Covering sports in 2023 was a grind but still fun

Connor Bedard jets past a checker from the Blades in April.

Boxing Day proved to be a perfect day to repair drawers on a dresser that sat broken since the first week of October.

Often, these types of projects break into a four hour or even a total day ordeal. The repair in this instance went easy and only took an hour.

Next brings the question of why it took so long to get to that repair?

Welcome to life when you are involved in the sports world in Canada.

The schedule was so busy on that front the repairs to the dresser kept always being dropped on the priority list. I finally got to the repair on Boxing Day.

This isn’t a new phenomenon in the sports world. I’ve got friends involved in that world who have had like a load of lumber and sheets of drywall sitting in their basements for three years waiting to be used for renovations that never seem to get done.

You start to wonder if there were any regrets about buying the building materials in the first place.

When you are involved in sports in Canada, it becomes a life consuming thing. Schedules are never normal with that world either outside of the fact there are set phases to the seasons in sports.

When pressures build to focus more on aspects outside of life in the sports world when you are involved in the sports world, it can make being in the sports world a grind.

For me, 2023 was a grind being in the sports world. I still enjoyed it, but it was a grind.

Things were going smoothly for the first two and a half months of 2023. About eight days into March, I ended up getting COVID-19, and it spread to the whole household. I missed covering the last two weeks of the 2022-23 WHL regular season.

The Blades enjoy a Game 7 series winner from Spencer Shugrue (#26).

The best part for my household and myself was the fact the COVID-19 battle was like dealing with a bad flu with extreme fatigue at the start. For the first five days after getting COVID-19, I slept 19 hours each day, and I had never felt that exhausted in my life.

Unfortunately, that seemed to set an ominous tone that prevailed for the rest of the year.

After the battle with COVID-19 wrapped up, I was ready to cover the WHL Playoffs, and I was ready to go when the post-season arrived. When I am covering WHL games, I am in my happy place.

The 2023 playoffs were memorable. I worked the exciting seven game series between the Saskatoon Blades and at the time 17-year-old phenom centre Connor Bedard and the Regina Pats.

The Blades claimed the series deciding Game 7 at home 4-1 before a sellout crowd of 14,768 spectators at the SaskTel Centre. Bedard was outstanding in the series recording 10 goals, 10 assists and a plus-eight rating.

In the second round of the post-season, the Blades dropped the first three games of their series with the Red Deer Rebels and proceeded to rally back to take the set 4-3. They took Game 7 of the series at home by a 5-2 score before 9,489 spectators at the SaskTel Centre.

In the process, the Blades became the third team in the history of the WHL to fall behind 3-0 in a best-of-seven series only to rally back and take it 4-3. The Spokane Chiefs, who were guided by Mike Babcock as head coach, trailed the Portland Winterhawks 3-0 before rallying to take a first round series 4-3 in 1996. The Kelowna Rockets fell behind the Seattle Thunderbirds 3-0 in 2013 before rallying back to claim that series 4-3.

Utility player Spencer Shugrue became “Mr. Game 7” for the Blades collecting three goals and an assist in Saskatoon’s two series deciding Game 7 wins.

The Blades would be swept by Winnipeg Ice 4-0 in the Eastern Conference Championship Series. In the WHL Championship Series, the Ice fell 4-1 to the Seattle Thunderbirds.

Spencer Shugrue (#26) became “Mr. Game 7” for the Blades.

The Thunderbirds made it to the title game of the Memorial Cup tournament that determines a CHL champion, which was held in Kamloops, B.C. Seattle was blanked 5-0 in the championship game by the QMJHL champion Quebec Remparts, who were guided head coach, general manager and hockey legend Patrick Roy.

I piled up the road kilometres working games in Regina, Red Deer and Winnipeg. In working the first two games of the WHL final in person in Winnipeg, I saw the Ice win their final game as the Winnipeg Ice. They beat the Thunderbirds 3-2 in the opening game of the WHL Championship Series held before 5,531 spectators at the Canada Life Centre, and the Ice weren’t able to get another win for the rest of that set.

That was the first time I was in the building to work games in the WHL Championship Series since 2019. It was also the first time I’ve been in the building to work games in the WHL Championship Series since the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the sports schedules in 2020 and the first half of 2021 and hung ominously over the sports world for the second half of 2021 and the first half of 2022.

When I was in Regina, Red Deer and Winnipeg in the 2023 WHL Playoffs, it felt great, because the focus was on hockey. I also got good extended family time in during my stay in Winnipeg.

When I got off the road, it seemed there would be a mini-crisis in my life away from the sports world. There were times I was asking myself if I should have even left Saskatoon for the road. Looking back, the road was a reprieve.

After returning home from Regina covering Games 3 and 4 of the series between the Pats and Blades, I was immediately jumped with something after getting off the road in my life away from the sports world.

My reaction was, “I was only gone two days! How can life be so terrible?”

The Blades attracted massive home crowds during 2023 WHL Playoffs. 

The best part was all these mini-crisis would pass after two days and seem like nothing two weeks later, but going through those day after day with those around you freaking out was draining.

The football front was fun as the Saskatoon Valkyries won their eighth WWCFL title in June and the Saskatoon Hilltops claimed their 23^rd CJFL championship in November.

The Valkyries blanked the Calgary Rage 40-0 in the WWCFL title game played at Griffiths Stadium to conclude the campaign with a perfect 8-0 record. The pressures of life outside the sports world seemed to subside during the Valkyries season. The Valkyries have a great bunch, and I enjoyed being around that bunch.

Shortly after Hilltops season got going in August, it seemed the uncontrollable pressures from outside the sports world cranked up again. The Hilltops as always were outstanding to deal with. I’ve covered them and the Valkyries regularly since moving to Saskatoon in the summer of 2014.

The Hilltops posted a perfect 12-0 campaign and won the Canadian Bowl contest that determines a CJFL champion 17-10 over the host Westshore Rebels at Starlight Stadium in Langford, B.C., which is a suburb of Victoria. The contest was played in rains that fell in Biblical proportions.

The Hilltops had a historic campaign. In 12 games, they gave up just 76 points, which was their lowest total overall for a season dating back to 1949.

Hilltops defensive end Riece Kack had a memorable performance in the CJFL semifinal win over the OFC champion St. Clair Saints, who are from Windsor, Ont., in October at SMF Field. Kack pile up six sacks to set a new record for a CJFL playoff game. He actually became the first player to register six sacks in any CJFL contest be it regular season, playoffs or CJFL championship game.

Emmarae Dale (#45) makes a big hit on defence for the Valkyries

Still in the department of being honest, the pressures from life outside the sports world affected the fun I had covering the Hilltops during their season. If felt like a greater grind than covering the WHL Playoffs. The factors that were there had nothing to do with the team and were out of my control.

I know there were at least three times for me covering games I actually drifted to looking forward to the season being over. That had never happened to me in any time in my life when I was dealing with football. It did happen in the first full WHL season in 2021-22 with regular play after navigating the wrenches of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that came from mental fatigue from the pandemic.

Anyways, I just gutted and grinded all that out.

When the Hilltops played the Rebels for the 2023 CJFL title, I covered that contest remotely watching it online at the home office. I knew the Hilltops were going to come back that night, and I was hoping to go to the social function to celebrate that night when they got home.

The best I felt for that season was the 30 minutes after the Hilltops won the CJFL title. The pumped up elation of a championship win was there.

Unfortunately, technical problems with the computer, social media and the Internet threw a bucket of water on my joy. All of that was out of my control, and I was ready to punch a few computer screens.

I got a short write thru up before midnight that the Hilltops had won. By the time I posted the finished version of my column on the Hilltops winning their 23^rd CJFL title, it was 8 a.m. the next morning. I gutted and grinded through getting that done, but enjoying the Hilltops accomplishment lasted for 30 minutes after the CJFL title game wrapped up.

The Valkyries raise the WWCFL championship trophy.

Life away from the sport world saw the stress become much lower starting a week after the Hilltops season ended and has continued as I write this piece.

Trigger warning: politics

The next part of this column I have to throw up the trigger warning as I will be talking about politics.

Living in Canada these days, talking politics can get you fired from jobs and has gotten people fired from jobs.

Be it world, national, provincial or civic politics, I have never talked more about politics in my life away from the sports world as I have in this past year. To be honest, I don’t like the political world, and I don’t like the extremes on both the right and the left that seem to dominate that world. I see myself as the “common sense” Canadian that appears to no longer have a place and is no longer wanted in that world.

The Government of Canada has gotten their hands into tinkering with the sports and media worlds that have both been my life since 1996. That actually hasn’t bothered me that much in the grand scheme of things, and I find you just adjust to things as they come up like with the various government policies that came up in the COVID-19 pandemic.

I believe the next election federally and elections on the provincial and civic levels will be one issue referendums. 

To me, that referendum will be do you believe issues with the environment are bad enough that elected governments must be given basically a blank cheque to run up deficits as big as they want to handle this issue.

Homes and gasoline vehicles in Canada are way more efficient than they were in the 1970s and 1980s. I know for those on the extreme left that will never be enough, and they would like to see the elimination of gasoline vehicles of all sorts and gas in general in Canada.

The Government of Canada under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his minister of environment and climate change in Steven Guilbeault are in my judgment “all in” on tackling the environment issue to the point they should be allowed to do everything and anything on that front.

Riece Kack (#47) makes a record sack for the Hilltops.

According to Statista, Canada had the 10^th highest carbon tax rate in the world as of March 31, 2023 among the 25 countries at that time that were listed with carbon taxes with Iceland having two rates. The United States, India, Russia and China were not listed as having any carbon taxes at that time. China runs a Chinese national carbon trading scheme.

Guilbeault has been a climate activist since age five and was a member of Greenpeace Canada from 1997 to 2007. In 2001, Guilbeault and British activist Chris Holden scaled Toronto’s CN Tower.

After getting to a height of 340 metres, the pair unfurled a banner that read, “Canada and Bush Climate Killers.”

Guilbeault and Holden were arrested and charged with mischief. The stunt cost the CN Tower Corporation an estimated $50,000, and Guilbeault was sentenced to one year’s probation and the court ordered him to pay a portion of the costs.

To me, Guilbeault is an activist with an agenda, and I doubt very much he would or will consider anyone with a viewpoint that is opposite his. Anyone with an opposing view would be dismissed as being wrong.

In my view, the city government in Saskatoon views the environment issue as being the big issue.

In the end, I believe all this will add up to continuing inflation and putting lots of financial pressures on everyone in Canada in 2024. I don’t see the political world getting better in 2024, and if you don’t believe me, just search any political issue on Platform-X formerly known as Twitter to see the nasty keyboard fights.

Even if you don’t have an interest in the political world, the decisions made in that world will influence and change the worlds you interact in.

Getting pictured with the Canadian Bowl was a highlight in 2023.

For myself as I have done since March of 2020, the goal will be to try and adjust the best I can and stay as healthy physically and mentally as I can. There is only so much I can control, and everything else is going to play out as it is going to be.

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

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Wright strides into hero’s spotlight in Blades 6-3 win

Saskatoon downs archrival Raiders in crazy clash

Charlie Wright (#47) roofs home the winning goal for the Blades.

Charlie Wright found the perfect timing to find his inner Bobby Orr.

On Wednesday night, Wrights’ Saskatoon Blades were locked in a 3-3 tie with the Prince Albert Raiders late in the third period of a WHL regular season clash at the SaskTel Centre between the archrival clubs. When the Blades went on the power play with 2:31 remaining in the frame, the 20-year-old defenceman skated into the spotlight.

After getting possession of the puck, Wright skated down the right wing of the Prince Albert zone, cut across the front of the visitor’s set and roofed home a power play goal to put the host side up 4-3 with 2:09 remaining in the third. Wright’s power-play tally held up as the winner as left-winger Tyler Parr and centre Lukas Hansen added empty-net goals to deliver the Blades to a 6-3 victory before a season high crowd of 7,920 spectators.

The Blades celebrate Charlie Wright’s power-play winning goal.

Wright’s winning goal was his fourth tally of the season to go along with 17 assists and a plus-four rating in the plus-minus department. While the Blades often relay on Wright to be a shutdown defensive-defenceman in his own zone, he has shown this season and last season he can deliver offensively when the Blades need him too.

Last season, Wright posted eight goals, 32 assists and a plus-33 rating appearing 66 regular season games for the Blades.

Wednesday’s encounter between the Blades and Raiders was the first game for both sides since returning from their respective Christmas breaks. It was a crazy one that was full of momentum swings and some irregular occurrences.

Charlie Wright has four goals and 17 assists this season.

The contest was also the Teddy Bear Toss game for the Blades, so that provided sites that are only seen for one home date a season.

Both teams had some key players missing out of their respective lineups, so you got to see how the Blades and Raiders persevered through that development too. The Blades were without star centre Fraser Minten, who is serving as the captain of Canada’s team for the world juniors going on right now in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Blades star 18-year-old defenceman Tanner Molendyk was originally on Canada’s roster for world juniors. Molendyk suffered a fractured wrist in Canada’s 6-2 win over Switzerland in a pre-tournament game this past Friday and is currently unavailable to play for Canada or the Blades.

Easton Armstrong (#27) scored the Teddy Bear goal for the Blades.

Saskatoon’s other scratches due to injury included defenceman Carter Herman (upper body, week-to-week), and left-wingers Misha Volotovskii (upper body, day-to-day) and Vaughn Watterodt (upper body, week-to-week). Associate player call up Colten Worthington was a healthy scratch.

The Raiders were without star 17-year-old left-winger Ryder Ritchie who is listed as week-to-week after taking a knee-to-knee hit by Kelowna Rockets 19-year-old left-winger Max Graham. That hit occurred in the Raiders 4-3 home loss to the Rockets on Dec. 15 at the Art Hauser Centre.

A member of the Blue Crew helps with the stuffed animal clean up.

Raiders 17-year-old import rookie right-winger Matej Kusiesa is out week-to-week with an upper body injury.

In a game that had a lot of back-and-forth play, the Blades broke through on the scoreboard scoring the Teddy Bear goal with 2:42 remaining in the opening frame.

Blades right-winger Rowan Calvert had the puck right beside the ride side of the Prince Albert net. He put a backhand pass out to star 20-year-old left-winger Easton Armstrong, who was set up in perfect shooting position by the right side of the Raiders goal.

A truck is stuffed with stuffed animals for Saskatoon are charities.

Armstrong wired home his 18^th of the season to give the Blades a 1-0. After Armstrong scored, seemingly a whole tonne of Teddy Bears rained downed from the 7,920 fans in the building.

The fans in attendance did such an outstanding job littering the ice with stuffed animals that will be distributed to various Saskatoon area charities it took about 32 minutes in real time to complete the clean up and the first intermission. The teams were sent to the dressing room for an early first intermission after the clean up and the remaining 2:42 of the opening frame was completed after the intermission.

Sloan Stanick had two goals and an assist for the Raiders.

The two pickup trucks that were brought out on the ice to haul away the stuffed animals were filled up to the point that they were overflowing. Blades players and Blades and SaskTel Centre staffers had to push the stuffed animals into a couple of different corner exits to get them off the ice in as speedy a fashion as possible.

When the teams returned to the ice, Blades star import right-winger Egor Sidorov extended Saskatoon’s advantage to 2-0 with 1:33 remaining in the third. Sidorov roofed home his 33^rd goal of the season on a backhand shot to give the hosts their two-goal edge.

The Raiders proceeded to get some traction scoring 61 seconds into the second period. Star 20-year-old left-winger Sloan Stanick scored on a wraparound on a fallen Blades netminder Evan Gardner to cut the Saskatoon lead to 2-1.

Eric Johnston had an assist for the Raiders on Wednesday.

The visitors pressed hard for the rest of the frame searching for the equalizer, but they weren’t able to even the score when the second period expired.

At the 8:48 mark of the third, the Raiders evened the score at 2-2 after scoring a goal off a positive bounce. 

While applying pressure in the Saskatoon zone, Raiders centre Harrison Lodewyk fired a shot that miss the Saskatoon net, but the puck deflected off the back boards behind the net right to Stanick, who was alone at the left side of the Blades net.

Stanick popped his second goal of the contest to put his Raiders on even terms with the Blades on the scoreboard.

Tyler Parr had two goals and an assist for the Blades on Wednesday.

With 9:18 remaining in the third, the Raiders jumped in front 3-2 on a power-play goal from centre Hayden Pakkala, who deflected home a point shot from Prince Albert captain Eric Johnston.

The Blades didn’t go away and pulled even on the scoreboard just under three minutes later on a strange tally.

While applying pressure in the Prince Albert zone, Parr fired a shot on net past a fallen Raiders netminder Max Hildebrand, and the shot appeared to be kept out of the goal and cleared away by Raiders right-winger Brayden Dube. 

Egor Sidorov scored his 33rd goal of the season on Wednesday.

Dube cleared the puck right on to the stick of Blades veteran defenceman Ben Saunderson. Saunderson quickly popped home the gift for the apparent equalizer.

The officials checked the play out on video review and discovered that Parr’s initial shot indeed crossed the goal-line of the Raiders net to allow the Blades to even the score at 3-3. 

Parr was credited with the equalizer about three seconds before Saunderson put the puck in the net on the original continuation of the play.

That set the stage for Wright to come through with the winner on the power play and for the Blades to round out the scoring with two empty-net goals.

Lukas Hansen scored an empty-net goal for the Blades.

Gardner stopped 29 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Blades, who sit first overall in the WHL with a 24-8-2 mark. Hildebrand turned away 31-of-35 shots in net for the Raiders, who fell to 17-16-0-2 to sit seventh overall in the Eastern Conference.

Parr had an assist to go along with his two goals. Armstrong had a pair of assists to go with his Teddy Bear tally. Stanick had an assist to go along with his two markers.

The Blades, who are rated sixth in the CHL Top 10 Rankings, return to action on Friday when they travel to Brandon to take on the Wheat Kings (7 p.m., Westoba Place).

The Blades celebrate their win on Wednesday.

The Raiders get back at it on Saturday when they return home to host the Moose Jaw Warriors (7 p.m., Art Hauser Centre).

So far this season, the Blades have won all four of their head-to-head matchups with the Raiders. Even during stretches were one side is collecting all the wins, Wednesday’s contest showed that rivalry clashes between the Blades and Raiders are still must watch encounters.

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

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Current Raiders/Blades rivalry in good spot for P.A. fans

The Raiders celebrate a goal during a game on October 20.

For the Prince Albert Raiders faithful, some of the best victories against the archrival Saskatoon Blades are underdog victories.

As the story of the 2023-24 WHL season plays out, the tale of the Raiders rivalry with the Blades appears to be clear for the current campaign. The Blades are the front runners sitting first overall in the Eastern Conference with a 23-8-2 record and are jockeying for top spot in the entire league with the Prince George Cougars. The Raiders are the underdogs currently holding a playoff spot sitting sixth overall in the Eastern Conference with a 17-15-0-2 mark.

For Raiders fans, this can be a sweet scenario. When the Blades are doing well, the Raiders followers have a tendency to see their Saskatoon rivals like the Dallas Cowboys and their owner Jerry Jones, when they were winning with their early 1990s swagger in the NFL.

When the Raiders beat the Blades in that situation, Raiders fans see that as a moment to remind the Blades and their supporters they might not be as good as their record says they are. For Raiders fans, the only other time victories over the Blades are sweeter is when they happen in the post-season.

This column of mine appeared in the Prince Albert Daily Herald. To read the full article, feel free to click right here.

Last dance tour on for Robison as WHL commissioner

Outgoing executive reflects fondly on time in the league

Rob Robison, centre, drops the ceremonial faceoff in P.A. on Dec. 15.

For outgoing WHL commissioner Ron Robison, the 2006-07 campaign stood out better than all the rest when it came to highlights on the ice.

That season concluded with epic post-season encounters between the Medicine Hat Tigers and the Vancouver Giants. The two clubs met in a WHL Championship Series that needed a series deciding Game 7.

In Game 7 played on May 14, 2007 before a sellout crowd of 4,006 spectators at The Arena in Medicine Hat, Tigers talented centre Brennan Bosch scored in double overtime to deliver his squad to a 3-2 victory in that contest. The win allowed the Tigers to win their fifth WHL championship in team history.

The two sides would move on to the Memorial Cup Tournament that determines a CHL champion. Medicine Hat entered that event as the WHL champions, and Vancouver was in as the host team.

On May 27, 2007, the two sides would meet in the Memorial Cup championship game played before a sellout crowd of 16,281 spectators at the Pacific Coliseum. The teams entered the third period locked in a 1-1 draw.

With 4:55 remaining in the third, Michael Repik scored the winner for the Giants, and Spencer Machacek scored into an empty net inside the final 50 seconds of the third to round out a 3-1 final. The win allowed the Giants to capture their first Memorial Cup in team history.

The WHL Guide for 2007-08.

The championship wins of both teams were commemorated on the cover of the WHL Guide for the 2007-08 campaign. Serving as the WHL’s commissioner, Robison was pretty proud two of the circuit’s member teams could go head to head in classic encounters like that where each side captured a major championship trophy.

“I have a lot of great memories,” said Robison. “When we talk about a certain event I go back to 2006-07 season when Medicine Hat and Vancouver went seven games in the (WHL) championship series, and then they met again in the Memorial Cup championship.

“In the WHL championship, Medicine Hat won at home, and then Vancouver won at home in the Memorial Cup. I think that was a pretty special year.”

In the current day, Robison is serving out his final days as commissioner of the WHL, which was a position he stepped into on September 15, 2000. Last June, Robison, who is an alumnus of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Men’s Hockey Team, announced the 2023-24 campaign would be his last as commissioner of the WHL.

Before coming on board with the WHL, Robison worked in various roles for Hockey Canada from 1981 to 2000. The 68-year-old had been a Huskies assistant coach and a faculty member of the Physical Education department at U of S before coming on board with Hockey Canada.

On November 30, the WHL hired Dan Near to be the circuit’s next commissioner. Near’s tenure in the WHL office will begin on January 1, 2024 as he transitions into the role of commissioner. He will officially take over the full responsibilities as WHL commissioner on February 15, 2024.

At that point, Robison will transition to an advisory role providing support and guidance to Near.

The 43-year-old Near served as the global head of Adidas Hockey and was responsible for leading Adidas’s entry into hockey managing their global business since 2016. Prior to his time with Adidas, Near, who is a product of Markham, Ont., spent 10 years with the NHL’s head office in New York specializing in marketing, retail development and consumer product licensing from 2006 to 2016.

Ron Robison, right, is pictured with Mathew Barzal (#13) in 2017

Robison is making a tour to visit every WHL centre one last time while he is commissioner. The Indian Head, Sask., product stopped in Prince Albert on December 15, when the host Raiders fell 4-3 in overtime to the Kelowna Rockets at the storied Art Hauser Centre.

One night later, Robison dropped into Saskatoon as the host Blades fell 5-4 in overtime to the Rockets at the SaskTel Centre.

During his time as commissioner, Robison wanted to oversee a circuit that had good competitive balance where any team could win, and it didn’t matter if you came from a big, medium or small sized market. He believes the fact that Swift Current Broncos won a WHL title in 2018 and the Raiders captured a WHL championship in 2019 as small market clubs shows the league has come up with a formula that works in that area.

Robison believe the Raiders, who have a storied history, are in a really healthy spot, and he praised the team’s leadership for the work they’ve done.

“I think the credit is due to the people on the ground here in Prince Albert led by (Raiders president) Gord Broda,” said Robison. “I think they have community leadership like Gord (Broda) provides for this franchise is incredible.

“He has been dedicated for many years and continues to be. Then when you look at the job that Curtis Hunt has done as general manager has really I think done a great job of acquiring a lot of assets to put this hockey program in a really good place moving forward combined with Mike Scissons on the business side. When you are getting buildings in the small markets you need to be over 90 per cent sold out on a regular basis.

Ron Robison takes part in a WHL title presentation in 2019.

“They are doing that here in Prince Albert, so we couldn’t be more delighted. We think the franchise is in a really good place, and we’re looking forward to having a new facility here real soon.”

During his time in the WHL, Robison said the thing he liked most was meeting people in all the league’s centres over the years. He made sure to give credit to a number of people that work behind the scenes to make the league run including education advisors, security network personnel, team doctors and billet families.

“If I look back, I think that is the area we have so much respect for,” said Robison.

Robison was pleased with the growth the league made in two areas in particular while he was commissioner.

“I think we’ve really worked at two things extremely hard,” said Robison. “One was our facility standards to make sure that at all times the players and the fans have as much of a world class experience as we can possibly deliver.

“The standards to make sure that those facilities are always delivering a good environment for the players was really important. I think the player experience overall has been enhanced significantly when you look at our scholarship program. Over the 30-year period of the scholarship (program), we’ve had close to 8,000 players benefitting in investment by over $30-million by our ownership.

Ron Robison does a ceremonial faceoff in Saskatoon on Dec. 16.

“It is incredibility an important program, because the players can commit to us at a young age and focus on their hockey, but also have that education opportunity when it is all over.”

Going forward, Robison said the league will be in good hands with Near. The outgoing commissioner said the strength of the new commissioner will be on the business side of the game. Robison believes Near will quickly adapt to all aspects of his new position.

Looking at his own future after his time with the WHL wraps up, Robison said it will be different not seeing the staff in the league office in Calgary adding you become close with the staff you work with on a day-to-day basis. He said he will miss WHL lifers in vice-president of hockey Richard Doerksen and senior director of officiating Kevin Muench.

Robison said it will be strange to no longer interact regularly with Greg Gardner, who is the WHL’s chief operating officer, and added Near is fortunate he will joining a great group of people who are great to work with.

When Near takes on full responsibilities as WHL commissioner, Robison is going to focus more on enjoying time away from the game, but he believes he will still be attached to the circuit.

“I’m going to be slowing down for sure,” said Robison. “I’m going to step back, and I think I will still be available to help the league in any way they need me.

Ron Robison, right, shakes hands with Rockets captain Gabriel Szturc.

“You don’t just walk away. After all these years, you need to be able to support the league, and I’m prepared to do that for sure. I think it is about going from 100 miles an hour maybe down to 40 or 50 miles an hour about and try to spend a little bit more time with family.”

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

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Scorcher at SaskTel Centre – Rockets down Blades 5-4 in OT

Rockets goalie Jari Kykkanen stops Blades RW Egor Sidorov (#19).

That one was a Doug McConachie special.

Late great sports editor of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix would have loved Saturday’s WHL regular season clash between the Kelowna Rockets and the host Saskatoon Blades at the SaskTel Centre, because he would have been thoroughly entertained. Seeing something that felt like it was from hockey’s 1980s fire-wagon era, the Blades held a 4-3 lead, but the Rockets forced overtime when import Czech defenceman Marek Rocak wired home the equalizer from just ahead of the right faceoff dot to force a 4-4 tie with 17.9 seconds to play in the third period.

Rockets captain Gabriel Szturc celebrates scoring an OT winner.

In a three-versus-three overtime period, the Rockets proceeded to win the opening faceoff and never relinquished possession of the puck. After pinning the Blades in their end, the Rockets were able to get a line change.

Rocak got the puck to Rockets import captain Gabriel Szturc. Szturc took a shot from in close by the right side of the Saskatoon net, but his shot was blocked. The puck came back out to him.

Szturc proceeded to circle with the puck in the Saskatoon zone to the top of the left faceoff circle, where he roofed a shot to the top right corner of the Blades net to deliver a 5-4 victory to the Kelowna side just 78 seconds into extra time.

While the Blades didn’t win, one of the lessons that onlookers can learn is that a hockey game can be great and entertaining even if the home side doesn’t win. McConachie always strived to cover WHL contests objectively, but he did want the Blades to win.

The Rockets begin piling on top of Gabriel Szturc after their OT win.

Even though the Blades didn’t win on Saturday, he likely would have thought Saturday’s clash between the Blades and Rockets was fantastic. The action was fast paced with the teams transitioning up and down the ice at a rapid rate.

The skilled players on both sides got to showcase the best of their abilities. The Blades also drew their second best attendance figure of the season at 6,320 spectators, which included a number of young players from minor hockey teams in attendance.

The youngsters were full of energy, and they helped create quite a raucous atmosphere in the Blades final home game before they departed on their Christmas break. When reflecting on the night’s experience, those at the SaskTel Centre would have to admit they had a great time.

Brandon Lisowsky had a goal and two assists for the Blades.

The Blades faithful should be in space where they can’t wait until Wednesday, December 27^th rolls around to when “the Bridge City Bunch” is next in action. They return from their Christmas break on that day to face their archrivals the Prince Albert Raiders (17-15-0-2) at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.

Plus, the Blades, who are rated fifth in the CHL’s Top 10 Rankings, sit second in the WHL’s overall standings with a 23-8-2. Their 48 standings points equals the total put up by the Prince George Cougars, but the Cougars hold the tiebreak for first overall posting more wins with a 24-9 mark.

Saskatoon had won seven straight games heading into Saturday’s encounter with the Rockets, and the Blades have earned standings points in their last 10 straight outings posting eight wins and two overtime setbacks over that stretch.

Egor Sidorov had a pair of goals for the Blades.

The Rockets are showing that they are no slouches either. With the win over the Blades, the Rockets have won their last two straight and more importantly seven out of their last nine contests heading into their Christmas break.

Thanks to winning seven of their last night outings, the Rockets have improved to 15-15-2. After taking a stumble out of the gate, the Rockets are showing that they may have indeed turned the corner.

They will return to action on Wednesday, December 27, when they travel to Kamloops to face the 8-20-3-2 Blazers (7 p.m. local start, Sandman Centre).

As for Saturday’s game itself, the Blades opened the scoring at the 7:17 mark of the first period on a goal from star import right-winger Egor Sidorov. Set up in front of the Kelowna net, Sidorov received a pass from star left-winger Brandon Lisowsky and one-timed home a shot to give the Blades a 1-0 lead.

Caden Price scored for the Rockets in the first period on Saturday.

All of a sudden, momentum swung big time on the side of the Rockets. At the 10:39 mark of the first, Rockets 19-year-old right-winger Luke Schelter batted home a puck out of the air from the front of the Blades net into the goal to even the game’s score at 1-1.

Just one minute later, Rockets star offensive-defenceman Caden Price, who is a Saskatoon product, wired home a shot from just inside the left faceoff circle to put the visitors up 2-1.

With 3:44 remaining in the opening frame, the Rockets extended their edge to 3-1. After Kelowna cleared the puck into the Saskatoon zone, Rockets star left-winger Andrew Cristall got the puck away from two Blades players at the right side of the Saskatoon net.

Saturday’s game at the SaskTel Centre attracted numerous young fans.

Cristall passed the across the front of the net to Rockets breakout star left-winger Tij Iginla, who jetted into an open area on the left side of the goal when he saw Cristall had the puck. Iginla promptly popped home his 25^th goal of the season to give the visitors their two-goal edge.

Right before the first frame ended, the Blades got an important traction moment. With 2.4 seconds remaining in the first, Sidorov scored in vintage style one-timing home a shot from the right slot for a power-play goal to cut the Rockets lead to 3-2.

Trevor Wong had a pair of assists for the Blades.

Blades 19-year-old defenceman Grayden Siepmann fed Sidorov with a beauty pass for the sharpshooting winger to drive home. With his two first period tallies on Saturday, Sidorov has 32 goals in 31 appearances this season for the Blades.

After what seemed like an avalanche of goals in the first, the Blades had the only tally in the game’s second period. With 5:55 remaining in the second, Lisowsky entered the zone on the right wing and roofed home his 18^th of the season from a bad angle to even the score at 3-3.

In the third, it appeared the Blades had moved into position to take the contest scoring a short-handed goal themselves to go up 4-3 with 4:21 remaining in the frame. 

Tyler Parr put the Blades up 4-3 with a short-handed goal.

Blades star captain Trevor Wong broke down the left wing into the Kelowna zone and passed the puck across the front of the Rockets net to 18-year-old left-winger Tyler Parr, who jetted into the offensive zone on the right wing.

Parr popped home his third of the season to give the hosts their one-goal edge in the third. That set the stage for the dramatics with Rocak scoring for the Rockets to send the game to overtime and Szturc winning it in the extra session for the visitors.

Austin Elliott turned away 19 shots to take the extra setback in net for the Blades. Jari Kykkanen stopped 27 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Rockets.

Marek Rocak scored with 17.9 seconds left in the third to force OT.

Lisowsky finished the contest with three points coming off a goal and two assists. Wong had a pair of helpers for the Blades. 

Iginla had a goal and an assist for the Rockets, while Cristall had two assists for the Kelowna side.

In the grand scheme of things, the spectators at the SaskTel Centre might have been the biggest winners on the night. In a contest that spanned two hours and 22 minutes in real time, they got to see one heck of a show.

The value of that is priceless no matter who wins on the scoreboard.

The Rockets celebrate their OT victory on Saturday night.

NOTES – WHL outgoing commissioner Ron Robison visited Saskatoon on Saturday night as part of a final tour to drop in on each of the circuit’s centres. He dropped the ceremonial faceoff before the start of the contest. Last June, Robison, who is 68-years-old, announced the 2023-34 campaign would be his last as WHL commissioner. Dan Near, who is 43-years-old, has been hired as the WHL’s new commissioner, and he will begin transitioning into that role on January 1, 2024.

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

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Raiders drop heartbreaker going into Christmas break

Iginla pots winner for Rockets with 21.7 seconds left in third

The scene as Tij Iginla (#11) scores the winner for the Rockets.

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – Old “Mo” turned out to be a Grinch to the Prince Albert Raiders.

On Friday night at the Art Hauser Centre, the Raiders were playing their final WHL regular season contest before heading off to their Christmas break. In a clash that saw many momentum swings, it appeared momentum would be on the side of the Raiders going down the home stretch.

Trailing the Rockets 3-2 late in the third period, Raiders import left-winger Krzysztof Macias scored a power-play goal off a net scramble to force a 3-3 tie with 2:41 remaining in the frame. The scramble was cause when Raiders 20-year-old star winger Sloan Stanick tried to score on a wraparound, and the puck squirted out to Macias during the frantic action and the product from Poland netted the equalizer.

The Rockets celebrate their winning goal from Tij Iginla (#11).

With 21.7 seconds remaining in the third, Rockets breakout star centre Tij Iginla netted the winner during a net scramble around the Prince Albert net. It appeared Raiders netminder Max Hildebrand had the puck momentarily covered, but the action continued allowing Iginla to score to give the Rockets a 4-3 victory. The result came to the disappointment of most of the 2,431 in attendance.

While the Raiders weren’t able head into their Christmas break on a winning note, head coach Jeff Truitt was pleased with his club’s effort in their final game before departing to enjoy holiday festivities.

“We battled,” said Truitt. “I thought the first period we really managed the puck real well.

Tij Iginla had a goal and two assists for the Rockets.

“I thought that there wasn’t a lot of turnovers on our part. I thought that we managed things. In the second period, it was a bit of a battle period.

“The temperature went up a little bit, which is good. They obviously weren’t going to budge. It was a battle.”

Truitt admitted it was tough for his side to see the game conclude with how Iginla’s winner unfolded.

“The third period the disappointing part about it was we battled back after they were up,” said Truitt. “We tied this thing up, and we have a call that the puck wasn’t covered.

“It was disappointing for sure, because we battled back to 3-3 and could have got a point, but we didn’t.”

Referee Brody McGrath discusses penalty calls after a scrum.

With the loss, the Raiders still go into the Christmas break holding a sound 17-15-0-2 record. They are getting an early start in entering their holiday period.

The WHL has a regular schedule of games set for Saturday and Sunday before everyone on the circuit will be on their respective breaks. No matter what the results are of Saturday’s and Sunday’s games, the Raiders will be sitting in a playoff position in the Eastern Conference entering the break.

Macias, who has 13 goals and five assists in 31 appearances so far this season for the Raiders, said it was tough to go into the break on a heartbreaking setback, but he and his teammates believe they put in a good effort.

Oli Chenier scored the Raiders first goal on Friday.

“It is not the best feeling to lose the game, even if we worked hard,” said Macias. “For sure, it is better to lose the game that way then to lose the game with no effort.

“That was our goal for all the season. No matter the score, we have to put 100 per cent effort every night. That situation happened today (on Iginla’s winner), it is hockey.

“It happens sometimes. We got unlucky. It happens to every team, and I think we will games the same way that we lost today.”

Iginla had a huge night for the Rockets recording a pair of assists and a plus-two rating in the plus-minus department to go with his goal. His first assist came on the Rockets first goal as they opened the game’s scoring at the 10:49 mark of the opening frame.

Justice Christensen had the Raiders second goal on Friday.

He put a shot pass in the direction of the Prince Albert net that was tipped into the goal by Rockets 19-year-old left-winger Max Graham.

Near the end of the opening frame, the Raiders nearly went into the first intermission having tied the game up, but a rocket drive by star 17-year-old right-winger Ryder Ritchie was denied by the glove hand of 19-year-old netminder Jari Kykkanen.

The Raiders pulled even at 1-1 at the 3:44 mark of the second on an unassisted goal from 16-year-old rookie left-winger Oli Chenier. Chenier got the puck in the right corner of the Rockets zone while in on the forecheck, skated into the right slot and potted his third tally of the season.

Ethan Neutens had the Rockets third goal on Friday.

At the 10-minute mark of the second, the Rockets jumped back in front 2-1 thanks to a power-play goal from right-winger Marcus Pacheco. Pacheco recorded his second marker of the season deflecting home a shot from Iginla.

Just under four minutes later, the Raiders pulled even on the scoreboard at 2-2, when offensive defenceman Justice Christensen potted a seeing-eye point shot on the power play.

At the 4:42 mark of the third, the Rockets jumped back in front 3-2 when 18-year-old right-winger Ethan Neutens floated home a shot from the left point.

Friday’s game had a fair share of high-tension type play, and things boiled over with 7:30 remaining in the third. After Graham nailed one of the Raiders players with a knee hit, he ended up engaging Christensen in a fight.

A scrum breaks out near the Raiders net.

Graham received a major penalty for kneeing, a fighting major and game misconduct. His kneeing major will be automatically reviewed by the WHL office for a possible suspension.

Christensen was given an unsportsmanlike conduct minor and a fighting major.

While the bout between Graham and Christensen was going on, a big scrum occurred on another part of the ice. That scrum resulted in Rockets 20-year-old defenceman Kayden Sadhra-Kang, Raiders 18-year-old defenceman Terrell Goldsmith and Raiders 18-year-old centre Harrison Lodewyk all receiving 10-minute misconducts.

Raiders D Justice Christensen, left, fights Rockets RW Max Graham.

Macias’s power-play goal came on the tail end of the power play resulting from Graham’s kneeing major. Iginla’s winner followed.

Hildebrand turned away 21 shots to take the setback in net for the Raiders. Kykkanen stopped 20 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Rockets, who improved to 14-15-2.

The Rockets return to action on Saturday when they travel to Saskatoon to take on the 23-8-1 Blades (7 p.m., SaskTel Centre).

The Raiders players all head their separate ways on their Christmas break, and will get back together as a team on Tuesday, December 26. They return to action on Wednesday, December 27 when they travel to Saskatoon to take on the Blades (7 p.m., SaskTel Centre).

Sloan Stanick’s wraparound attempt led to a Raiders equalizer.

Truitt said he told his players to soak in the holiday time.

“I just told them to enjoy the holidays,” said Truitt. “We’ve worked hard this first half.

“To be where we are at, we’re happy, but we’re not satisfied. We want to be better. We want to continue to grow and get better in the standings with point production.

“For right now, it is time for them to be with their families and enjoy the holidays for a bit – just be a young adult, because it is going to come quick enough. The second half is always harder than the first. When you get these breaks, you enjoy yourself, and we’ll come back strong on December 26th.”

The Raiders celebrate an equalizer from Krzysztof Macias (#34).

Macias said his team is satisfied first half of the season and has great anticipation for the second half of the campaign.

“The first half wasn’t bad that is for sure,” said Macias. “We are in playoff spot right now, so that is the most important thing.

“Obviously, we wanted more. We always want more. I think the second half will be even better for us.

“I think we will work every night going 110 per cent, because that is our identity. Our coach talks all the time about our identity to be tough to play against and to work hard every day. I think it pays off, so we have to stick together for the second half.”

The Rockets celebrate their win on Friday night.

NOTES – WHL outgoing commissioner Ron Robison visited Prince Albert on Friday night as part of a final tour to drop in on each of the circuit’s centres. He dropped the ceremonial faceoff before the start of the contest. Last June, Robison, who is 68-years-old, announced the 2023-24 campaign would be his last as WHL commissioner.  Dan Near, who is 43-years-old, has been hired as the WHL’s new commissioner, and he will begin transitioning into that role on January 1, 2024.

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

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