fire in Melville on Oct. 3. After that setback, they proceeded to win their next 15 straight regular season games.

Defender Willow Slobodzian is arguably the Stars most exciting player.

    When there are big departures, it also creates opportunities for others to step up. That is what has happened in Saskatoon.

    Heading into Saturday’s action, 15-year-old forward Mackenna Parker has netted 10 goals and 11 assists in 13 games to sit in a tie with Chloe Smith of the Swift Current Wildcats for top spot in the SFMAAAHL scoring race. In her sophomore season, Parker has already surpassed her assists and points totals from a season ago.

    Grace Shirley, who is Sophie’s younger sister, sits third in league scoring with 11 goals and six assists as an underage 14-year-old rookie.

    While Parker and Grace Shirley have put up the biggest numbers, the Stars are getting solid production spread out through the rest of their team.

    The Stars most exciting player is arguably Willow Slobodzian, who is a smooth skating, puck moving offensive defender. She was spectacular as a 14-year-old rookie last season quarterbacking the power play netting six goals and 13 assists in 28 games. The Clavet product has been better this year netting two goals and 10 assists, while seemingly seeing a game that is three to four steps ahead of anyone on the ice.

    Emma Johnson is back for her third season between the pipes as a 16-year-old, and she still possesses the ability to steal a game. She has posted a 7-1 record, a 1.12 goals against average, a .955 save percentage and two shutouts.

Emma Johnson has been consistently stellar in goal for the Stars.

    Up and down the lineup, all the Stars veterans are good, and they could get big performances from any of them at any time. Grace Shirley is part of a crop of six rookies, who have all stepped in and made impacts. 

    Included in that group of six is a rookie with a familiar last name in Saskatoon hockey circles in Anna Leschyshyn, whose father and team assistant coach Curtis had a lengthy playing career in the NHL. As a 14-year-old rookie, Anna, who stands 5-foot-10, has eight goals and six assists.

    Grace Shirley and Anna Leschyshyn both suited up with the Stars last season as associate player call ups.

    From Dec. 10 to 13, the Stars were invited down to the Mandi Schwartz Memorial Tournament in Wilcox, Sask., which contained 16 very strong female midget AAA teams and JWHL squads. The Stars opened by blanking the defending JWHL champion Warner Hockey School Warriors 2-0. Saskatoon beat Edmonton’s St. Francis X-treme 5-2 before closing round robin action with a 2-0 setback to the Westman Wildcats from Hartney, Man.

    The Stars split their two consolation playoff games falling 1-0 to Northern Capitals of Prince George, B.C., and slipping past Winnipeg’s Balmoral Hall 3-2 in overtime.

Grace Shirley has lit up the scoreboard for the Stars.

    Saskatoon’s roster is still considered young as captain Danielle Nogier and defenders Hollie Coumont, Danielle Girolami and Rayah DeCorby are the only players in their 17-year-old and final seasons of midget eligibility.

    They will still face some tough competition in their league, which includes traveling to Prince Albert for Saturday and Sunday clashes with the 13-5 A & W Bears. The Stars swept the Bears in last season’s SFMAAAHL best-of-five title series.

    With all that in mind, the Stars keep proving game in and game out they still have a great team without their two superstar talents from a season ago. They might just find a way to win another SFMAAAHL title and maybe make another appearance in the Esso Cup.

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

The song in Prince Albert is still "Go Raiders Go"

Reid Gardiner gets set to snipe home a goal for the Raiders.

    PRINCE ALBERT - “The Song in Prince Albert is Go Raiders Go.”

    A tune written in the early 1970s by country singer Russ Gurr still describes “Hockey Town North.” Thru good times and bad, you must never underestimate the passion the small northern Saskatchewan community has for its Raiders hockey club.

    Team founder Reg Martsinkiw said when he would step into the Art Hauser Centre after a long absence he would immediately see at least 10 friends he hadn’t seen in some time, and his heart would warm from the reunion that ensued.

    You step into the Raiders long-time home rink, and the diehards that have gone to games for decades since the team was formed in 1971 are there. Going into the Art Hauser Centre on Saturday during the Raiders 5-2 setback to the Kamloops Blazers you also encounter a number of young families. They are newcomers you didn’t see in the past that were among the 2,610 in attendance at a facility that seats 2,580.

    In small centres like Prince Albert, circuits like the Western Hockey League matter. The importance of a franchise like the Raiders to Prince Albert is equal to the importance the Oilers are to Edmonton, the Flames are to Calgary and the Jets are to Winnipeg at the NHL level.

    The Raiders have averaged 2,299 fans per game through 16 games this season in a centre with a population of just over 35,000. If the same sort of figure translated out for a centre the size of Saskatoon, the WHL Blades would need an arena that would seat close to 20,000 spectators to satisfy an equivalent amount of ticket purchases.

    Raider diehards love to take shots at their big city rivals, so they often love to bring up the fact fans of the “Green and Gold” are more loyal than those of the “Double Blue.” It is no wonder another favourite song that will echo in the Art Hauser Centre is the Guess Who’s “Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon” after the Blades lose following a visit there.

    Raider fans are proud of their team and its history. In their junior A era as a member of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, they were a dynasty winning four Centennial Cups as national champions in 1977, 1979, 1981 and 1982.

Associate coach Dave Manson is a "heart and soul" Raider.

    Following the 1982 championship, the Raiders joined the WHL, and after their third season in the major junior ranks in May of 1985, they claimed junior hockey’s ultimate prize in the Memorial Cup. All of that success came under the club’s legendary head coach and general manager Terry Simpson.

    Little Prince Albert proved it could stand out nationally, and the Raiders were the centre of that pride. During those years, the Raiders established a reputation for being a rough and tumble team, but not a bully team. They were a hard working group that played physical, with passion and heart.

    They are also viewed as one of those franchises where honour mattered, and that is exemplified in associate coach Dave Manson, who was a physical blue-liner on the 1985 Memorial Cup winner and went on to a long career in the NHL. 

    In Manson, Prince Albertans see a local product that represents everything good about the city in being honest, genuine, hard-working and tough, and he is super at being sociable with everyone in town. His No. 4 will fittingly be retired in a pre-game ceremony on February 12 in the new year.

    While being known for their toughness, the Raiders also had their pretty aspect seen in players like Mike Modano, who went on to a legendary career in the NHL. They could also make all those picturesque perfect plays you could watch again and again on video highlights.

    Following 1985, the Raiders would continue to make a number of other lengthy forays into the post-season. In 1995, they were a win away from returning to the Memorial Cup tournament dropping Game 7 of the WHL’s Eastern Conference final to the Brandon Wheat Kings. The Blazers, who were the tournament hosts that year, won the Western Conference and ultimately claimed the WHL and Memorial Cup titles.

    The last great venture the Raiders made into the post-season came in 2005, and it has become known locally in Prince Albert as “The Run.”

Rearguard Jesse Lees gets set to drive a shot on goal for the Raiders. 

    That Raider team was filled with a roster of characters who had character like Rejean Beauchemin, Dane Byers, Kyle Chipchura, Jeremy Colliton, Luke Fritshaw, Mike Gauthier, Mike Hellyer, Rick Kozak, Jeff May, Brett Novak, Brent Ottmann, Caine Pearpoint, Evan Schafer, Chris Schlenker and Aki Seitsonen. On top of that, they brought back good dressing room glue guy Justin Cruse, who was traded away early in the season to allow the club to get down to three overage players, before playoffs as an assistant coach.  

    That group was a genuine bunch that was as comfortable interacting in various social situations in the community as they were playing on the ice.

    Hilarious one-liners often filled dressing room and bus conversations and the sense of humour those players had was shared with the community, which made them feel that much more human.

    They eliminated the Blades and the Medicine Hat Tigers before bowing out in a tough seven game Eastern Conference final series to the Wheat Kings.

    Fans in Prince Albert can still see images of Chipchura’s big plays, Schlenker’s huge hits and Beauchemin’s acrobatic one arm save against Kieran Block of the Tigers, which was a TSN highlight of the night.

    If you saw video and pictures of the crowd the Winnipeg Jets had during their NHL playoffs games last season, the Art Hauser Centre was a smaller version of that in 2005. Opponents were playing against the Raiders and their fans, and it felt like you were battling against a crusade. The fans were out to support “their boys” and the passion and warmth was evident.

    Back then, it was thought that run would spark another golden age for Raider hockey. That ultimately didn’t come to pass.

    Since 2005, the Raiders have missed the post-season five times excluding 2009, when they faced the Edmonton Oil Kings in a standings tiebreaking game, and have only posted a winning record twice.

Austin Glover brings the puck up ice for the Raiders.

    For the Raiders fans, the pride took a hit, and sometimes the passion manifested itself in over the top criticism of management, players and staff.

    Another blow to the psyche came last season, when the Raiders were forced to trade star forward Leon Draisaitl to the Kelowna Rockets, when he was assigned back to the major junior ranks by the NHL’s Oilers. Some took that chain events to mean that little Prince Albert – a place where junior hockey matters – was going to be relegated to some sort of second tier outpost in the major junior ranks.

    Even as that went down, the winds of change were starting to blow. The Raiders brought in standout veteran bench boss Marc Habscheid as head coach halfway through last season and signed him through the end of the 2018-19 campaign in the off-season.

    Also in the off-season, they brought in Curtis Hunt, who played defence on the 1985 Memorial Cup winner, as general manager on a four-year contract. Hunt had been the head coach and general manager of the Fort McMurray Oil Barons of the Alberta Junior Hockey League last season, and he is a solid hockey person who has coached nine seasons in the WHL between the Moose Jaw Warriors and Regina Pats.

    The North Battleford product is a perfect fit to oversee the operations of the Raiders, and he should always have a role in some form in the WHL.

    With Kelly Guard, who was a former goaltending star with the Rockets, on board as an assistant coach, Terry Lange as a strength and conditioning coach and Mark Odnokon on as a skills coach, the Raiders are sound in both the coaching and front office ranks.

    Still, expectations were not high going into this season, but the Raiders have bolted out to an 18-10-2-1 start to sit second in the WHL’s East Division. They have gone through short stretches where they have sat on top of the Eastern Conference standings.

    Even in Saturday’s loss to the Blazers, the Raiders compete level was high. They led 1-0 and 2-1. When the Blazers went up 3-2 early in the third, the Raiders mounted a huge push back that forced Kamloops netminder Connor Ingram make a number of huge saves. The Blazers netted their insurance goal off a turnover during a short stretch of four-on-four play.

    The fans at the Art Hauser Centre were engaged, and the cheers were the loudest every time the Raiders threw a big hit. The spectators weren’t in the neighbour of being as loud as those playoff crowds in 2005, but you get the feeling they could jump back up to that level.

Raiders captain Tim Vanstone celebrates a goal by his team.

    At the moment, there are skeptics saying that the Raiders are overachieving. They might not remain near the top of the standings, but making playoffs would still be judged a success.

With that in mind, Simpson, when pressed, will admit he had some teams that overachieved and did some great things.

    Habscheid is a star coach, who can help players and teams overachieve. If the Raiders keep bringing a strong work ethic and playing with lots of passion and heart, they just might do some great things again.

    If the players keep displaying those traits, the fans will be there in a big way, and opposing teams might want to think twice about what post-season visits to the Art Hauser Centre will be like. In a small centre, it seems like everyone has to be “all in” to make a major junior franchise work, and while there may be disagreements in the community, citizens in Prince Albert have always rallied around the Raiders.

    For the fans, the dream will always be alive like in 1985.

    They are just waiting for the moment and the stage to show Canada once again that the song in Prince Albert is and will always be “Go Raiders Go.”

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