CIAU title cemented Cougars as legends in Regina

The Cougars raise the CIAU championship banner in 2001.

For the University of Regina Cougars women’s basketball team, the 2001 Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union championship game was going to be fun.

After getting past the University of Calgary Dinos 71-67 in an all-time classic in one tournament semifinal clash, the Cougars settled in to watch the host University of Alberta Pandas take on the Queen’s University Golden Gaels. The Pandas posted a solid 70-62 victory in the main gym at the Van Vliet Complex on the U of A campus in front of a raucous crowd.

As the final seconds of the Pandas semifinal win ticked away, the Cougars players looked at each other taking note of the atmosphere in the building. Then, a light went on.

Heather (Dedman) McMurray drives the lane for the Cougars.

The Cougars realized the national final was going to be your classic road game against a hostile crowd. When they stepped into the U of A main gym for the national final, the Cougars knew they were going to be the outlaws.

Nobody in the building was going to want them to win. After that tidbit was brought up, everyone smiled.

To be fair, the Cougars were going to be backed by a sizable contingent of supporters. When the 2001 CIAU championship game was played, at least 300 out of the standing room crowd of 2,750 spectators were backing the Regina side.

Corrin Wersta, right, was one of the Cougars top players.

In the Saskatchewan capital, the Cougars women’s basketball team had risen to the status of being one of Regina’s most popular teams.

In 2001, you could argue the Cougars status was at the same level of the University of Regina Rams football team, who fell 42-39 to the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees in the Vanier Cup in December of 2000, and the WHL’s Regina Pats, who were going to host the Memorial Cup in May of 2001.

In 1993, Christine Stapleton, who helped the Laurentian University Lady Vees win back-to-back CIAU titles in 1990 and 1991 as a player, became the Cougars head coach and took on the massive task on rebuilding a proud program that has fallen on hard times.

Crystal (Heisler) McGregor drive up court in the 2001 CIAU final.

Stapleton and her Lady Vees met the Cougars in the 1991 CIAU final and posted a 79-72 victory in overtime. After that game, the Cougars slipped to the status of struggling program.

Arriving in Regina, Stapleton realized the talent existed in Saskatchewan to rebuild the Cougars. She was tenacious recruiter who was able to befriend players and show a genuine interest in their lives.

Stapleton was able to find talented players who were good character persons as well. When Stapleton had to deliver a message that something wasn’t good enough, the players understood where it came from and were motivated to get better.

Phoebe (De Ciman) Haugen had 13 points in the 2001 CIAU final.

The odd time, Stapleton had to give the suck it up and get tough speech. When time came she had to deliver those words, you knew she was right and where she was coming from.

Overall, Stapleton genuinely cared for her players, and the players knew their coach was always in their corner.

On the court, the Cougars played an exciting brand of basketball, where they tried to run their foes out of the gym and burn out the lights on the scoreboard.

Defensively, the Cougars played man defence most of the time mixing in a bit of a 1-3-1 press. The players were so good at one-on-one defence that it became very frustrating to the opposition.

Cougars HC Christine Stapleton call out directions from the bench.

In the 1996-97 campaign, the Cougars made it to first in the CIAU Top 10 rankings for the first time under Stapleton’s watch. They became a powerhouse from that point onwards.

In most games from that point in time, Stapleton just had to turn her team loose and offered encouragement and made adjustments with a smile. She also surrounded herself with great assistant coaches in Diane Hilko and Dave Taylor, which help keep everything moving forward.

All over Regina, hoops started to go up on driveways outside of houses as little girls started to take up the sport to be like the Cougars. 

Cymone (Bouchard) Bernauer, right, drives up court for the Cougars.

It was common after home games playing in the cramped Physical Activity Centre for the Cougars players to be swamped outside of their dressing room by little girls looking for autographs.

The Cougars obtained celebrity status in “The Queen City.”

While the Cougars reached big heights, they still had to work their way through baby steps when they started appearing at the CIAU elite-eight national championship tournament. The Cougars got to nationals under Stapleton’s watch for the first time in 1998 and finished fourth.

The Cougars bench looks on intently during the 2001 CIAU final.

A fifth place finish followed in 1999 before the Cougars captured a bronze medal at the 2000 tournament, which was also hosted at U of A. In the 2000 bronze medal game, the Cougars downed the host Pandas 66-53, so they knew what to expect in the 2001 CIAU final against that same foe.

In finally getting to the CIAU title game, the Cougars weren’t going to be denied. They had too much experience, athleticism and heart.

The Cougars had stars like fifth-year forward Corrin Wersta was the CIAU player of the year for women’s basketball in 1998-99 and sophomore forward Cymone (Bouchard) Bernauer would capture that same honour in 2003-04.

Bree Burgess (#8) had 11 points in the 2001 CIAU final.

Overall, the Cougars had the best depth they ever had in team history in the 2000-01 campaign.

On Sunday, March 11, 2001, the Cougars stepped into the main gym at the U of A and downed the host Pandas 94-85.

The Pandas started the contest jumping out to a 4-0.

The Cougars proceeded to go on an 11-0 run to take an 11-4 advantage and never looked back from that point. U of R’s advantage grew to 50-39 at halftime before settling out at the 94-85 final.

Becky (Poley) Schutz pulls down a rebound in the 2001 CIAU final.

For a lot of the clash, the Cougars held a lead of nine or 10 points.

The 94 points the Cougars scored is still a record for most points scored in a CIAU women’s basketball final. In the present day, the CIAU is now known as U Sports.

In the 2001 national championship game win, seven members of the Cougars hit double digits in scoring.

Fifth-year guard Heather (Dedman) McMurray led the way with 24 points being named the game’s MVP and earning a tournament all-star nod. She kept making free throws inside the final two minutes of the game, when the Pandas were forced to foul to stop the clock.

Heather (Dedman) McMurray (#4) led the Cougars with 24 points.

Fifth-year forward Becky (Poley) Schutz finished her final game with the Cougars with 14 points. Forwards Phoebe (De Ciman) Haugen and Wersta had 13 and 12 points respectively.

Shooting guard Bree Burgess had 11 points. Bernauer and guard Crystal (Heisler) McGregor each netted 10 points.

Bernauer was named the most valuable player of the tournament and a tournament all-star.

McGregor, who was one of the Cougars most popular players, would later pass away on May 15, 2014 after an inspiring battle against cervical cancer lasting over two years in length.

The celebration is on as the Cougars win the 2001 CIAU title.

She was only 35-years-old – a proud wife (of Paul McGregor) and mother (of Aija and Zayden).

Fifth-year guard Cathy Butlin topped the Pandas with 30 points.

With a comfortable lead, the Cougars ensured their most veteran players were all on the court when the final buzzer sounded. When the final buzzer sounded, they stormed the court in celebration along with their family, friends and fans.

The on court celebrations lasted about two hours after the game ended before players drifted to the dressing room to shower and change for the return trip to Regina.

Crystal (Heisler) McGregor leads the post-game cheer.

The Cougars finished the 2000-01 campaign with a 30-5 overall record. They had a 7-0 post-season mark that included a third straight Great Plains Athletic Conference title.

During the campaign, they received key contributions at different times from Rumali Werapitiya, Jana (Schweitzer) Linner, Leah (Anderson) Levy, Tara-Lee Crosson, Kaela McKaig and Sheena Aitken.

Now 20 years to the day of that game, the players from that Cougars team have become successful mothers, lawyers, businesswomen, coaches, trainers and community leaders.

Rumali Werapitiya, left, and Phoebe (De Ciman) Haugen enjoy victory.

Stapleton coached the Cougars for one more season and is now the director of sports and recreation at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ont. 

Taylor became the head coach of the Cougars women’s team in 2006.

The Cougars returned to the national final in 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2013, but were unable to recapture the Bronze Baby trophy as national champions.

Still, the Cougars women’s basketball program continues to be one of Regina’s most storied teams.

The 2000-01 Cougars are CIAU champions. 

To this day, the members of the CIAU champion 2000-01 Cougars are remember in Regina as legends.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com. The video tribute below for the 2000-01 Cougars comes courtesy Becky (Poley) Schutz.

-------                                     

If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.

Yager’s Warriors future is now

Contacts’ grad begins WHL journey with bonus time

Brayden Yager in action with the Contacts in 2019-20.

Brayden Yager is embarking on some bonus time in the WHL.

The skilled forward, who turned 16-years-old in early January, will suit up with the Moose Jaw Warriors, when they begin their 24-game regular season playing East Division foes in a bubble environment at the Brandt Centre in Regina.

The Warriors start off action in the Regina bubble taking on the Brandon Wheat Kings on Friday at 4 p.m. Saskatchewan time.

Yager, who stands 6-feet and weighs 160 pounds, came up through the minor hockey system in Saskatchewan as highly touted player. He was so highly touted that he became a candidate for exceptional status to play in the WHL on a full-time basis as 15-year-old.

While he has a maturity that is beyond his youthful years, Yager wasn’t able to obtain exceptional player status.

The only player in the history of the WHL to earn exceptional player status is phenom forward Connor Bedard. The North Vancouver, B.C., was taken first overall in the last WHL Bantam Draft that was held in late April of 2020.

Centre Riley Heidt, who is a longtime friend and teammate of Yager’s, went second overall to the Prince George Cougars. Heidt was also a candidate for exceptional player status, but he wasn’t able to land that tag.

Yager went third overall to the Warriors.

Bedard, Heidt and Yager provided an unbelievably strong top three to lead off the last WHL Bantam Draft.

Yager and Heidt played the 2019-20 campaign as 14-year-old underage players with the Saskatoon Contacts of the Saskatchewan Male Under-18 AAA Hockey League (SMAAAHL).

Yager appeared in all 44 of the Contacts regular season games piling up 18 goals and 24 assists for 42 points. Heidt, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 161 pounds, also appeared in all 44 of the Contacts regular season games recording 17 goals and 20 assists for 37 points.

Brayden Yager went third overall in the last WHL Bantam Draft.

In normal times, Yager and Heidt would be trying to help the Contacts enjoy a long playoff run in the respective sophomore seasons with that club. Due to the government restrictions that have been brought in place to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world, the Contacts haven’t played since Nov. 20,2020, when they fell 4-3 to the Saskatoon Blazers at the SaskTel Centre.

No team in the SMAAAHL has hit the ice for game action since Nov. 22, 2020.

Yager and Heidt helped the Contacts get out to a 5-1 start. Yager had four goals and seven assists for 11 points in those contests, while Heidt posted three goals and seven assists for 10 points over that same period.

With the Telus Cup male under-18 AAA national hockey championship tournament having been cancelled for a second straight year and the SMAAAHL campaign getting called off on Feb. 26, Yager and Heidt were able to join their respective WHL teams.

The Cougars open their season on March 27 taking on the Kamloops Blazers at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops playing out of the two-city bubble used by the B.C. Division. Prospera Place in Kelowna will also hold B.C. Division games.

While Yager and Heidt are highly touted prospects, this shortened WHL campaign is house money time for both players.  They weren’t expected to be in major junior hockey on a full-time basis at this point in time.

The shortened 24-game regular seasons they will play allow them to get a first taste about what playing in the WHL will be like. It does give them a key opportunity for development playing against older players they wouldn’t normally have.

They will be that much more ready to play in the league in what should be a longer campaign in 2021-22 in their regular 16-year-old seasons.

Yager will have more eyes on him due to being a Saskatchewan product playing on a Saskatchewan team.

His Warriors have a longstanding rivalry with the Pats, which is often viewed as major junior hockey’s greatest rivalry.

Brayden Yager is expected to be a star in Moose Jaw.

When the Warriors and Pats go at it, those battles will have the added dynamic of being Yager versus Bedard clashes. The first of which will take place this coming Tuesday at 8 p.m. Saskatchewan time at the Brandt Centre.

In regular times, these meetings should have likely first taken place in the 2021-22 season.

While spectators won’t be allowed into WHL rinks for the shortened 2020-21 campaign, you can bet there will be a little more interest in seeing online streams of games between the Warriors and Pats due to the Yager versus Bedard aspect.

If Yager is able to outperform Bedard, you will likely get Warriors fans smack talking Pats supporters on the lines of, “Our young star is better than your young star.”

To be honest, the smack talk is all good.

Yager’s future is now with the Warriors, even with it coming a little earlier than expected.

Blades play for Kirkness in Regina, other notes

The Saskatoon Blades will carry Bobby Kirkness in their hearts, even though the team’s long time volunteer dressing room attendant can’t be with them in person.

The Blades are slated to begin their WHL regular season on Saturday taking on the Swift Current Broncos in the WHL’s East Division bubble located at the Brandt Centre in Regina at 4 p.m. Saskatchewan time. The East Division teams are playing in a bubble environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has gripped the world.

Kirkness wasn’t able to join the Blades in Regina, because he was recently diagnosed with stage 4 liver and pancreatic cancer.

Back in 2016, Kirkness won his first fight against cancer, when he had leukemia. This time around, things are a little more serious.

Kirkness’s liver and pancreatic cancer can’t be operated on.

Doctors presented Kirkness with two options. He could take chemotherapy treatments, which would give him an estimated nine to 12 months to live, or he could opt out of chemotherapy and have an estimated six to nine months to share with family and friends.

After discussing things with family and friends, Kirkness elected to try an alternative treatment. The treatment is not covered, and it will cost Kirkness and his family about $1,000 per month.

Being his positive self, Kirkness vows he will win this battle with cancer too.

He is so beloved by the Blades the team created “The Kirkness Cup” after he returned to the club after beating leukemia in 2016. The winning squad in the Blades training camp tournament consisting of teams of players looking to make the main roster is presented with “The Kirkness Cup.”

If you are hanging around the Blades dressing room area, the first person you usually see is Kirkness offering a big smile and a warm “hello.”

This season, the Blades are wearing special “BK” decals on their helmets. The decal includes a purple ribbon and the Blades classic blue and gold Pac-Man logo.

Tyler Wawryk, who is the Blades director of business operations, and Brennan Kirkness, who is Bobby’s son, set up a GoFundMe page to help the Kirkness family with expenses.

The page has already passed its $10,000 goal by raising $18,000. If you would like to contribute to the GoFundMe campaign, you can do so by clicking right here.

• Tickets are on sale for the March jackpot for the Saskatchewan Amateur Football Mega 50/50 lottery. The funds from this 50/50 lottery will go to support the CJFL’s Saskatoon Hilltops and Regina Thunder and the WWCFL’s Saskatoon Valkyries and Regina Riot. One prize will be drawn per month, and the remaining draw dates are Wednesday, March 31, April 30 and May 31. Tickets can be purchased by clicking right here, and purchasers must be in Saskatchewan in order to buy tickets.
• The WWCFL’s Saskatoon Valkyries are morning the passing of former player Nichole LaVallee. On Sunday, LaVallee, who was 26-years-old, died in a two-vehicle collision driving a small car on Highway 3 between Weldon and Birch Hills. She played on the Valkyries from 2016 to 2018 as a receiver and on the defensive line. LaVallee helped the Valkyries win a WWCFL title in 2016. She could brighten any room she entered. Her obituary notice can be found by clicking right here.
• I helped produce new content for the Howe Happenings blog that supports the Gordie Howe Sports Complex that went live on Tuesday. I put together a story that focuses on the off-season work Saskatoon Minor Softball League’s A-programs are doing right now at the Indoor Training Centre and a photo post that contains a number of my pictures around the complex. The softball story can be found by clicking right here, and the photo post can be found by clicking right here.
• On Tuesday, it was announced the RBC Canadian Open has been nixed from the PGA Tour schedule for a second straight year due to issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Canadian Open was scheduled for June 7-13 at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto, Ont., with the nearby Islington Golf Club acting as the practice facility. 
• On Wednesday night, Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reported Shaun and Gavin Semple have reached a tentative deal to buy out their partners and become the sole owners of the WHL’s Regina Pats, and the WHL is set to review that deal. The Pats are the world’s oldest major junior hockey franchise. Harder’s story can be found by clicking right here.
• I was checking out the memories part of my Facebook page from a year ago today. I had a few posts that didn’t age well with regards to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those posts show I originally didn’t think the pandemic would be as problematic as it turned out to be. One of the posts showed dismay over the fact people were hording toilet paper. Those old posts look so naïve, when you look back on them now.
• James Shewaga, who was the former standout Brandon Sun sportswriter who wrote about the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings, wrote about how Merlis Belsher Place will play a role as a mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic for University of Saskatchewan communications. Shewaga’s piece can be found right here.
• The Canadian football world and definitely the football world in Saskatchewan was shaken up on Wednesday when both the CFL and XFL revealed they’re poised to begin serious discussions about a potential partnership. Of course, many have speculated this could be the beginning of the end for the three-down game. Had I been working at a mainstream media outlet, I could have seen myself having to run around and localize the story for Saskatoon. That would have meant tracking down University of Saskatchewan Huskies football head coach Scott Flory, Saskatoon Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant, officials from Football Saskatchewan and officials from Saskatoon Minor Football on what they thought of that CFL and XFL development. You would be also asking all those parties how they would be affected, if football in Canada at the professional level was played with United States rules. I admit I am happy I didn’t have to do any of that. At this point, it is likely too early to play the speculation game.

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

-------                                     

If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.

Ayres, Blades win capped busy week a year ago today

COVID-19 pandemic changed North American world days later

David Ayres signs the Wall of Fame at Wendel Clark’s.

It was an afternoon where conversation drifted to how good the menu was at Wendel Clark’s Classic Bar and Grill.

Of course, that is going to naturally happen during a social moment during a press conference on the grounds of that establishment located in the northern part of Saskatoon.

At 2 p.m. on Friday, March 6, 2020, the Saskatoon Blades were holding a press conference introducing David Ayres to the local media. Ayres at that time has become famous for hitting the ice with the Carolina Hurricanes on Feb. 22, 2020 as an emergency backup goaltender.

The media row at the David Ayres press conference.

He picked up a regular season victory as the Hurricanes downed the host Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3 at the Scotiabank Arena. Ayres, who was 42-years-old at the time, became the first emergency backup goaltender to earn an NHL regular season win.

He was in Saskatoon on March 6, 2020 to be a guest at the Blades home game against the Regina Pats that night at the SaskTel Centre. The contest against the Pats would be the Blades WHL Suits Up to Promote Organ Donation game, and the host side would wear special Hockey Night in Canada themed jerseys for that clash.

David Ayres answers questions during his press conference.

Ayres took part in the a ceremonial faceoff before that game.

He had a kidney transplant in 2004, which has allowed him to live his life to the fullest. His mother, Mary, was the donor.

Knowing all those facts, it was fitting to have Ayres in town as a special guest for that Blades contest. Ayres would hang around in Saskatoon to be a special guest at the next night’s NLL regular season game where the host Saskatchewan Rush dumped the Vancouver Warriors 17-7.

The Blades press conference to introduce Ayres on March 6, 2020 had people in attendance from every one of Saskatoon’s media outlets, which was something that doesn’t normally happen. Everyone’s schedules broke in a way that a sizable media attendance was possible.

David Ayres (#90) takes part in the ceremonial faceoff.

As another side bonus, everyone in Saskatoon’s media circles get along with each other fairly well. The presser allowed for some short catch up visits.

At that time, everyone in the building was unaware how the world in North America was going to change due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Restrictions and shutdowns would start taking place to battle the COVID-19 pandemic just five days later on March 11, 2020.

During the Blades press conference on March 6, 2020, there were no worries about COVID-19. In some more relaxed moments at that presser, media members were discussing how good the food was at Wendel Clark’s, because a couple of the media members had eaten there previously.

David Ayers, right, is pictured with a minor hockey team.

Aside for the social aspect, the gathering was focused on Ayres’ feel good story. He would sign the Wall of Fame at Wendel Clark’s before departing to get ready for the festivities at that night’s Blades game.

For myself, I was just living in the moment focusing on my tasks during a busy day and wrapping up a busy week. That night’s Blades game was going to finish a stretch for myself where I would cover three WHL games over four days in two different centres.

The busy stretch started with an 8-3 Raiders home win in Prince Albert over the Calgary Hitmen on March 3, 2020.

People lined up at the SaskTel Centre to meet David Ayres.

For me, it was common to work busy stretches on the WHL circuit like that. I am also totally in my zone when that happens, so I was feeling really upbeat on that March 6, 2020 day.

Little did I know, that day would be the last time I saw some of the Saskatoon media members who were at the Ayres press conference and the Blades game in person to this very day.

After posting pictures of Ayres on social media, I planned to run a short little write up about him underneath my story about the game between the Blades and the Pats. The Blades could officially lock up a WHL playoff berth with a win that night.

Bernie Burtney, right, receives a WHL Distinguished Service Award.

I planned to write a longer length column on Ayres the next day.

As is my usual custom for WHL game nights, I got dressed in my suit and tie and headed out to the SaskTel Centre.

When I got to the rink, I found out I had to add another tidbit to my post for that night. Blades off-ice official Bernie Burtney was named a recipient of the WHL Distinguished Service Award.

WHL commissioner Ron Robison was in the building that night to present Burtney with his award. I made certain to get a picture of that presentation and add a short write up about it after the short write up about Ayres on my post.

Spencer Welke makes one of his 37 saves in goal for the Pats.

The game itself between the Blades and the Pats turned out to be a goalie dual. Early in the second, the Blades took a 1-0 lead on a goal coming from rookie centre Colton Dach.

It seemed like that tally would be the difference in the contest.

The Pats evened the score at 1-1 with 43.5 seconds remaining in the third period on a wild sequence of events.

A point shot from Pats defenceman Ryker Evans deflected up high into the air as a maze of bodies engulfed the crease area of the Saskatoon goal causing a net scramble.

During the scamble, Pats right-winger Riley Krane ended up on top of Blades netminder Nolan Maier, and Maier’s catching glove got caught in Krane’s skate. When the puck came down, Pats left-winger Logan Nijhoff backhanded home the equalizer that forced a 1-1 tie.

Nolan Maier made 32 saves in goal for the Blades.

The goal held up after a video review.

The Blades wouldn’t be denied victory. Just 74 seconds into overtime, the host side scored on the power play to pull out a 2-1 win and officially lock up a WHL playoff berth.

Blades left-winger Kyle Crnkovic converted a backdoor pass from linemate Tristen Robins to net the winner to the delight of most of the 4,478 spectators in attendance.

Maier stopped 32 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Blades. Spencer Welke turned away 37 shots to take the extra time setback in goal playing as an associate player call up.

Both of the Pats regular goaltenders at that time were out of the lineup with injuries.

Colton Dach scored the Blades first goal.

For a hockey game that had a 2-1 final score, there were a lot of details to pack into a game story.

I was still in an upbeat mood following the contest, and I remember joking around with Maier during post-game media interviews.

After I finished my post that night, my mind drifted to the possibilities about what could happen in the WHL playoffs.

I had no idea that would be the Blades last home game to this very day. That would also be the last WHL game I would work at the rink in person to this very day.

The Blades were on a road trip when the 2019-20 WHL season was first paused before the rest of the campaign was ultimately cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kyle Crnkovic celebrates his OT winner for the Blades.

The WHL has only recently gotten back into action with teams in the Central Division playing a shortened 24 game regular season. 

At the moment, all the league’s 22 teams are slated to each play 24 regular season games with competition limited to in division play.

The seven teams that make up the WHL’s East Division including the Blades will be playing all their regular season games in a bubble environment at the Brandt Centre in Regina beginning this coming Friday.

The Blades open their schedule taking on the Swift Current Broncos at 4 p.m. Saskatchewan time on Saturday, March 13.

The Blades celebrate their OT victory.

While the WHL continues to get back into action, it will still be awhile before game days can play out again like they did for the Blades last home game on March 6, 2020.

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

-------                                     

If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.

WHL continues to roll as B.C. Division gets green light

Schedule announced for East Division hub

Connor Zary and the Blazers are set to be back in action.

WHL officials might be over celebrating if they pop the champagne corks, but they should feel free to indulge in their favourite order from Starbucks.

On Tuesday, the WHL officially announced they had the green light from the British Columbia Provincial Health Office to play games in two hub centres in that province in Kelowna and Kamloops. That means the five teams in the WHL’s B.C. Division will be allowed to begin an abbreviated regular season starting on March 26, where each team will play 24 games.

With that announcement, the WHL was successful in navigating all hurdles to this point in time to get all of the circuit’s 22 teams back into action for a shortened 2020-21 campaign. The season is being held for the purposes of developing players and allowing them to be scouted for the next NHL Entry Draft.

Action is already underway in the Central Division. The East Division is schedule to begin play in a bubble environment in Regina, Sask., on March 12.

The U.S. Division is slated to begin play on March 19.

Of course, the WHL clubs are playing shortened seasons due to the fact the world is still in the grips of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“The WHL appreciated the cooperation we have received from the Provincial Health Officer and health officials in B.C. as we work toward a safe return to play in the B.C. Division,” said WHL commissioner Ron Robison in a release. “With our extensive protocols and the necessary approvals now in place, we are looking forward to play beginning in the Kamloops and Kelowna hubs.

Tarun Fizer will aim to pile up offence for the Royals.

“We are excited to now have all four WHL Divisions returning to play as it was our objective from the onset to deliver a season for all our players.”

On Wednesday, the WHL continued to roll announcing the schedule for al 84 regular season games that will be played in the East Division hub in the Brandt Centre. 

The schedule gets going on March 12 with two games as the Moose Jaw Warriors take on the Brandon Wheat Kings (4 p.m. Saskatchewan time) and the Regina Pats will tangle with the Prince Albert Raiders (4 p.m. Saskatchewan time).

As for the B.C. Division, games will be played at Prospera Place in Kelowna and the Sandman Centre in Kamloops. 

Like action in the rest of the WHL, spectators will not be permitted into league facilities for the 2020-21 season.

The Kelowna Rockets and Victoria Royals will be based out of Kelowna. The Rockets expect to stay with billet families, while the Royals are expected to stay in a hotel.

The Kamloops Blazers, Prince George Cougars and Vancouver Giants will be based out of Kamloops. The Blazers are expected to stay with billets, while the Cougars and Giants will stay in hotels.

Kaedan Korczak is expected to be back in the Rockets fold.

WHL teams will be permitted to travel between the two hub cities with no stops permitted. The two centres are about 170 kilometres apart from each other.

The players and staff from B.C. Division teams will begin self-quarantining this coming Saturday. 

They will report to their respective hub cities on March 13 and will undergo COVID-19 testing upon arrival followed by an additional quarantine period.

Players and staff will undergo a second COVID-19 test before being permitted to engage in any team activity.

WHL clubs will provide private PCR testing through DynaLIFE Medical Labs in order to ensure no additional strain is placed on public health. 

All private testing conducted in the B.C. Division will be processed and analyzed at DynaLIFE’s Alberta-based laboratory in Edmonton.

The major junior circuit will implement an ongoing weekly private PCR testing strategy.

If a WHL squad has one or more players or staff test positive for COVID-19 at any point in the season, the team will be required to suspend its activities for a minimum of 14 days.

There will be enhanced screening for all WHL players, team staff and officials that will take place on a daily basis including regular temperature screenings as well as symptom monitoring through the WHL Athlete RMS Mobile Application.

Masks must be worn by all WHL players at all times except when they are participating on ice for games and practices.

Alex Kannok Leipert will man the blue-line for the Giants.

WHL coaches will be required to wear masks at all times including while conducting practice and while behind the bench during games.

The schedule for the B.C. Division will be announced at a later date.

Overall, the WHL was able to accomplish something that looked to be impossible. For the longest time, there was huge doubt that the circuit would be able to hold any type of season for a 2020-21 campaign.

The fact the WHL will hold an abbreviated campaign getting all 22 member clubs into action has to be seen as a minor miracle.

Rush honour Shahab with jersey, other notes

“We presented Dr Saqib Shahab with a jersey in appreciation of his leadership and guidance under unimaginable pressure. We look forward to seeing him and his family in the stands next year alongside Rush Nation” Rush owner Bruce Urban

(Dr Shahab w/ Paul Merriman, Health Minster) pic.twitter.com/4X8C4ddf1V

— Saskatchewan Rush (@SaskRushLAX) March 3, 2021

The Saskatchewan Rush seem to enjoy hitting lots and lots of homeruns.

On Wednesday morning, the powerhouse National Lacrosse League club shared photos of having presented Saskatchewan’s Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab with a personalized jersey. The jersey is emblazoned with the number one and has Dr. Shahab on the name bar.

In a release, the Rush wrote that Dr. Shahab and his team have been working tirelessly to keep us all safe from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Rush release said Dr. Shahab is the face of thousands working in the front lines to make Saskatchewan better.

“On behalf of the entire Rush organization, we proudly present Dr. Shahab with a personalized jersey in appreciation of his continued leadership and guidance under unimaginable pressure,” said Rush owner Bruce Urban in a release. “His expertise and calm demeanor have been a guiding light in the storm, and we look forward to seeing him in the stands alongside Rush Nation next season.”

The Rush relocated to Saskatoon before the start of the 2015-16 NLL campaign from Edmonton as the defending league champions.

In that first campaign playing out of the SaskTel Centre, the Rush won a second straight NLL crown. They added a third NLL championship in 2018.

The Rush last played on March 7, 2020, when downed the visiting Vancouver Warriors 17-7 at the SaskTel Centre. The rest of the 2019-20 NLL was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NLL decided to not play in 2020-21 due to the continuing pandemic electing to focus on returning for the 2021-22 season.

When action does resume, you can expect the Rush and the league will continue their entertaining magic.

• The WHL’s games will be streamed on WHL Live on CHL TV. Back on Feb. 16, the CHL announced Verizon Media Platform would be its streaming partner for this season. For WHL games, a season pass will cost fans $59.99 or a 24-hour pass will cost $6.99. As fans aren’t allowed to attend WHL games this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many were looking for information regarding live streams for games. You can find more information on WHL Live on CHL TV by clicking right here.
• On Monday, Edmonton Oil Kings winger Dylan Guenther was named the first WHL play of the week for the 2020-21 campaign. The 17-year-old had four goals and four assists in two games for the Oil Kings, who picked up a pair of victories over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Oil Kings 18-year-old netminder Sebastian Cossa was named the WHL goaltender of the week. He was in goal for both of the Oil Kings wins over the Hurricanes posting a 1.50 goals against average and a .935 save percentage.
• Tickets are on sale for the March jackpot for the Saskatchewan Amateur Football Mega 50/50 lottery. The funds from this 50/50 lottery will go to support the CJFL’s Saskatoon Hilltops and Regina Thunder and the WWCFL’s Saskatoon Valkyries and Regina Riot. One prize will be drawn per month, and the remaining draw dates are Wednesday, March 31, April 30 and May 31. Tickets can be purchased by clicking right here, and purchasers must be in Saskatchewan in order to buy tickets.
• On Tuesday, CTV Regina shared a story of an under-18 hockey team in Estevan breaking Government of Saskatchewan Public Health Orders in holding scrimmage with a referee. The teams weren’t social distancing on the bench either. Sport competitions are currently not allowed and Public Health Orders in Saskatchewan. The scrimmage was streamed live online, which basically means those involved with the scrimmage were giving the “Stone Cold Stunner” to authorities. Claire Hanna had the story, and it can be found by clicking right here.
• On Tuesday, Gregg Drinnan posted his latest entry on his Taking Note blog on how the COVID-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc on the sports world. He also shows an example of a factually inaccurate tweet that was made to try and influence government officials in British Columbia. It shows the unhelpful lows some will go to get sports back into action. Drinnan’s piece can be found by clicking right here.
• Netminder Garin Bjorklund of the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers delivered a message on the importance of masking in during these COVID-19 pandemic times in the tweet below.

Goaltender Garin Bjorklund knows his way around a mask. He’s here to ask you to keep one another safe by wearing your own. #WHLMaskUp

INFO 📝 | https://t.co/ReHDXwk3J4 pic.twitter.com/1fTz9BPtAP

— Medicine Hat Tigers (@tigershockey) March 3, 2021

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

-------                                     

If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.

Tigers trounce Rebels 7-2 for Ridley’s 4,000th call

Bob Ridley calls a Tigers playoff game in March of 2019.

With their icon in broadcast booth celebrating a milestone that will likely never happen again, the Medicine Hat Tigers ensured the night went as perfectly as possible.

Just 36 seconds into their WHL regular season clash with the visiting Red Deer Rebels at the Co-op Place, overage defenceman Cole Clayton fired home a point shot to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. By the 13:07 mark of the opening frame, the Tigers advantage surged to 4-0.

Medicine Hat rolled to a 7-2 victory from that point.

The win put the icing on the cake on a milestone night for Bob Ridley, who has been the only play-by-play voice the Tigers have had since the modern version of the club began play in the 1970-71 season.

On Saturday, Ridley called his 4,000^th game as the team’s play-by-play voice. The total includes 3,568 of the Tigers 3,569 regular season games, the club’s one standings tiebreaker game, all of their 411 games in the WHL playoffs and all 20 of their contests in the Memorial Cup tournament.

The Tigers won the Memorial Cup as CHL champions in 1987 and 1988.

No one has called more games as the play-by-play voice of one team in the sport of hockey as Ridley has. He drove the Tigers team bus over most of that stretch as well.

People tend to throw around GOAT status all the time in sports, and it’s often debated, but it’s safe to say, there will never be another Bob Ridley. He is one-of-a-kind.
The man is truly a legend.
Congrats Mr. Ridley on your 4,000 game milestone.@tigershockey @TheWHL https://t.co/dUFTWiCgXi

— Jason Hills (@hillsyjay) February 28, 2021

At the moment, it would take someone calling 80 games a season for 50 seasons to just equal Ridley’s total of calling 4,000 games.

Before Ridley called his 4,000^th game on Saturday, the WHL announced they had created the Bob Ridley Award For Media Excellence to be presented annually to a member of the radio, television and print journalism industry in recognition of their outstanding contributions to sports journalism and the WHL.

Ridley was named the inaugural winner of the honour and was presented with the award by WHL commissioner Ron Robison during a special ceremony at Co-op Place on Saturday afternoon.

Earlier today, WHL Commissioner Ron Robison unveiled the Bob Ridley Award for Media Excellence & presented it to the @tigershockey legend.

WATCH 🎥 pic.twitter.com/qNRePDNFnB

— The WHL (@TheWHL) February 28, 2021

As for Saturday’s game itself, a special tribute video was played at the Tigers home rink before puck drop. Video messages were played from numerous Tigers alumni during breaks as Saturday’s contest moved along.

On social media lines, tribute messages poured in before, during and after the game.

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world, Saturday’s game was played without fans in attendance. It would have made the night even more perfect, if Ridley could have received a standing ovation from a sold out building.

That development allowed all of the Tigers fans and just overall hockey fans the chance to listen to Ridley call the game on CHAT 94.5 FM either on the radio waves in Medicine Hat and area or online around the world.

Congrats to Bob Ridley on an amazing accomplishment!

Rebels take on @tigershockey tonight in The Hat in a rematch of last evening’s entertaining affair!

Puck drop at 7:30 on @1067RewindRadio and WHL Live https://t.co/L84ZnrjARo

— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) February 27, 2021

The 76-year-old product of Vulcan, Alta., was at the top of his game flanked by long time colour commentator Barry Prins, who sat in the neighbouring booth.

Listeners were able to quickly get drawn into the contest with Clayton’s goal 36 seconds into the game, which allowed Ridley to break into his classic call, “He scooorrrrrrrres!”

Just under three minutes later, Tigers overage captain Ryan Chyzowski struck on the power play to give the host side a 2-0 lead.

Right-winger Lukas Svejkovsky scored on a breakaway at the 12:11 mark of the first to increase the Tigers advantage to 3-0. Just 56 seconds later, Tigers 16-year-old rookie centre Oasiz Wiesblatt stole the puck from a Rebels player at the Red Deer blue-line, broke into the offensive zone and roofed a shot past Rebels netminder Byron Fancy.

The tally was Wiesblatt’s first career WHL goal.

Just in case you didn't know, there is another Wiesblatt who is also REALLY GOOD at hockey. His name is Oasiz. 🐯 pic.twitter.com/qlhU0GSr8G

— The WHL (@TheWHL) February 28, 2021

Fancy was pulled after that tally having stopped 8-of-12 shots sent his way. Overager Ethan Anders played the rest of the contest in relief turning away 18-of-20 shots sent in his direction.

Red Deer did attempt to battle back. Overage centre Chris Douglas scored for the Rebels with 1:34 remaining in the second to trim the Tigers lead to 4-1.

Rebels 18-year-old defenceman Chase Leslie netted a single at the 4:22 mark of the third to further cut the Tigers lead to 4-2.

Rookie left-winger Brayden Boehm, who turned 17-years-old in January, restored order for the Tigers netting his first career WHL goal at the 12:08 mark of the third. Boehm converted a backdoor pass from linemate Caleb Willms to give the hosts a 5-2 advantage.

Willms > Boehm > 🥅 = 👌 pic.twitter.com/N5FtdpUqMW

— The WHL (@TheWHL) February 28, 2021

Red Deer pulled Anders for an extra attacker with about three minutes to play in the third, which allowed Tigers overage centre Brett Kemp to score into an empty net to increase the home side’s edge to 6-2.

Noah Danielson, an 18-year-old centre, added a single to round out the scoring in the 7-2 victory for Medicine Hat.

Garin Bjorklund stopped 18 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Tigers.

Clayton had three assists and a plus-three rating in the plus-minus department to go with his goal.

Saturday’s contest was the Tigers home opener in a campaign that started late and was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A few more photos from the second period! @tigershockey @Rebelshockey @TheWHL @MedicineHatNews #medhat pic.twitter.com/TnLlXooA9c

— Ryan McCracken (@MHNMcCracken) February 28, 2021

The Tigers improved to 2-0 with the win, while the Rebels fell to 0-1-1. Medicine Hat beat the Rebels 5-4 in overtime at the Westerner Park Centrium in Red Deer on Friday.

The Tigers are slated to return to action this coming Friday, when they travel to Edmonton to face the Oil Kings (2-0).

While the Tigers had a great game on the ice Saturday, the night belonged to Ridley. He will always be “the Dean” of major junior hockey broadcasters, and one day there should be a place for him in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Originally, Ridley’s 4,000^th game call was slated to take place on Saturday, March 14, 2020 at Co-op Centre in a regular season clash against the Swift Current Broncos. That moment was expected to be high point for the Tigers, who were skating through their 50^th season in the 2019-20 campaign.

TIGERS WIN!!!

The Tigers sweep the home and home series by a score of 7-2 on Bob Ridley Night! pic.twitter.com/0S7RXuZiZY

— Medicine Hat Tigers (@tigershockey) February 28, 2021

Of course, the 2019-20 WHL campaign was paused on March 12, 2020 before being ultimately cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic leaving Ridley’s games called total stuck at 3,998.

With the WHL’s Central Division returning to play with the circuit’s five Alberta-based teams, Ridley was able to make his 4,000^th game broadcast a reality on Saturday with the Tigers skating through their 51^st season.

The fact that Ridley’s 4,000^th broadcast has now happened does give a moment where you have those warm and fuzzy feelings inside.

It was such a welcome development to once again hear Ridley call Tigers games, and for him to close Saturday’s broadcast with his classic, “We bid you all a very pleasant good night.”

Tigers head coach Willie Desjardins on getting the win in Bob Ridley's 4,000th game tonight:

"I think the night was Bob Ridley Night," said Desjardins. "I think what he accomplished tonight overshadowed the game for sure. I'm glad that his 4,000th game was a win."#WHL #Tigers

— Scott Roblin (@CHATTVRoblin) February 28, 2021

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

-------                                     

If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.

A unique championship night you wish could last forever

Huskies first Canada West title at Merlis a lasting memory

Collin Shirley (#11) and family celebrate a Canada West title win.

Had anyone known how the world was going to change in the three proceeding weeks, maybe the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team and their supporters would have soaked in the Canada West title win a little longer?

Likely, that goes down as 20-20 vision thinking.

On February 29, 2020, the Huskies downed the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds 3-1 in Game 2 of the Canada West Championship series to sweet the best-of-three set 2-0. The series clinching game was played before a standing room record crowd of 2,667 spectators at Merlis Belsher Place.

The Huskies pour off their bench after their Canada West title win.

The best place to be was on the ice surface with the Huskies family and friends following the win, which was the first conference title the team won since moving to Merlis before the start of the 2018-19 campaign. Laughter and jokes filled the air and smiles could be seen all over the place.

People were racing to get photos taken by mobile phone cameras posted on their social media accounts most notably on Instagram. A lot of the pictures included the Dr. W.G. Hardy Trophy and the Canada West championship banner.

The Huskies raise the Dr. W.G. Hardy Trophy.

A lot of other photos were pictures filled with all sorts of combinations of Huskies players, Huskies coaches, Huskies staff members, family members and friends.

It was as joyful a Saturday night as anyone could have asked for. Looking back on that night, everyone who had a link with the Huskies soaked in and enjoyed that night like they should have.

No one knew how the world would change.

After a full week of practices at home, the Huskies departed for Halifax, N.S., for the David Johnston University Cup, which is the U Sports men’s hockey national championship tournament.

Tanner Lishchynsky takes the Dr. W.G. Hardy Trophy for a spin.

On the U Sports awards night on March 11, 2020, Huskies netminder Taran Kozun was named the recipient of the Senator Joseph A. Sullivan Trophy as the U Sports player of the year, and he took honours as the U Sports goaltender of the year.

Huskies fifth-year right-winger Levi Cable captured the R.W. Pugh Fair Play Award as the most sportsmanlike player in U Sports. Huskies centre Jared Dmytriw was named to the U Sports all-rookie team.

Before the awards night took place, talk of a coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was starting to filter into conversations. Teams at the David Johnston University Cup were told there would be no post-game handshakes during the tournament and players to use their own personal water bottle during practices and games.

Jeff Faith, left, and Evan Fiala ham it up.

On March 12, 2020, the Huskies got to play their quarter-final game falling 3-2 to the University of Western Ontario Mustangs. The Huskies were missing a number of players including Cable as a flu bug worked through the team.

 At the end of the night, word came down that the rest of the U Sports men’s hockey championship has been cancelled due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. In other locations, the remainder of the U Sports women’s hockey national championship tournament and the U Sports men’s and women’s volleyball national championship tournaments were also cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic fears.

On March 13, 2020, a large number of sports governing bodies in Canada had halted sanctioning of events including Hockey Canada due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a crazy twist, pretty much all of the Huskies who were battled the flu recovered by the morning of March 13, 2020. Due to the fact they couldn’t return to Saskatoon until taking their scheduled return flights after the tournament was supposed to end on March 15, 2020, the Huskies players, coaches, staff and families took in some site seeing before journeying back west.

Levi Cable was the most sportsmanlike player in U Sports.

At the moment, the Huskies still haven’t returned to the ice for any games since that Canada West title clinching win over the Thunderbirds and that quarter-final U Sports tournament loss to the Mustangs.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to grip the world, all U Sports nationals for the 2020-21 campaign were cancelled and all regular season play for the Canada West Conference in 2020-21 was cancelled. Ultimately, all four conferences that play under the U Sports umbrella cancelled their 2020-21 campaigns due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For almost a year now, the world has experienced various levels of restrictions brought on to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Merlis Belsher Place has been turned into a COVID-19 field hospital in waiting. The processing of some COVID-19 tests and COVID-19 vaccinations take place there now.

Jared Dmytriw made the U Sports all-rookie team.

The developments in the world make those that were at Merlis Belsher Place on February 29, 2020 look even more fondly back on that day. On that day and night, no one was really even thinking about a COVID-19 pandemic.

That day and night played out like most championships winning game days would.

During the 2019-20 campaign, the Huskies men’s hockey team had a season where it seemed the intangibles all fell into place.

The Huskies actually stumbled out of the gates going 0-3-1 over their first four regular season games in 2019-20. They roared back to finish second in the Canada West Conference with a 22-4-2 record.

U of S ended up hosting the Canada West Championship series after the first place University of Alberta Golden Bears, who were 23-5 in the regular season, were upset in their Canada West semifinal series by the Thunderbirds, who were fifth in Canada West with a 9-14-5 regular season record.

Taran Kozun was the U Sports player of the year.

With Merlis being the site of the Canada West Championship series, the Huskies faithful came out in droves. The Huskies slipped past the Thunderbirds 3-2 in Game 1 of the series on February 28, 2020 playing in front of 2,281 spectators.

That set the stage for the record gathering of 2,667 spectators in the Huskies series clinching win in Game 2 on February 29, 2020.

The Huskies came out flying in Game 2 going ahead 2-0 after 20 minutes on goals from Carson Stadnyk and Cable. Cable, who was playing in his 175^th consecutive game for the Huskies including action in the U Sports regular season and post-season, netted his second of the contest with 2:37 remaining the second period, while U of S was working on the power play.

Carson Stadnyk came through with key goals.

The hosts took that 3-0 lead into the second intermission holding a 23-13 edge in shots on goal.

Thunderbirds left-winger Jake Kryski scored to put the visitors on the board with a power-play goal with 3:16 remaining in the third to round out the 3-1 final in favour of the Huskies.

Kozun made 17 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Huskies. Saskatoon product Rylan Toth turned away 26 shots to take the setback in goal for the Thunderbirds.

Pandemonium filled the ice after time expired on the third period clock.

One of the most heartwarming scenes from the post-game celebration was when legendary Huskies head coach Dave Adolph gave his gold medal to Ben Bauml, who is the younger brother of Huskies fifth-year centre Kohl.

Ben, who has Down syndrome and is non-verbal, has been Kohl’s biggest fan throughout Kohl’s hockey career. The brothers have a tight bond.

Huskies fans cheer after their team scores a goal.

Ben attended all of the Huskies home games and became a big part of the team’s culture. He joined the Huskies in the dressing room for post-victory celebrations, and he was in the front row for the on-ice team picture after the Canada West title game victory.

Adolph wanted to make the night a little extra special for Ben with the gift of the Canada West gold medal.

No one knew at the time that would ultimately be Adolph’s last victory behind the bench as Huskies head coach. He announced on December 7, 2020 that he would be retiring.

Adolph’s retirement becomes official this coming May 1. All-world hockey bench boss, Mike Babcock will be coming home to Saskatoon to take over as the Huskies head coach for the next two seasons.

Looking back, all those linked with the Huskies wished those celebrations on the night of February 29, 2020 could have gone on a little longer.

The Huskies pose for a team photo after a Canada West title win.

With how the world changed following that night, the Huskies first Canada West title win at Merlis is treasured that much more.

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

-------                                     

If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.