Beauty sight to see SaskTel Centre packed for WHL

Blades bring in record crowd for Bedard, Pats visit

Connor Bedard scored his 70th goal of the season on Sunday.

Thanks to Connor Bedard and the Regina Pats, the Saskatoon Blades played in front of a home crowd the likes they had never seen before.

On Sunday, the Blades and Pats went at it in a WHL regular season clash in front of a sellout crowd of 14,768 spectators. The attendance was a team record for the host Blades.

The Blades old single game attendance record came back on February 9, 2013 when 12,588 spectators turned out see Saskatoon down the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes 5-2. Sunday’s encounter marked the first time the Blades sold out a game in the SaskTel Centre’s current configuration, when more seats were added to the inside of the building to host world juniors during the 2009-10 campaign.

Saskatoon’s WHL franchise came fairly close to hitting the SaskTel Centre’s record attendance for a single sporting event. That record continues to be held by the NLL’s Saskatchewan Rush, who pulled in 15,192 spectators on May 21, 2016 for their 12-9 victory over the Calgary Roughnecks in Game 2 of a best-of-three West Division semifinal series that they swept 2-0.

The Rush were able to pull in more spectators mainly due to holding a party alley in one of the SaskTel Centre’s vehicle entrances leading to the venue’s playing surface. That party alley has the vibe of a mini nightclub with a mingling area and bar underneath the stands. At Blades games, the vehicle entrances leading to the playing surface are usually filled with rink attendants and the team’s game night staff.

The SaskTel Centre’s record attendance for a single event comes from a concert due to the fact you can use floor seating. On September 15, 2018, Metallica drew a SaskTel Centre record attendance of 16,874 spectators for their concert that night.

Heading into Sunday’s action in the WHL, the Blades had averaged 3,865 spectators a game after 32 regular season home games. With Sunday’s game in the books, the Blades average attendance grew to 4,195 spectators per game over 33 home dates.

That average attendance number will grow again when the Blades will host Bedard and the Pats once more on Friday at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre to close the home part of their regular season schedule. As of Sunday, there are only 200 tickets remaining for sale for that contest. That is the next game up for both teams.

When the Blades and Pats met on Sunday, it was one of those rare times the action on the ice took a backseat to the crowd that was in the stands. The atmosphere was electric, and you could feel it during the national anthem.

Brandon Lisowsky had a pair of goals for the Blades on Sunday

The appearance of Bedard brought in a tonne of casual fans that had either not seen a live WHL game for some time or hadn’t seen a live WHL game at all. While Bedard was the draw, the crowd was behind the Blades, and it is hoped the newcomers enjoyed themselves enough that they will come out for other games.

As for the game itself, the Pats ultimately prevailed 4-2, and Bedard delivered his 70^th goal of the season and an assist. After a scoreless opening frame, the 17-year-old phenom centre set up the Pats first goal to open the game’s scoring.

With the puck by the left side of the Saskatoon net, Bedard centred a pass across the face of the Blades goal to Pats star import right-winger Alexander Suzdalev. Suzdalev, who turned 19-years-old on March 5, tapped in the backdoor feed for his 38^th goal of the season.

After the Pats took a 3-1 lead in the third, Suzdalev returned the favour setting up Bedard for his 70^th goal. Suzdalev was cutting to the Saskatoon net with the puck and made a sweet drop pass to Bedard, who was set up on top of the right faceoff circle. Bedard one-timed home the shot to give the Pats a 4-1 lead.

The North Vancouver, B.C., product was given polite applause by the crowd for his milestone tally.

Bedard became the first Pats player to score 70 or more goals in a season since centre Dale Derkatch recorded 72 goals and 87 assists for 159 points in 62 regular season games in the 1983-84 campaign.

The last player to score 70-or-more goals in a WHL campaign was Moose Jaw Warriors centre Jayden Halbgewachs in the 2017-18 season. Halbgewachs appeared in all of the Warriors 72 regular season contests in 2017-18 posting 70 goals and 59 assists for 129 points.

This season, Bedard leads the WHL in goals (70), assists (72) and points (142) to go with a plus-42 rating in the plus-minus department in 55 regular season appearances.

Left-winger Tanner Howe scored at the 15:07 mark of the second period for the Pats to give them a 2-0 lead.

Blades star 18-year-old winger Brandon Lisowsky had both goals for the host side. Lisowsky has career highs in goals (35), assists (32) and points (67) to go with a plus-16 rating in 63 regular season appearances.

Tanner Howe had a goal for the Pats on Sunday.

His first tally at the 7:46 mark of the third to cut the Pats lead to 2-1 was met with huge cheers. Star centre Trevor Wong and captain Aidan De La Gorgendiere picked up assists on Lisowsky’s first tally.

The Pats proceeded to pull away as 18-year-old rookie left-winger Brayden Barnett scored at the 10:48 mark of the third and Bedard posted his 70^th goal of the campaign at the 14:47 mark of the third to give the visitors a 4-1 lead.

With 1:59 remaining in the third and the Blades having pulled netminder Austin Elliott for an extra attacker, Lisowsky potted his second of the contest to round out the 4-2 final. Offensive-defenceman Tanner Molendyk and star right-winger Conner Roulette picked up assists on Lisowsky’s second tally.

Elliott turned away 18 shots to take the setback in net for the Blades. Kelton Pyne stole the game in goal for the Pats making 42 saves for a well-earned victory.

As it appears now, the SaskTel Centre could host more Bedard games in the first round of the WHL Playoffs. A first round series between the Blades and Pats is close to being locked up.

With the setback on Sunday, the Blades fell to 46-15-4-1, but they sit second overall in the Eastern Conference.

 In the conference playoff format used by the WHL, the two division winners are given the first and second seeds in the first round. From the second round onwards, the teams are reseeded by standings points.

In the Eastern Conference, the WHL leading Winnipeg Ice (55-9-1) have top spot in the conference and the East Division locked up. The Red Deer Rebels (42-18-3-3) have secured first in the Central Division and are cemented as the third place team in the Eastern Conference. They will be the top two seeds in the first round of the playoffs.

The Blades are cemented as the third seed for the opening round of the post-season in the Eastern Conference.

The Pats improved to 34-28-3-1 to sit sixth in the Eastern Conference, and they can’t be passed for that position. As soon as the Lethbridge Hurricanes (35-24-3-3) earn one more standings point, the Pats will be locked into finishing sixth overall in the Eastern Conference and face the Blades in a best-of-seven first round series.

Trevor Wong had an assist for the Blades.

In the big picture of things, it was great to see a sellout crowd turn out to the SaskTel Centre for a Blades home date. It would be cool if crowds of over 10,000 turned out frequently for Blades games after Bedard graduates from the junior ranks.

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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